(Newser)
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Attention Chris Christie, or maybe Paul Ryan? Donald Trump's strong showing in recent polls illustrates just how shaky the GOP's 2012 field is, writes Nate Silver at the New York Times. He breaks the candidates into three groups: The Fairfax Five (think establishment candidates) of Romney, Pawlenty, Huntsman, Barbour, and Daniels; the Factional Five of Trump, Palin, Bachmann, Gingrich, and Ron Paul; and a few "uncategorized" ones such as Huckabee, Giuliani, and Santorum.
"That Mr. Trump, with such a cynical strategy, can rocket up in the polls so quickly suggests that the Fairfax Five and the Factional Five are both flawed in their own way," he writes. That might be good news for the Huckabee camp, but Silver thinks a few candidates who profess no interest should take a careful look at what could be a "unique opportunity." Namely, Christie, Ryan, Marco Rubio, and Rick Perry.
