We can assume that the process ends with Romney as the nominee, but there are an infinite number of ways of getting from point A to point B -- and what happens in the course of the primaries will be enormously important.
One major question is whether a Romney nomination could prompt a third party bid, either by Ron Paul or by someone from the Tea Party/fundamentalist wing -- or could at least make those factions fed up enough to sit out the election.
Another is how obvious Romney's "owners" will become if they have to struggle to force Mr. 25% down the throats of the GOP rank and file. It seems that everyone from the major banks to Karl Rove is in the Romney camp -- but to what extent will they have to exert naked muscle to push him through and how sold out will he appear as a result?
A third question is where the big money will go. In 2004, the 1% had its money on Bush -- but after he failed to deliver on privatizing Social Security, they largely sat on their hands in 2006 and 2008, which helped made the Democratic victories of those years possible. They were back with the GOP in 2010, targeting governorships and state legislatures. But will they put their money into Romney, or will they be tempted to write him off as a lost cause and invest in, say, Congressional candidates instead?
And of course Occupy and Anonymous are always there as wild cards, ready to embarrass the candidates at any opportunity.
So don't give up on this primary season just yet. The fun is barely beginning.
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