Pareene goes out on a limb: "Now Rick Santorum is the 2016 GOP nomination frontrunner." Weigel backs him up:
It's true because the runner-up of the last Republican primary always starts off with an advantage. McCain 2008. Dole 1996. Bush 1988. Reagan 1976. Romney looked like the candidate most likely to break the trend, but no longer.
Larison counters:
If Romney loses the general election, the desperation to win the next presidential election will be so great that there will be no enthusiasm for risking another election on someone as provocative as Santorum. Contrary to the conventional assumption that Republicans will react to a Romney loss by rallying around a 2016 candidate perceived to be much more conservative, eight years of Obama will make the party more accepting of candidates that they would have previously rejected.
The Dish 