Romney is still leading, but his grip on first place is precarious

STILL AHEAD, BUT VULNERABLE: The Washington Post is reporting that a poll reveals Mitt Romney is still ahead, but his position can be considered precarious, "with Palin second and Rep. Michele Bachmann (Minn.) third." This is, in my view, nothing short of frightening — however, it must be said that although Mitt Romney's relatively centrist views speak more to my politics than the other two, it's not looking a particularly promising bunch to choose from. "Palin tops the list as the most empathetic figure. She runs almost even with Romney on the question of who best reflects the party’s core values and on who is most compatible with people on the issues." Ew.

The problem, as I see it, for Mitt Romney (and, indeed, Michele Bachmann) is that Palin has had the national publicity of a presidential, albeit vice presidential, campaign before. She has a devoted fan base and numerous supporters on the right, even if she may not be the darling of the media, or as she (somewhat less than affectionately) calls it, the 'lamestream' media. Personally, I don't think she'll run. In my ideal situation, the others won't have her to contend with. You know what's uncannily scary, though? She could actually win.