There is really only one major question that needs to be answered at this point.

Who is the candidate, of those remaining, most likely to weather the incessant bashing that will come from the left and be able to succeed in beating obama at the national polls?

To arrive at an answer to that question, it might help to consider the following questions.

If Perry had remained in the race, how well would he have withstood national, mainstream non-cable network, incessant, television bashing of calling Social Security a "ponzi scheme"?

How well will a candidate withstand national, mainstream non-cable network, incessant, television bashing of resigning from government in disgrace over accused ethics violations?

How well will a candidate withstand national, mainstream non-cable network, incessant, television bashing concerning trying to turn the other cheek to a nuclear Iran?

It is not so much a matter of whether we like, or agree with, the ideas of one candidate
BETTER
than another candidate, but, at this point, rather a matter of whether that candidate has the best (or ANY  REALISTIC) chance of
WINNING over obama.
 
To save our country as we knew it, the dictator (please see linked article to review how obama will  SECRETLY  even bring in foreign countries to enforce his tyranny that our Congress refuses to grant him) obama must be defeated in the election, not just "shown up".

I hope and pray that the man who runs against obama will not be ANY sort of
"protest" candidate.