If it came to the convention...

[Torie]

The delegates would be insane really to pick someone out of the blue who has not been tested having run the grueling circuit. Sure if Daniels had run, and proven that he had the right stuff, and so forth, under extreme pressure, he would be a fine choice. But he didn't, and certainly would not be prepared either to handle all the national issues, and all the curve balls that are out there.

I must say, even though I could never vote for him, and think he would not make a good POTUS, and may well end up being a disastrous one (in part because of his deep seated passions, including a seeming lust for lashing out at a long list of foreign evils, that he feels need to be made "right," and made "right" sooner rather than later, potentially leading to another ill considered war), that Santorum has considerably increased his statute by virtue of his running. He has shown he can think on his feet, think things out, and handle pressure well. Plus he has shown considerable  discipline, which is always a virtue, particularly for a POTUS.  

In a word, Santorum surprised me, in a way none of the other candidates did. The rest were, or are, almost entirely predictable.