The sooner Romney locks it up the better for the President.

[DCBob]

It removes the excitement of the race for the GOP nomination and takes the media focus off the Republicans and puts it back on the President and other more important issues.

It also puts pressure on Romney to identify and clarify his positions... and ten months of Romney "clarfying" his positions will get awfully dull and likely turn off many voters. On the other hand it could get interesting if Willard continues to make dumb statements when unprepared and speaking off the cuff. Either way President Obama benefits.

[monmouth]

1. I want to know more about Romney's "carried interest" and other shenanigans

on his income tax reports. When is he required to disclose them?

[DCBob]

3. Yes, his income tax returns will become an issue..

I hope.

[boston bean]

4. I don't believe it is a requirement to disclose them to become president.

But he should release them. Hopefully public pressure will make that happen.

[DCBob]

7. most if not every Presidential candidate has release them in the past.

and they should even if not a requirement.

[FreakinDJ]

27. Do you honestly think even "This Media" will drop the Tax Returns issue

just like they did Obama's Birth Certificate

[Old and In the Way]

30. I'm far more interested in a candidate's tax returns than I am about where he/she was born.

Funny how the Tea Party - with all of their outrage about Obama's birth certificate - doesn't seem to have nearly as much interest in demanding that Mitt release his tax returns.

[Frustratedlady]

2. MSNBC needs to talk about something else, rather than...

telling the same story over and over again, program after program. They pick 4 subjects and tell the story in 6 different ways ad nauseum. Talk about free advertising. Even if it is adverse, it is advertising.

Rarely do they mention Obama's accomplishments or show much of his speeches.

How many times do you need to put down Romney, Gingrich or Santorum and get any effect? Watch one news program and you've watched them all. On top of that, Rachel has gotten to the point where she describes the same instance in three different ways. I finally had to quit watching her, although I used to love her show. That technique grates on my nerves.

Grumpy...need another cuppa.

[DCBob]

5. The media is obsessed with the GOP race at the moment.

I think it still captures alot of eyeballs but I agree its become boring and nauseating.

[HopeHoops]

6. Just wait - The Palinoid or Jeb will probably jump in at the last minute.

[DCBob]

8. I was predicting that before but how would that work if Romney has the votes?

If Romney has the required number of delegates how can anyone else jump in?

[morningfog]

9. He's a long way from having the votes. He has 20 of the needed 1144.

I think filing dates and momentum will keep others from coming in late.

I also think that the longer the gop race goes, the better for Obama, to a certain point. Another month or two of republican infighting is good for Obama. Once we get to March or April, the focus needs to shift to the gop nominee vs. Obama, for the reasons mentioned in your OP.

Edit to add link to delegate tracking: http://elections.nytimes.com/2012/primaries/delegates

[DCBob]

13. Perhaps.. but at some point soon it will be too late if Romney continues to win every state.

I agree the Republican infighting is good and it may not stop even if Mittens locks it up. The Teaparty and hard rightwing are already pissed and will get even more pissed if they are ignored.

[HopeHoops]

12. Hold on - since when have Republicans cared about vote integrity?

It's just a jr. high popularity contest for them.

[Major Hogwash]

10. Except for one thing, the media is not on our side.

Normally I would agree to know who their nominee is far in advance of the general election. The sooner the better.
But, this year, I don't think that is necessarily a good thing for us.

[spanone]

11. newt could take south carolina....only 4 percentage points behind romney

[unblock]

14. a messy primary season is rarely good for a party

and in fact is a fair indication that that party will lose the general.

i'm fine with romney having comparatively little time to consolidate his position as his party's choice.

[DCBob]

16. Clearly there are benefits of a messy GOP primary for us but..

I guess my biggest fear is that no candidate has enough votes to claim the nomination outright. Then that opens up the possibility of a brokered convention and then anyone could be brought in.. eg.. Jeb Bush. We do not want that scenario.

[unblock]

20. that's a fantasy scenario that very rarely happens. besides, jeb's not jumping in to lose to obama.

if you're jeb, wouldn't you much prefer to take your chance in 2016?

[DCBob]

28. That's probably correct but I think we win this thing unless something crazy like that happens.

If you believe the GOPers they think they can win this easily with the economy still in tatters if they had a decent candidate.

[yardwork]

15. I don't know. I think that the Republicans are doing a great job destroying themselves.

I don't want it to end soon. I mean, Gingrich is calling Romney out for being a corporate raider. As soon as Romney gets the nomination all that dissent will stop and the pr machine will go into swing.

[DCBob]

18. Yes, thats true but Im not sure all the dissent will stop.

There are alot of angry conservatives out there and I dont see them falling in line for a flip-flopping Massachusettes liberal Republican.

