“...[I]f Palin won the nomination by a whisker, Romney’s supporters would back her in the general election.”
I disagree. If she won, the whole Bush/Rove/Romney amalgamation would open fire with everything they have got aimed right between her shoulderblades. “We’ve got your back”, voodoo Republican style.
Then they would run Jeb in an effort to fool us the third time, following the second Obama term.