Your analysis is spot on, except for the Limbaugh thing.
I've listened to him carefully the past month, and he has not spoken of Fred in terms of his most favored candidate.
Yes, Limbaugh has been careful not to endorse, but he has spoken glowingly of Romney... and sometimes Fred, on occasion.
As for rhe others, well, it's easy to read the inflections in Rush's tone and voice.
Limbaugh has no love for Rudy or McCain, and he dismisses Duncan out of hand.
And after Rush's rant against Huckabee the other day, which was just the latest in a long line of slams and jabs at Huckabee, it's obvious that Limbaugh realizes Huckabee would be an unmitigated DISASTER for the GOP.
Bottom line: I think Limbaugh likes Fred as a person and conservative candidate, but I sincerely believe Limbaugh sees what many others see: that Romney is the only one who can eventually pull all the segments of the GOP together next fall... to defeat the sHrillary Obacko machine.
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OK, I'm going to try this because I really have a sincere question for you. I do this with reluctance because I've found that Romney supporters aren't real good about answering straightforward questions, but here goes.
Why would Romney - who you would have to admit has drawn the antipathy of lots of conservatives for various positions he has taken - be able to "pull all the segments of the GOP together" better than Fred?
So far as I know, the only real rap on Fred is that he hasn't campaigned well. But IF he were to get the nomination, it seems to me that he'd have much more enthusiastic support of the conservative rank-and-file than would Romney. Just look at the polls on this site.
Why am I wrong?
Hank