If the Repubs REALLY wanted to win ( and I have my doubts about whether they do or not ) , they would get behind the man who can win right now no matter who they determined that to be . Stop cutting each others’ throats in myriad debates moderated by the enemy and attack OBAMA !!!!! Whoever the chosen one is would offer to give all other people running a major cabinet position inc. VP . If they really and truly want to turn things around ( and it may be too late ) this is what they’d be doing rather than spending millions of dollars doing the work of the DNC !
This is not just about winning but about turning the culture of Washington around or we are just in for the same deal we have now.
Rick Santorum is a big spending social conservative and Newt is a somewhat more fiscally conservative yet far more socially liberal and as flip floppy as Mitt.
Rick Perry has always been the only choice because he is the most consistent and has a recent record to run on.
People on FR got mad because early on they were all over Palin and many blamed Perry for stepping on her toes. She never entered the race but her followers have jumped from Bachmann, to Cain, to Newt and now float somewhere between Newt and Santorum.If anyone thinks Newt dropping out or Perry dropping out results in one of the conservatives rising to challenge Mitt they're silly.
Half Newts votes would go to Mitt and half would split between Perry and Santorum.
Santorums votes would almost surely go to Perry because Perry is just as socially conservative as Santorum just with more of a record of backing up his talk and Santorum is only getting votes because he is socially conservative not because voters like his tax plan or his spending plan.
If Perry dropped out his votes would split between Newt, Santorum, Paul and Mitt because Perry supporters see Perry as a Conservative winning alternative to Mitt because of his record, and all they want is to beat Obama.
Some like Perry being the ultra-Social Conservative so that portion would go to Santorum.
Some like his freedom and states rights platform and his fiscal conservatism that could go to either Paul or Newt.
Perry is Newt, Paul and Santorum rolled into one with an actual record to run on while Obama has been President.