All of which leaves to the party with a situation it's not accustomed to -- being in fragmentation. And it's killing them.
Associated Press:
The Republican presidential race is so unsettled that some party officials are openly talking of a scenario that seemed almost unthinkable until now: the first contested GOP convention in 60 years.
Even if Republicans choose a nominee before they convene in Minneapolis-St. Paul on Sept. 1, there's a good possibility he will emerge weeks or even months after the Democratic nominee is chosen, giving Democrats an advantage in fundraising, organizing and campaigning. Congressional Republicans particularly wanted an early nominee to draw voters' attention from President Bush, whose low approval ratings could hurt the entire party in the fall.
Beside leaving Bush as the face of the party, the worries are that the GOP could wind up with a "brokered convention" -- i.e., a nominating process where the candidates are still competing on the convention floor. A brokered convention involves wheeling and dealing, with candidates who have no hope of winning throwing their support (and delegates) behind another candidate who may or may not have come out on top of the primary elections. In today's political campaign climate, it would probably mean more ad buys and more campaigning as the underdogs seek to influence others to back their guy. And that means spending more money and a lot of bloody noses...
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