ROVEstradamus: Chances of a GOP late entry / brokered convention "as remote as having life on Pluto"

[Amerigo Vespucci]

http://www.mediaite.com/tv/chris-wallace-asks-panel-if-mitt-romney-loses-michigan-will-it-spell-the-end-of-his-presidential-campaign/

Is the almost-assured Republican primary contest victor no longer as assured? That seems to be the general consensus going around about Mitt Romney recently, as his polling numbers have dropped in the wake of a powerful Rick Santorum wave that has completely eclipsed the GOP field. On Fox News Sunday today, Chris Wallace asked his panelists what will happen to Romney’s candidacy if he loses Michigan, an important state for him to snatch in the primary season.

One of Romney’s ads says that “this is personal,” but his appeal to the state that he used to call his home has been for naught, as Santorum currently leads him by eight points in the latest statewide polls. The Wall Street Journal‘s Kimberley Strassel argued that Romney’s whole case at this point is electability, and if he can’t win Michigan it will undermine his whole argument in the facce of two strongly social conservatives. She added that the only problem with Santorum plowing on ahead is that he doesn’t have the kind of money the other candidates do to press on, but all Romney is doing is “running on biography.”

Karl Rove was the most blunt in his assessment of what would happen if Romney loses Michigan. He said it would be “damaging,” and acknowledged that because the state has an open primary, unions will likely try to cause mischief in the primary by voting against Romney. Wallace asked Rove what the chances would be of a late entry into the race. Rove previously dismissed the idea, but given what has happened in the last week, coupled with the fact that several key states have ballot deadlines down the road, and Rove admitted that this race was getting stranger by the second, with a late entry most definitely coupled with a brokered convention in the fall.

But Rove doubted a late entry would even happen, calling it “as remote as having life on Pluto.” Joe Trippi predicted a “trainwreck” if it actually happened, which he thought was incredibly likely in this race. Strassel asked who the GOP “savior” would be. Rove and Wallace went down a list of names, which shows even if a late candidate did emerge, there might still not be enough to satisfy voters.

[JHB]

1. So does Mickey Mouse's dog have fleas?

He's ridden worse roofs.

[RZM]

2. Lots of people here have been saying the same thing

It's very unlikely, IMO. Not completely outside the realm of possibility, but it's probably not going to happen. It's either going to be Ricky or the Mittster. I'm still predicting Mitt.

[Odin2005]

3. How dare Pigboy insult Plutonians like that!

[customerserviceguy]

4. The smoke-filled room just isn't there anymore

Practically all delegates are chosen by primaries or caucuses, and the opportunity for backroom shenanigans just isn't available like it would have been sixty or more years ago.

Yes, delegates are only pledged to a candidate for one or two ballots only, but they will invariably represent the kind of candidate that they're there to vote for in the first place. I cannot imagine a delegate for Santorum supporting Romney or any other moderate Republicon, like Jeb Bush. It will be a complete disaster for them.

[11 Bravo]

5. Rove continued, "It's even as remote as the possibility that I'll ever be able to see my own dick."

[Gore1FL]

6. pluto is an ice ball. It probably does have life.

That said, it may be a brokered convention, but there won't be a dark horse. No one could put together a campaign in 2 months to compete with a well funded incumbent president after pissing off the candidates who actually participated in the nomination process.

The GOP will try to avoid that at all costs.

[Frank Cannon]

7. And it's not just the candidates they will piss off.

You can only imagine what the Santorum and Gingrich zombie armies will do once the rug's been pulled out from under their candidates of choice.

No way in hell will the Republicans do a brokered convention. Not this time. They will put Governor Dog Torturer forward and pretend, as usual, that he is the greatest thing since John Wayne helped Jesus win World War II.