Not to mention, if Newt vaporized, there are hardcore Newt backers who think both Mitt and Rick are terrible alternatives, and who actually think Rick is worse than Mitt, as a candidate to put forward. Gallup polled Newt backers second choices after Newt and there was a decided SPLIT.
People are trying with all their might to debunk that, because they’re meme is that if no Newt, they all go to Santorum.
That might be a Free Republic result, although many here say they would not vote, but most say Rick if not Newt.
But FR is not a representative sample of state by state or national GOP primary voters.
No matter how hard some try to pretend otherwise.
I understand how people could say Mitt was less bad than Rick, to put forward as a candidate.
It all goes back to the superficial...well, he was a BUSINESSMAN and saved the Olympics. And he was a Governor (never mind what he did).
I think voters would say that because they have had it rubbed in their faces that Romney has the GOP-e money and muscle in his camp. I also believe that the GOP-e has gone easy on Rick so that the Rick and Newt camps will be so busy "attacking" each other that Mitt doesn't have to get his hands dirty (Mitt "I know nothing about those attack ads" Romney).
The GOP-e sees Rick as the weakest one to eliminate once there are two. Newt clearly sees, that if he leaves the race, there will be no choice but the Massachusetts Moderate and that means 4 more years of Obama.
By going to the convention we can air all this dirty GOP-Establish laundry. Let's let it flap in the breeze on prime time for all to see.
The audience can hear the conservative message sized up against the party mush.