If Mitt is a waffler, Obama is a confirmed radical leftwing socialist. With Mitt, there is at least some hope he can be pressured into a few conservative agenda items. With Obama it will be big fat ZERO.
Note to all purists: Do not cut off your nose to spite the ears.
Most people of conservative bent expected Sarah Palin to join the race. She didn’t, which left a lot of quickly fading second stringers — and Mitt. How to avoid having that happen in primaries (which had totally pitiful turnouts) is of more importance than whether or not to vote the only viable unObama now.
You said it. Some conservative "purists" would only be satisfied with a candidate on whom they could perform a vulcan mind meld.
Romney and Ryan are both geeks and their obvious intelligence will be in glaring contrast with the rank stupidity of the Obama/Biden duo.
The debates will be high entertainment.