Easy answer. We are about 17 months away from the Iowa caucus. I favor Jim DeMint (with Haley Barbour a very close second). It's important to me that I express my feelings at a grass roots level. As of this moment there are no announced candidates. It's all up for grabs. As we get close to the Iowa Caucus and the New Hampshire primary we will see who has broad support, who has the financial viability and who has the fire in the belly (unlike say a Fred Thompson).
Now lets take this a step further. I'm not even saying ALL CONSERVATIVES have to support the same candidate as of the day caucusing starts in Iowa. But there is going to come a point, fairly early in the primary season, where reality has to set in and we need to get on the same team. Without naming names most of us who follow the horse race that is the primaries are familiar with FReepers who very vocally support their candidate. Even in the face of their candidates total inability to compete they staunchly cling to their sinking boat denying that the water is over their knees.
Believe me when I say that if the candidates I favor at this moment does not announce and/or does not appear competitive I will migrate my support to the conservative I feel could best be competitive in November 2012.
Iowa in 2008 went for faux-conservative Huckabee. Iowa can keep their pigs as far as I am concerned.