Many Republicans See Romney as Sure Thing

With the political muscle of New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and others behind him, GOP presidential hopeful Mitt Romney is quickly becoming a favorite of major donors and elected officials, The Washington Post reports.

The former Massachusetts governor’s strong performance in a series of GOP debates, including the Washington Post/Bloomberg debate Tuesday, has solidified his standing, despite challenges from Texas Gov. Rick Perry and businessman Herman Cain.

Longtime GOP strategist Ed Rollins told the Post that Romney is “viewed as an almost inevitable candidate.”

Rollins, who had managed the presidential campaign of Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann until last month, described Romney as the “heavy favorite.”

Romney garnered endorsements from two more key Republicans on Wednesday —Sen. Thad Cochran of Mississippi and former House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert of Illinois. Former Republican National Committee Chairman Jim Nicholson, hedge fund manager Paul Singer and Home Depot co-founder Ken Langone are among major Republican fundraisers who now back Romney, the Post noted.

“It’s all coming together for him,” Cochran observed. “People are beginning to be impressed with him and his thoughtful comments about the issues.”