Former New Mexico governor Gary Johnson is by far the strongest and most credible presidential candidate the libertarians have ever had. He cannot win over the religious whack-jobs, of course: He is worse than Obama to that mob. He can draw off the rest of the right, however. That could sink Romney’s campaign for good if Johnson manages to get into the debates or comes up with an Adelson-style sugar-daddy to buy lots of air time for him.
It would be hilarious if Mitt finished third. I know that’s unlikely but it may not be impossible.
The downside is that a GOP rout would give the crazies all the ammunition they need to finish remaking the party in their own image.