Will Mitt Romney Be the GOP Presidential Nominee?

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney squeaked by in a narrow victory in the Iowa caucuses late Tuesday night, beating the recently surging former Sen. Rick Santorum by only eight votes. Though Romney has hovered in the top-tier of the GOP 2012 field for months, he has been challenged by a string of candidates vying for the far-right wing of the party that doubts Romney’s conservative credentials. Though Romney’s win in Iowa is an improvement from his 2008 caucus performance when he lost to former Gov. Mike Huckabee, many are still reluctant to call Romney the “inevitable” nominee, especially as the supporters of Rep. Michele Bachmann, who dropped out Wednesday, may rally behind Santorum. Nevertheless, Romney has long been polling strongly in New Hampsire, site of the next primary, while Santorum has spent a large majority of his time and energy in Iowa. Here is the Debate Club’s take on whether Mitt Romney will be the GOP nominee.