“[Neither Chris Cillizza] nor his fellow MSMer at the New York Times Michael Shear nor anyone at Politico, and certainly not lefty Jonathan Martin, seems to have considered that the reason various candidates are taking a pass this year is that the top two contenders — Romney and Pawlenty — have essentially locked up the campaign talent and the money commitments necessary to mount a traditional campaign, and that insurgent candidates are already in the hunt in the form of Bachmann, Gingrich and Santorum. Jon Huntsman also presents himself as an unusual sort of candidate taking even more space from the idea of a later entrant.

“Though the circle of MSMers keep saying the GOP longs for another candidate, that is a Manhattan-Beltway media elite meme. The Republicans I know have picked candidates and begun raising money for their choices. They are quite satisfied with the field, except for Sarah Palin’s many fans, and many of them are content with Michele Bachmann as a substitute.”

– Hugh Hewitt