GOP Showdowns

ROMNEY VS. HUNTSMAN - It's not just that they're both Mormon, and both and rich-and-famous fathers. It's that if you lined up all the Republican candidates from left to right on how they really felt deep inside about the different issues, Huntsman and Romney would be the first two on the left. Still right of center compared to the rest of the country, but it's Republican delegates they have to court first, and Romeny's willing to say whatever to convince them he's really farther down the row.

BACHMANN VS. PALIN - It's not just that they're both women, and both have interesting family dynamics. It's that both are considered Tea party queens. Both have proven to be gaffe-prone and have enthusiastic supporters willing to go into Wikipedia and change history because their candidate said soemthing was so. If Sarah gets in, how do they not cancel each other out? It's not just because they're women; they have a lot in common. It reminds me of how Biden & Dodd cancelled each other out in 2008.

PAWLENTY VS. PERRY - The early front-runner for the "Anyone But Mitt" crowd was T-Paw, but after he backed down in the debate, the new favorite is secession-flirter Rick Perry. The Texas governor can boast of the economic health of his state compared to the rest of the union, and his toothy grin has steel behind it. I say if Perry really gets in, Pawlenty's finished.

GINGRICH VS. GINGRICH - You did it to yourself, Newt. Don't waste any more money and drop out of the race now.

EVERYONE ELSE - Ron Paul will always have a loyal following, but he isn't going to win. Herman Cain would need a really impressive debate performance or two to give his campaign a jump-start. Rick Santorum should quit while he's behind. I feel like I'm forgetting someone... Rudy Guiliani? Even if he gets in, he won't take any states. He'd be there to block someone else. Gary Johnson? Over before it started.

Yeah, I think that's it. I can see Bachmann staying strong for a while, but if Palin and Perry get in, I see Perry taking the #2 spot behind Romney.

And if I haven't said it somewhere else before, I'll say it here. If Mitt Romney does get the nomination, his VP pick will be Marco Rubio.