Assuming 2012 GOP primaries turns out to be largely a Romney-Bachmann battle...

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

Whom do you see as a third strongest candidate?

Discuss.

[Yelnoc]

Paul has a base that neither of them will tap.  If the battle is between the two of them, he's the only serious candidate I foresee staying in.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Paul has a base that neither of them will tap.  If the battle is between the two of them, he's the only serious candidate I foresee staying in.

Paul will definatly place 3rd, and maybe win a primary or two, but I can see Cain possibly overtaking him. Possibly. Pawlenty would be in third, if he actually survives Iowa, which he probaly wont even make it too.

[courts]

Paul has a base that neither of them will tap.  If the battle is between the two of them, he's the only serious candidate I foresee staying in.

Paul will definatly place 3rd, and maybe win a primary or two, but I can see Cain possibly overtaking him. Possibly. Pawlenty would be in third, if he actually survives Iowa, which he probaly wont even make it too.

No, because Cain is a moron who can't tell when the media is obviously baiting him to the point where FOX News wonders why he doesn't focus on something other than bringing up teh Muslim horde. Also nobody likes T-Paw, even when they get confused and think they're watching a Transformers ad.

[specific_name]

In a Romney vs. Bachmann match up, I figure Paul would pick up the scraps. There's room for a darkhorse still, who may lose in the primaries and then go independent. Especially if we enter into recession again, the public isn't going to have a reflexive target to blame.

Sure Obama would bare the brunt of it, but the Republicans aren't looking so good either. This may be the best time for a 3rd party challenge since 68. Naturally, I don't want to get ahead of myself- we'll see how the economic mess goes. By the end of the year we'll probably have the dynamics of the race.