Consternation on the right about the lack of a viable candidate next year is gaining traction. Jonah invokes the Buckley rule (one should support "the most rightward viable candidate") and warns the GOP to err on the side of electability:
The danger isn’t so much that GOP voters will reject the Buckley rule but that they will think that almost any conservative will be electable given how weak Obama seems. After all, independents don’t subscribe to the Buckley rule — because they’re independents. If the economy improves or Obama gains traction, a Bachmann candidacy could resemble Goldwater ’64 more than Reagan ’80.
Along the same lines, Michael Gerson declared a couple days ago, somewhat tentatively, that "conviction is important, but ideological purity is overrated." Douthat continues to push for Christie's candidacy:
Christie wouldn’t be running to Romney’s left so much as competing with him to be the kind of figure who usually wins the G.O.P. nomination: The establishment-backed center-right candidate who’s acceptable to the grassroots as well. In that contest, he would primarily be drawing contrasts based on electability, personality, recent accomplishments and trustworthiness, rather than trying to establish a radically different ideological brand.
I think Ross is getting desperate. Christie has just gotten into his governorship and is losing popularity in his home state and doesn't want to run yet. Larison, on the other hand, is confident that the field is set. Earlier thoughts on the weakness of the GOP field here and here.
The Dish 