All this may be true. What is clearly true is that if we don’t get behind a Republican, Obama will win reelection — a catastrophe.
Romney wants us to “get behind” one candidate and kick the others to the curb, and he wants us to do it right now.
It’s exactly how Romney will win. This whole splitting the vote thing began back before the debate marathon ramped up.
See, we get rid of all others, make it a two man primary, and Romney wins it guaranteed. He will win it based on optics, he will win it because people think it means he’s a strong man because he can stand up there and smile while another candidate delivers a mild critique of him.
He will win because he “looks” right, and sounds “good”. Optics. The dude looks good on paper.
He will win it because everyone has taken it easy on him till now, and if the others come out swinging at Romney now - they get labeled as being bitter, or desperate.
Meanwhile Romney stands there smiling serenely through it all. Unruffled, pious, presidential.
If everyone else drops out now, leaving Romney and just one other Republican, do we think that the not-Romney will pick up all of those other votes? I’ll bet it doesn’t work out that way at all.