Variation on a 1940 campaign button
Given the epic Red Sox collapse, one wonders if there will be another epic collapse from Massachusetts, at least indirectly. The former governor from Massachussetts, Mitt Romney, doesn't seem to be vacuuming up the love that another collapsing candidate is shedding.
From Nate Silver (including his chart):
The polls suggest that Rick Perry’s struggles in the debate — amplified by a storm of skepticism among influential Republicans — have taken a bite out of his numbers. But the spoils seem to have gone mainly to other conservative candidates in the race, rather than Mr. Romney.
Nate's post quantifies where we are, remembering how early in the cycle we still are. (And we can't emphasize that enough!) That's important to remember, since the polls aren't predictive, they are merely a more or less accurate snapshot of where we are. But one doesn't need to quantify the numbers to understand that Chris Christie talk is really "I'm unhappy with Romney—isn't there anyone else?"
It's been my contention that Romney is the eventual default winner as electability trumps passion as the contest goes on. The trouble is that since there's no passion for Romney, who will work for him other than his millionaire base (and even they have to worry about being fired, which is Romney's best business skill)?
In any case, keep an eye on the polls and especially watch for a Perry fade—and where his numbers go. As Nate suggests, it's not necessarily to Romney.