In 2008 Obama beat McCain because he captured the independent votes. By a lot. In almost every state. McCain didn't stand a chance and that was with most republicans behind him but that's about it. Some voted third party out of disgust, others didn't vote at all. McCain/Palin could not drum up the support to present a decent challenge against Obama.
Honestly, it was a joke. Anyone who thought McCain/Palin had a chance against Obama were in denial, not paying attention to the psychology of a country fed up on wars, loss of rights, corruption...Obama campaigned on ending those things. We know he didn't, obviously. But, will a person angry with Obama's lies vote for a guy who wants MORE war, MORE loss of rights, and is the epitome of elite corruption? Um, no.
So who is going to support Mitt Romney?
Not the independents. And they are needed for a win. Period. So, he can't win.
Not some evangelicals. Perhaps some will but, like it or not, there are Christians who will not vote for a Mormon. It is what it is.
Not the Paul voters.
So, basically, Romney is going to have the support of a segment of the republican party.

That's it. He simply cannot win. The whole race is a total farce with him even pretending like he can win. He can do math. He knows he can't. Don't people realize he knows this? That his campaign knows this? That's what needs to be called out. Repeatedly. Over and over. Romney should bow out of the race. He will do worse than McCain! And those who support him need to pull their heads out of the sand, do the math, face reality and either support an effort to get him to drop out for Paul (who CAN win, garnering repub votes, independent votes, dem votes, EXACTLY what is needed to beat Obama). If Romney cared about his country or getting a repub in the WH (lol) then he should step aside and support the repub who can actually win against Obama.
Guys who want to troll this thread, SHOW ME THE MATH. Pull up the links to the states, how they voted last time, and explain how Romney will be able to beat Obama, how he will appeal to the independent vote by promising to be like Bush, how he will woo the anti-war/anti-corruption/pro-constitution Paul voters by taking the same stance as Bush and Obama.
It really is just math. This whole Romney as nominee, gonna beat Obama thing is a farce. Obama is laughing (as are many non-repubs because it is funny) at the repubs who seem to think just because they back someone that means they have a chance at winning without bothering to actually analyze the numbers and objectively look at the situation. Even if Paul dropped out of the race Romney still could not win. So, if he doesn't get the nomination he should run 3rd party. He'd have a better chance at unseating Obama that way than letting Romney run against him head to head. Romney just sucks as a candidate. Hello.