With Jeb Bush’s announcement that he is endorsing Mitt Romney (AT THIS LINK) for the GOP nomination the fact of Romney being the GOP establishment candidate is locked in. 


There was little doubt about the fact of course, but  with Romney’s supposed rightward shift during the campaign the edges of the matter were a bit fuzzy.


With a senior Romney staffer giving the game away with his “Etch A Sketch” (AT THIS LINK) comment (that Romney could simply erase all his “rightist’ remarks after getting the nomination and starting off as a “moderate” with a clean slate for the fall campaign) and the Bush endorsement the form of the horses now, and for 2016, is in sharp focus.


If Romney, the establishment “centrist” candidate, loses to President Obama in November, he will join the long line of such losers which includes Ford, Bush Snr. (second term run) Dole and McCain At that point the “electability,we must appeal to Independents” argument will have gone out the window. Along with it will go the chances of Jeb Bush, Christie, Daniels, Pawlenty, McDonell and the like.


After a Romney defeat the Tea Party, and most conservatives, will be in no mood for another such candidate and it will be the turn of the first genuine conservative since Reagan. 


Such a campaign could see the likes of Ryan, West, Rubio and even Bachmann entering the lists,without, hopefully, a Paul to muddy the waters. Of course the obvious person to be the conservative candidate for the GOP nomination at that point would be Sarah Palin.


I for one would relish a Palin vs.Bush battle for the 2016 nomination. Let the rank and file speak at that point and we will see if the vox populi can overcome the vast resources in money and mainstream media support the Bush clan could bring. I have no doubt as to Palin being the winner.