Almost every week someone asks me (or gives me their opinion) about the GOP Presidential race and if they don’t ask about the GOP Presidential race, they will ask my thoughts on the Denny Rehberg and Jon Tester race.

Since I write a lot about Rehberg/Tester, today I will share a few thoughts on the Presidential race and touch a little on Washington politics.

Many folks who lean to the right are not that excited about the candidates left in the GOP Presidential field (Rick Santorum, Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich, and Ron Paul).  That lack of excitement is great news for Barack Obama and his campaign team.

Although it’s a long way to November 2012, it seems to me that Barack Obama now has a better than average chance of winning a second term.  Those chances looked pretty slim just a few months ago.

In regards to House and Senate races, the chances of Washington, D.C., changing is looking less likely as things improve across the country.  They key issue in 2012 is the economy.  We are being told it is getting better and Obama and the Democrats are selling that.  More importantly, people (voters) are starting to buy it.

The GOP would like to see the economy stay in the tank until after November.  It’s helpful to the GOP that gas prices are starting to climb.

In regards to the Presidential race, Gallup released a poll this morning that has Rick Santorum leading Mitt Romney 36% to 26% nationwide, but “Fifty-eight percent of Republicans say Romney has best chance to beat Obama.”  You can read the whole poll HERE.

Not many folks thought that Santorum would even compete (maybe just his family) in nationwide politics, but he has competed pretty well.  Now he may just win the GOP nomination for President of the United States.  Wow!

Santorum is youthful-looking.  He walks the conservative walk.  He’s not a flip-flopper.  He’s only had one wife.  He’s not as extreme as some.

He might be the exact political opposite of Barack Obama which means it would be the classic conservative versus liberal race if it comes down to Santorum versus Obama.

The “elephant in the room” is that the religion of the GOP Presidential candidates is playing a role.  I’ll leave it at that.

The flip-flopping of Romney is probably what has harmed him most – his opponents have pounded him on it – along with the fact that Romney is extremely rich and out of touch with Joe six-pack.

Santorum seems the steady person – staying the course – he seems like the fellow who did not go with what was cool at the time, but now cool has come around and found him.

Newt Gingrich has recently reverted back to looking old and cranky.  People are wondering if he has another rally left in him.  Ron Paul seems old and kooky to many, but has maintained a steady course.

Is there an opportunity for someone other than the four men currently in the race to get in and “save the GOP?”  Sure, but it would harm the process and it’s unlikely they could succeed.  Starting a Presidential campaign is like starting corporation from scratch.  You have to raise money.  You have to hire the right people and get a ground game going.  There’s little room for error like there was earlier in the process.

Next Tuesday (February 28) we have the Michigan and Arizona primaries.  Michigan is very big for Romney (he was born in Detroit and his father was Governor of Michigan).  It will be devastating if Romney loses Michigan.

After that we have the Washington Caucus (March 3) and then there’s the big one:  Super Tuesday is March 6.  There will be 10 states up for grabs.  You can check out all the Primary and Caucus dates HERE.

Today the momentum is on Santorum’s side.  Tomorrow?  Who knows…

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