If the Tea Party does not come out to support Mitt in big numbers, he doesn’t stand a chance. Some of them may decide to sit out 2012 and regroup for 2016 when they can nominate a real conservative.

In the last election in France, Sarkozy tried to warm up to the far right group Le Pen for their support, but when it came down to actually voting, Le Pen withdrew their support for Sarkozy because he was too much of a centrist and they left him swinging in the breeze.