Is Mitt A Lock?

Mark Blumenthal reports that GOP insiders are somewhat more receptive to Romney than his poll numbers indicate:

Romney leads the field in combined endorsements and potential support. More than one-third of the Power Outsiders (36 percent) have either endorsed Romney or say there is a "good chance" they will support him — more than twice as many as say the same about Perry (17 percent). In fact, on the same measure of endorsements plus potential support, Perry also runs behind both Cain (27 percent) and Gingrich (22 percent).

Jonathan Bernstein says this greatly improves Romney's chances:

I’d say this adds up to pretty strong evidence against the notion that Romney has a low ceiling within the Republican Party. Of course, this doesn’t guarantee he’ll win the nomination. But if these results are really a good indication of what Republican party actors are thinking across the nation, it makes his nomination much, much more likely.

Joe Klein says yesterday was was "probably the single best day of the campaign for Mitt Romney–who didn’t have to lift a finger as his two most significant challengers nuked each other." Larry J. Sabato anticipates a curveball:

From 1976 to 2008, there has been a major surprise every time either in Iowa or New Hampshire. A back-of-the-pack candidate greatly exceeds expectations. Or the frontrunner stumbles. Or the field is scrambled in some other way.