2012 GOP primary if Sanford runs (and never had an affair)

[Mr. Morden]

Now that Mark Sanford is finally running for president IRL, what do you all think about this hypothetical: Sanford never has an affair, and so does not resign as governor.  He runs for the 2012 GOP nomination, against Romney, Perry, Santorum, Huntsman, Paul, Gingrich, etc., etc....everyone who ran IRL also runs in this scenario.

How does Sanford do?  Does he at least win his own home state primary in South Carolina, thus robbing Gingrich of a victory there?

[Grassroots]

His best chance was in 2008, and with people like Huckabee in the race there wasn't much of a chance anyways.

[TheElectoralBoobyPrize]

I think he would've had a pretty good chance because he's conservative enough to win the nomination, but mainstream enough to win a general election.

[morgankingsley]

Romney was too strong in 2012 to not get the nomination imo

[dw93]

Romney was too strong in 2012 to not get the nomination imo

Disagree. I remember candidates got ahead of him in the polls from time to time. The only problem is that they flamed out almost instantly after they got ahead of him. Had someone been able to maintain the lead, Romney could've lost the nomination.  That said, everyone that ran that year except Huntsman, who was too unpalatable to the base, would've fared worse against Obama in the general than Romney did.

[libertpaulian]

It's likely Ron Paul sits out the race, given that the paleocon and libertarian wings of the GOP at the time actually wanted Sanford to run (I was actually one of them!  I promoted Sanford heavily on my FB in early 2009).  It was only after Trailgate that they went back to Paul as their 2012 choice.

[UWS]

If he does indeed win South Carolina, then I think Gingrich would have dropped out of the race, thus making Romney's track to the nomination much easier unless Sanford being in the race doesn't prevent the momentum that Santorum enjoyed in early February.