CAN ROMNEY DEFEAT PRESIDENT OBAMA IN NOVEMBER? WATCH CAMPAIGN INSIDERS ON FNC SUNDAY AT 5:25 PM

President Obama has surged to a ten-point lead over Mitt Romney – yet the GOP Establishment is now rushing to embrace Romney as the certain Republican nominee. Can Romney turn it around and still win in November? Or is the GOP headed for a massive meltdown in the fall?

This – and much more – will be discussed by the CAMPAIGN INSIDERS – Pat Caddell, Doug Schoen and John LeBoutillier – live - on Fox News Channel this Sunday afternoon – at 5:25 PM ET.

CAMPAIGN INSIDERS is the only show or segment anywhere on TV that features people who have actually run campaigns and done politics for a living.

So tune into the Fox News Channel at 5:25 PM ET on Sunday and watch CAMPAIGN INSIDERS.

Then on Monday morning at 11 AM you can see another, full 30-minute live version of CAMPAIGN INSIDERS by going to http://live.foxnews.com/ - with an inside look at the presidential campaign and the week ahead.

And you can read more political analysis at www.johnlebout.com

WATCH CAMPAIGN INSIDERS ON FOX NEWS CHANNEL ON SUNDAY AT 5:30 PM

Is the GOP race now over? Or are more surprises yet to come?

Will ObamaCare and the individual mandate become one of the key issues in the fall campaign?

Watch the CAMPAIGN INSIDERS - Pat Caddel, Doug Schoen and John LeBoutillier - as they go inside the Romney, Santorum and Obama campaigns - Sunday at 5:30 PM ET on the Fox News Channel.

STATE OF GOP RACE AFTER ILLINOIS

Mitt Romney’s healthy victory margin in the non-binding “beauty contest” in the Land of Lincoln needs to be affirmed by a corresponding win in the separate delegate contest. We will not have all those results until Wednesday. However, Romney has – again – scored a Big win when he had to.

What we also know is that – as in many other GOP contests this winter – turnout was down as compared to 2008. This is the single biggest aspect of the Republican race so far: GOP voters are markedly un-enthused by the Republican candidates and instead are choosing not to vote.

The implications for November are worrisome. Do these non-voters vote for the GOP nominee – even if they aren’t turned on by him – in order to defeat President Obama? Or do they stay home then, too?

Keep in mind that if just 5% of the GOP base decides to sit it out in November, that alone could spell the difference in not only the presidential race but also in crucial Senate races where the Republicans are trying to regain the Senate majority and in the GOP’s attempt to keep control of the House.

It is clear that the internecine warfare has hurt the GOP – both as a national brand – and as an identifying label for the ultimate Republican nominee. Recent polling now shows a 10% deficit for a “Republican” versus a “Democrat.”

What does Illinois mean in the overall scope of the GOP race?

It means that Romney won a primary he needed to win – as usual – and it also means that Santorum seems to always fall short when he has a golden opportunity to take that last step from challenger to front-runner. He has had two previous similar opportunities – Michigan and Ohio – and couldn’t elevate his game in either instance.

Louisiana on Saturday now becomes a must-win for Santorum – and a similarly golden opportunity for Romney to upset Santorum in an “away game.”

Illinois also means that when Newt is a non-factor, Santorum still cannot get enough conservatives to support him and thus beat Romney “one-on-one,” as he has bragged he could do, in a Midwestern state. (He will get two more opportunities in April: his home state of Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.)

The Land of Lincoln also became the Land of Lethargy, with polling showing a lack of enthusiasm for Romney - even among many of his own voters. Anecdotally the media found scores of people attending Romney campaign events who reported their own lack of enthusiasm for him.

Overall, the state of the race is this: Romney is slogging toward the nomination in a newly-imposed GOP primary/caucus system designed to go through June. NBC earlier today projected that Romney will be 50 delegates shy of the 1144 when the GOP Convention begins on August 27th in Tampa.