[yardwork]

24. I agree. I'm hoping for a third party alternative to Romney. Sweet.

[DCBob]

33. Im thinking Ron Paul might go for it.

Recenlty he said no but he left the possibility open.

[Fumesucker]

17. Napoleon once remarked that it is rude to interrupt your enemy while he is self destructing..

Any issues that fellow Republicans raise regarding Romney are automatically going to be taken more seriously by the liberal media than anything Democrats might cavil about.

[DCBob]

19. Good point... but it seems the self-destruct process has run its course.

Most are getting bored with it now. The worst of it is over and we need to move on to the next level... destroying the actual candidate.

[unblock]

21. oh, ye of little faith!

there's much more self-destruct ahead for these clowns!

[DCBob]

25. no doubt.

It will be entertaining regardless.

[Fumesucker]

22. Oh, I don't know..

[DCBob]

23. Ha!

good one.

[MjolnirTime]

26. No, we want Newt running his ads as long as possible.

[Nye Bevan]

29. Totally disagree.

We want those clowns bickering among themselves, digging up dirt and running negative ads against each other, spending money in pursuit of the nomination, and pandering to right-wing tea party lunatics, for as long as possible.

[donco]

31. Keep em fighten

gotta drain off some of that superpac dough.

[DCBob]

32. Thats a good argument I had not thought of... ie. drain their resources.

Clearly that would help the situation.

[chemp]

34. yep. Have to agree

Once they have a candidate, they will fling their poo in the President's direction. Let them get more of it on themselves first.

[ProgressiveEconomist]

35. And it keeps Rs SPLIT--Divide

and Conquer is great politics.

Keeping hope alive for Gingrich Perry Santorum Paul and even Huntsman IMO will prevent "hearts from following" for individual Rs who embrace Romney. And continuing media scrutiny on Romney may pay off in HUGE scandals over such things as the marginal tax rate Romney is paying--see http://www.democraticunderground.com/1002166148 , for example.

[surfdog]

36. I want it to drag out

So they can do as much damage to mitt as possible

I want them to hand Obama a very damaged and defeated Romney

[JI7]

37. Disagree, there is no excitement in the Race regardless of who wins , especially Romney

the problem is the Candidates themselves .

let them spend money fighting each other, making it tougher to come together after.

[DCBob]

38. One of the main reasons I want this over with is to just get these idiots out of the headlines.

Its nauseating to hear their assine comments non-stop 7x24. Also at some point even if their comments are totally wrong some people begin to believe it if they hear it enough times. Its time to move on to real campaign.. mano a mano.

[Mosaic]

39. The problem is the greedy corporate media

They cause a lot of the commotion for their damn ratings and profits you see.

[DCBob]

40. No doubt.. they love a horse race..

even if means nothing in the end.

[quaker bill]

41. Not in this case

There is a difference between a close race between two people when the public sees both as potential Presidents (Clinton - Obama), and the current mess on the republican side. If Newt takes SC and Santorum finishes reasonably well, there is a potential for a three way race between parties that only a select minority see as viable. Even if SC boils down to a Romney win with Santorum and Gingrich nipping at his heels, this could extend for some time. Huntsman and Perry are probably done, and their support, while small, will move to other candidates, leaving the door open to an unsettled race.

There is now potential for the evangelicals to unite behind Santorum, and the paleoconservatives to follow Gingrich, with the remainder supporting Romney. Ron Paul will continue to pull his +/- 20%. THis could keep several of them in the race for some distance, with perhaps more than one or two extras making it to the convention. Having it sort out at the convention instead of at the hands of the voters could carry a great deal of dysfunction into the fall.

Where the potential pitfall lies for the R's is a convention with no clear winner delivered by the voters. If Romney stiches it up early their convention becomes a coronation, if he walks in short on delegates and needs to cut deals to get the nom, many parties get a slice of primetime at the podium and their convention becomes "idiots on parade" (more than ususal).

The 2008 race for the D side was long and heavily fought, but the voters delivered a clear winner to the convention. This could be the difference.

[DCBob]

43. Recent poll has Romney up by 9.

I think he is going to win SC decisively and that will be the end of it.

http://www.politico.com/blogs/burns-haberman/2012/01/private-poll-mitt-leads-jobsfocused-sc-primary-110872.html

[DCBob]

45. Another recent poll has Romney up by 21

Its over.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/14/poll-update-1-romney-open_n_1206549.html

[MrScorpio]

42. What positions?

Has he pulled them out of a Cracker Jack box lately?

(I have no idea if they still make Cracker Jack.)

[DCBob]

44. They fluctuate depending on the weather.

sure they still make cracker jack. I think its a popular as ever.