My question is what other choice do they really have? 
The Poll via Gallup:
PRINCETON, NJ — Mitt Romney is the now the only candidate that a majority of conservative and moderate/liberal Republicans nationwide see as an “acceptable” GOP nominee for president. Conservative Republicans are more likely to say Romney would be an acceptable nominee than either Newt Gingrich or Rick Santorum.
Fewer than half of conservative Republicans see Rick Perry, Ron Paul, or Jon Huntsman as acceptable nominees.
Romney’s broad acceptability across ideological lines is decidedly not the case for his competitors. Conservative Republicans view Gingrich, Santorum, and Perry as more acceptable than do moderate/liberal Republicans. On the other hand, moderate/liberal Republicans on average view Paul and Huntsman as more acceptable than conservatives.
The rest of that makes for some interesting reading. My question is, what choice do we really have? I mean, Gingrich is a populist bomb thrower who would scare off any independent voters and the social Conservatives view his multiple marriages as a cardinal sin. Ron Paul will never be elected, the Neoconservative majority in the party will never allow that. Rick Santorum will never win the primary, just because he is too socially conservative and the GOP does want someone who will appeal to voters. Jon Huntsman can never seem to gain any traction, mainly because the Conservative base sees him as a traitor to the party for working for President Obama. So, who else is there? Mitt will win over the Conservative base and they will hold their nose and vote for him. Mitt might be able to win over the Independents and hopefully the Evangelical base, although, I do have my doubts about that one.
Another thing too is this; Santorum will have the Catholic vote sowed up and they are a big voting demographic. However, the Independents who are catholic and non-catholic, might not be swayed towards him. Another thing to watch for is disgruntled Democrats, who have given the Democratic Party the ol’ “One finger salute” and decided that Obama just failed too badly and want something different. Those people are one’s to watch as well.
Let me say this about Romney and Evangelical Christians; the majority of them would be accepting to a Mormon President. However, there is a small; but very vocal minority of them that will not vote for him under no circumstances at all. Mainly, it is some of the “old school” Fundamentalists – and some Baptists, who would not vote for the man at all. Now personally, I am not too keen on the idea myself. However, at this point, anything is better than that mental midget in the White House now.
The problem with Romney is that he is squeaky clean on social issues and he is very well funded. You just cannot outrun someone like that. Hillary tried and failed and so will anyone who runs against Mitt. Believe me when I tell you, I do not like that thought no more than anyone else; but facts are facts.
Others: today.yougov.com News, American Prospect, The Caucus, Washington Post, Hot Air, The Other McCain, Indecision Forever, American Spectator, Catholic Bandita, Ballot Box, Weasel Zippers, Outside the Beltway, Patterico’s Pontifications, Ricochet Conversations Feed, National Review and The Lonely Conservative (Via Memeorandum)
