If Rick Perry jumps in, I think he has the unique ability to run the table. He's their dream candidate, lacking the flaws of the rest. He doesn't come across as too crazy (see: Santorum), he holds up the legs of the GOP Stool (like Romney, except sincere), he's not seen as past-his-prime (see: Gingrich), he actually has a chance to win the nomination (see: Paul), and he seems to know what he's doing (see: Pawlenty; Huntsman). He could potentially dominate the primary. Perry might be too much of a Bush clone for the public, but at least then Barack Obama could keep running against George W. Bush! You can't make this shit up.
However, if Perry sits out, we have 2004 Redux: The GOP Version. Here, primary voters are bored and uninspired by old dudes like John Kerry and Dick Gephardt (now played by Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich) and not about to pick Joe Lieberman, their last candidate's running mate (in this case...Sarah Palin I guess). They see hope in the young, charismatic John Edwards (Tim Pawlenty), but he never really catches on. They also think Wes Clark (Jon Huntsman) will appeal to independents and be a fresh alternative, but he enters the race late and also fizzles. They find themselves captivated by the bombastic Howard Dean (in this case Michele Bachmann) who chastises the party for straying from its principles and weakly caving to the other side. Not to mention Al Sharpton and Dennis Kucinich, (now Rick Santorum and Herman Cain) who have no chance. (Not cast in this movie: Ron Paul, as he clearly belongs in neither party and should really have his own story)Many remain reluctantly undecided, still dissatisfied with their choices and worried about the frontrunner's electability. The other candidates see that they still have a chance, but must take out the frontrunner, so they unite against their common foe. In the final days, the frontrunner is taken down, and immediately reacts by making an ass of himself on national TV, ensuring that he'll always be remembered as not just a loser, but a crazy loser (I can't WAIT to see what Bachmann does in the sequel! 50-50 chance she declares it a sign of the Apocalypse).
In the end, the boring, tone-deaf Kerry wins the nomination, viewed as the least offensive candidate. The voters hate the incumbent so much that they are thrilled to vote for any alternative.In the general election, despite troublesome wars and a bad economy, the incumbent wins. History is like an M. Night Shyamalan movie. You have no clue what's going on at first and there's always a twist, but it's pretty much the same formula every time. Also a small number of elites make lots of money, but the masses are generally dissatisfied.
