With the recent stumbles of other 2012 hopefuls, Mitt Romney is looking better for 2012. At least for this week.

It’s early, of course - ridiculously early - for anyone except potential candidates to be thinking about the next presidential race. But there’s been plenty of positioning going on in the now-leaderless GOP, including a head-scratching debut by one promising contender, Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, and a parade of speeches by some others at the Conservative Political Action Conference late last month.

And while much of the CPAC spotlight went to someone who isn’t a candidate for president - radio personality Rush Limbaugh, who came off as either boorish or straight-talking, depending on your political temperature - it was Romney who walked away with the best reviews and victory in the convention’s presidential straw poll.