Posted on 02/20/2012 9:14:55 AM PST by Bruce Campbells Chin
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Presidential hopeful Mitt Romney's struggles in Michigan are fueling speculation that Republicans might have to resort to a doomsday scenario and launch a frantic search for a 2012 savior at their nominating convention in late August....How did Republicans get to this point? Romney's failure to get conservatives fully behind him and put down yet another challenger in the party - this time it's Rick Santorum - is causing angst in the party. Many senior Republicans do not think Santorum, a social conservative caught up in the U.S. culture wars over issues like abortion and contraception, has a chance to beat Obama if he wins the party's presidential nomination. When he ran for re-election as a U.S. senator from Pennsylvania in 2006, Santorum lost by 18 percentage points.... "It's hard for me to see how Romney rights the ship if he loses Michigan," said Republican strategist Matt Mackowiak. "There is no level of spin that can overcome that disaster." Michigan will set the table for "Super Tuesday," the March 6 jackpot when 10 states hold Republican nominating contests. A loss for Romney in Michigan would raise serious doubts over whether he can rally enough support to have a big day on Super Tuesday and make a big move toward clinching the nomination. ....Who would Republicans turn to if not Romney or Santorum? Think of two popular governors, Mitch Daniels of Indiana and Chris Christie of New Jersey, or former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, or even U.S. congressman Paul Ryan, author of a budget plan popular with Republicans....
Excerpted
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
I would expect a mix of bribes and blackmail by Team Romney and the GOP-e to secure the nomination for Mitt in this scenario.
Just curious why someone who poured millions of their own money to win the presidency would be willing to step aside and allow someone else to run who hadn't spent a dime or run the grueling gauntlet of chicken dinners and bar-b-ques and speeches? That would be awfully tough for any candidate to stomach.
A brokered convention would inevitably mean Romney is guaranteed the nomination, no? I’d think the GOP-e would use bribery, coercion and vote rigging to make it happen.
Funny how there is no “talk” of one candidate starting to win one primary after another and wrapping it up before the convention. While Santorum could be in just another rise and fall spot like all the previous candidates, he is saying EXACTLY the things conservatives have been so desperate to hear and going beyond what the consultants normally let a candidate say.
The media are doing him a huge favor by repeating and drawing attention to his comment that Obama’s theology runs counter to the Bible. That is a seed that’s going to land on fertile ground — the ears of disaffected conservatives — in the coming weeks. I expect he is going to break out of the pack and never look back.
Why is it that whenever the pundits name possible candidates who could step in at a brokered convention they never mention Sarah Palin?
Can’t the Newt and Santorum guys just call a truce until we get Romney out??
“Romney’s Struggles Fuel Talk of Brokered Convention”
Does this mean that if the heir apparent of the elite gop is not deemed to be good enough, then the elite gop will choose another elite heir?
It’s a “contested” convention not a brokered convention because “brokered” entails that someone is in charge....when if you look at the new rule changes for the GOP convention, no ones really in charge like in the past with power bosses. The only name that will generate excitement is Palin and then folllowed by maybe Paul Ryan in those halls of the convention and the most likely scenario is that Gingrich and Santorum delegates would coalesce around Sarah. All you have to do is look at her reception at CPAC and three rooms pack of people wanting to hear her.
Btw there’s even talk that if one does look at the rules — that it alleges that on the first ballot the delegates could make their new choice and don’t necessarily has to vote for the current candidates
I’m sorry, but the issue of the 2012 election ARE NOT religion and birth control.
I haven’t heard a single canidate discuss how the communists in the federal government are purposely trying to collapse the system so they can rebuild their vision from the 60’s of some insane utopia.
If this does happen and Jeb Bush is nominated I will slit my wrists.
A Jeb Bush candidacy guarantees the Republican nominee comes in third place
“Can’t the Newt and Santorum guys just call a truce until we get Romney out??”
IMO, I think they are already doing that. They seem to be addressing Obama more than each other.
Actually, Palin was mentioned in the article. I just had to excerpt it.
ping, because we haven’t had a topic about how the convention will be brokered for at least two days.
Thanks Bruce Campbells Chin.
Exactly. Matt Rhoades and Matt Drudge have been gathering homo dirt on the state GOP leaders for the past 4 years to make sure Romney wins in a brokered convention.
Absolutely. Brokered convention = Romney as the result of dirty deals made in RINO-inhabited, smoke-filled, back rooms in Tampa hotels.
What these blowhards are doing is giving Republicans an ultimatum.
You pick Romney or we broker the Convention and pick him ourselves.
If they do that this is one republican who will beat down the door to change to Independent or third party whichever is the best option.
The Republican Party is slowly committing suicide.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.