Josh, please read this post if you have not already:
http://www.tfproject.org/tfp/showpos...5&postcount=74
Scroll down past the parts about the Iranian president. I've documented the fact that the republican party presidetial nomination process, and for the last seven years, even the presidency is under the control of militant fundamentalist evangelical christians. No candidate who is not a "saved" evangelical christian with extremely conservative, repture-centric theology will have an easy time pursuing the party's nomination. These folks....at CNP and in key positions in their media "world"...visit townhall.com and read the columns of the radio talk show hosts and web pundits, will see to that.
Romney, however, is "annointed" because townhall.com honcho and townhall parent, the CNP owned Salem radio network talkshow host, Hewitt, wrote the definitive book about his candidacy:
http://hughhewitt.townhall.com/blog/...7-8a8e49734117
Democrats have nothing remotely comparable as far as hurdles to jump through.