Naturally enough, the Santorum Sweep last night, compounding all the other signs that this Republican nominating contest is becoming an endless game of Hot Potato, is reviving excited chatter about the whole mess going to a “brokered convention,” one of those old-school chaotic events where confused delegates are herded by shadowy Powers in some hitherto unimagined direction.
Much as I’d love to see one of these anachronistic conventions–particularly in the GOP–the honest truth is that it will take a lot more than signs of conservative reluctance to get on the Romney Train to produce a convention where someone has failed to nail down a majority. I’ve got a column up at TNR that goes through the case against a “brokered convention.” It’s certainly possible the issues Republicans have with their damaged presidential field will cause serious problems through the convention and on to Election Day–though I’m personally pretty sure they’ll turn out for just about anybody this November. But a “broke convention” isn’t the same as the “brokered” variety, and it remains a very remote contingency.
