Absolutely. And yet, here we are, the GOP aligning with Mitt before other candidates even announce.
If the GOP throws their weight behind Romney early, other candidates can't/won't get the money commitments they'll need to run a viable candidacy.
I see this happening now to discourage others from even thinking of throwing their hats in the ring, winnowing down the field before it gets crowded like it did in 2008.
Romney can't win, but he can keep others from winning or even running a decent campaign, which punishes conservative/tea party upstarts, which is seen as a win for the Republican Party.
This is so depressing.
Good analysis.