According to a political strategist in Romney’s orbit, “Mitt is really well-positioned to win the nomination. He’s the only candidate who can win with an early knockout or a long race, a la Obama 2008. The knockout comes via wins in New Hampshire, Florida and Nevada. The long win comes via his unparalleled finance and political infrastructures, which outlast and outpace the others.”

A veteran Republican strategist who has been sympathetic to Romney in the past explained that there are “now fewer establishment Republicans for Mitt to fight for money with. That is good for him.” Romney already has proved that he is the financial leader in the bunch, having pulled in $10.3 million in one day earlier this month.

The strategist added a fairly logical point, too: that every time a Republican politician who actually could win the nomination opts not to run, it’s a boon to Mitt Romney. The biggest of those, he said, was Daniels.