ZZZZZZ It's the (Yawn) GOP Primary

Following, although admittedly not too closely yet, the GOP's 2012 presidential nomination process, I think I must have dozed off a time or two somewhere.

When did the Fat Lady sing?

It's a long campaign trail and, like in football where the ball is pointy on both ends, anything can happen. There are a few primaries and caucuses to go yet, even before Super Tuesday on March 6, (not to be confused with Super Bowl Sunday, which is Feb. 5) yet some seem to be in a hurry for the coronation of Mitt Romney.

Some people had the GOP crown polished and in hand after Romney won Iowa, and, as expected, won big in New Hampshire. South Caroline was a shoe-in state, they said.

Oops. It was Rick Santorum rather than Romney who won Iowa with 24.56 percent of the vote to Romney's 24.53 percent. Ron Paul was third with 21.43 percent of the votes and Newt Gingrich fourth with 13.3 percent.

Romney campaigns like he's already won. Some say he's the best to face off against President Obama and rescue the nation. Others say although he's a little too far to the center, maybe even leaning left on some issues for some people, he's the best on economics, and thus, the best to square off against President Obama. After all, Romney supporters say, it's all about the economy, stupid. They're banking that economics will be the deciding factor this time around, trumping faith and family values.

George W. Bush relied heavily on the evangelical vote, and there, I think Romney will still have a problem, despite the economy. Some argue faith, religious practice or preference, whatever you want to label it, has noting to do with running the country, but for millions of Americans, it does.

Romney's Mormon faith and his positions on abortion and gay marriage and other same-sex rights do matter to millions of people still waiting to seat a president who will put in motion an amendment to the U.S. Constitution that states that marriage is defined as the legal union of a man and a woman, period; and who will find a way to once again outlaw abortion, whether it be by seating a U.S. Supreme Court that will overturn Roe v. Wade, or other means.

A group of powerful evangelicals gathered in Texas to endorse Rick Santorum over Romney. Oooo. Does that mean they've decided that Catholics are Christians after all?

Then came South Carolina, and a big win for Newt Gingrich. Gingrich got 40 percent of the vote, with Romney second at 28 percent, Santorum third at 17 percent, and Paul at 14 percent.

While Newt and Mitt sling mud at one another, Rick Santorum has headed home for the weekend rather than to Florida ahead of Tuesday's primary. He says he's not quitting, though. He wants to spend the weekend at his kitchen table doing his taxes, and will return to the Sunshine State before Tuesday's vote.

He does his own taxes? Really? That's refreshing. I hope he remembers all those deductions:

Elizabeth Anne (1991)

Richard John Jr. (1993)

Daniel James (1995)

Sarah Maria (1998)

Peter Kenneth (1999)

Patrick Francis (2001)

Isabella Maria (2008)

Come on, America. How much more true, red white and blue can you get? A dedicated family man with blue-collar roots, and sweater vests with their own Facebook and Twitter accounts.

Meanwhile, Ron Paul hangs on in the campaign, annoying front runners like those pesky cousins who don't know when it's time to pack up and go home after visiting for the holidays.

It's not the vote count for Paul, however. It's the message. It's about getting back to the U.S. Constitution and actually following it, putting America first in national defense, and my personal favorite, abolishing the income tax and the Internal Revenue Service. It's a good message. Too bad not enough people are listening. On the other hand, they can't hear much over the din of Gingrich and Romney hurling insults at one another.

Most disturbing of all the news I've heard from the 2012 GOP campaign trail so far is a recent poll by CNN. I can't remember the numbers, but the poll was not about the candidates and issues, who had the best message for all Americans. It was simply about who people thought should be the nominee based only on who has the best chance to beat President Obama. I think Romney won that one, but more importantly, nearly 40 percent of the people polled saidi they wished someone else -- not someone else in particular, just ANY someone else -- was running.

Ouch.