As much as I will get trashed on this site for saying so, and not that I want this at all, Romney is probably our best best to beat Obama.
I won’t trash you for that opinion, but I do disagree with you. The main reason that Romney will have a hard time beating Obama is because it’s hard for him to attack Obama on his signature blunder. Obamacare. When Romney goes on the attack against him, Obama can rightly point out how much of the program they took from Romney’s own Massachusetts plan. Romney’s lame answers he has now will not cut it in the general election. People won’t be buying it. Republicans aren’t buying it now. Couple that with his work at Baines Capitol. This is a company that came in, took over companies and slashed employees and benefits. Yes, I understand that they did this to save the company, but the general rube on the street won’t understand it that way. They won’t see how many jobs Baine saved by saving the company. They’ll see how many jobs Baines liquidated. Obama will be taking the unemployment issue out of play with his attacks on Baine. The fervent tea party movement will be sitting on the sidelines IMO. All not good. Not to mention Romney’s many flip flops. Think John Kerry.
Actually, I think Perry is, if he plays his cards right (so far he is).
Palin is weak vs. Obama in the general, IMHO, because she won’t get independents. Perry can.
Romney can too, but his Romneycare failures would isolate just enough of the base that the lack of motivation could lower GOP turnout just enough to let Obama eek by.