Thus the GOP race will have months to go, and millions more to spend. That means those dollars and these days and weeks are not spent exposing President Obama’s record and re-building the Republican nominee’s reputation and organization; instead Santorum and Gingrich will be blasting Romney and he will fire back. All the while, Obama floats above the fray, building a state-by-state organization in 16 crucial swing states.

Former GOP Chairman Michael Steele and the members of the RNC really blundered when they adopted the Democrat Party-style proportional delegate system which is guaranteed to stretch the process out, exhaust the candidates – and the voters – and burn through all the campaign money.

People are speculating about the possibility of a brokered convention. The simple answer is this: the USA is in a national state of distress. 70% of the people say they are “alienated” from the two parties. No one trusts anyone.

In an atmosphere like this, anything is possible – including the unexpected.

In fact, the odds are something truly out-of-the box is almost guaranteed to occur before November 6th. This could mean a surprise Veep pick, an October Surprise or a shocking news event that alters the dynamics of the general elections.

As in 1968, when the public is roiled, the election will reflect that uncertainty. Be prepared for the unexpected between now and November 6.

JOHN LEBOUTILLIER ON IMUS 6:30 AM TOMORROW

Watch or listen to John LeBoutillier tomorrow morning at 6:35 AM on Imus in the Morning.

That's on the Fox Business Neytwork on TV, or on WABC in the NY area - or on a radio station in your area.

Enjoy!

WATCH CAMPAIGN CONFIDENTIAL - LIVE - ON FOX NEWS CHANNEL

CAMPAIGN CONFIDENTIAL – now re-named CAMPAIGN INSIDERS – featuring Pat Caddell, Doug Schoen and John LeBoutillier - will be seen – live - on Fox News Channel every Sunday afternoon – beginning this Sunday, March 11th – from approximately 5:25-5:45 PM ET. FNC host Greg Jarrett will host the segment.

CAMPAIGN INSIDERS is the only show or segment anywhere on TV that features people who have actually run campaigns and done politics for a living.

So tune into the Fox News Channel at 5:25 PM ET on Sunday and watch CAMPAIGN INSIDERS.

Then on Monday morning at 11 AM you can see another, full 30-minute live version of CAMPAIGN INSIDERS by going to http://live.foxnews.com/ - with an inside look at the presidential campaign and the week ahead.

IS THE GOP RACE ALREADY OVER? OR IS SUPER TUESDAY THE KEY? WATCH CAMPAIGN CONFIDENTIAL

Is the Republican Presidential race already over?

Did Santorum’s loss in Michigan ruin his chances to win the nomination?
Or is Ohio – and Super Tuesday - one last chance for Santorum to derail the Romney Express?

Are we accelerating toward an inevitable Third Candidate in 2012 and can that Independent Third Candidate actually win in November 2012?

All this and much more will be answered this week as Pat Caddell, Doug Schoen and John LeBoutillier analyze the 2012 Presidential race on CAMPAIGN CONFIDENTIAL on http://live.foxnews.com/on Monday at 11 AM ET.

This is TV’s only show that features only people who have done politics for a living – no blow-hard, know-it-all, pontificating, tired, opinion-spewing, boring Talking Head so-called journalists – or self-proclaimed “strategists” - here. CAMPAIGN CONFIDENTIAL has no phony arguments; no interrupting and yelling, no party-ordered Talking Points and no “agendas.” Instead, we let the viewers watch what would be a typical Senior Campaign Staff meeting – either in the White House or up on Capitol Hill – from people who have actually been in those meetings.

CAMPAIGN CONFIDENTIAL streaming live at http://live.foxnews.com/ on Monday at 11 AM ET.So, just before 11 AM on Monday, go to http://live.foxnews.com/ and get your computer all set and the volume just right – you can also set your computer to Full-Screen size - and enjoy this unique political show.

If you cannot watch the show live – catch it on demand at http://live.foxnews.com/ until the next morning or head to http://video.foxnews.com/?playlist_id=162726 for clips of the show.
And read other things at www.johnlebout.com