It’s no secret that the GOP is lacking in unity right now. The “inevitability of Romney” has practically become the ballad of pundits throughout TV Land and beyond. With the rumor that Chris Christie is on the verge of endorsing him, things certainly seem to be headed that way, but no one seems to be very thrilled about that.

The Perry and Romney camps continue to lead the pack, but neither has a wide enough swath of support to claim a decisive lead. Ron Paul continues holding steady at third, but remains a polarizing figure. Among the national defense crowd, no one can seem to make up their mind on what to do with Afghanistan — it’s like they want it both ways, as Daniel Larison points out. Unapologetic neoconservatives like Santorum would insist we “stay the course” on a quest to build Arab democracies, no matter the cost in blood or treasure.

Patrick J. Buchanan says there’s even more gasoline to add to the fire now: religious infighting. Following the conclusion of the Values Voter Summit this past weekend, it seems things are no less chaotic, than they were before hand. Paul walked away with the straw poll win, a strong showing of 37 percent — before the validity of his win was questioned by the event’s own organizers. Herman Cain saw a strong show of support, snagging 23 percent of the vote. But the biggest story here might be the introduction and endorsement of Perry by Pastor Robert Jeffress of the 10,000-member First Baptist Church of Dallas. Jeffress went on the attack at Perry’s closest rival, frontrunner, Mitt Romney, who happens to be Mormon. The clash between Mormoninism and Evangelicals, Buchanan says, is just one more fissure to add to the GOP’s list.

Even with a fragmented elephant, President Obama may still be beatable going into 2012, but the Republicans aren’t running the race with a clean engine. Another GOP debate kicks off tonight at Dartmouth College. Politico says that after poor showings at previous debates, it’s Rick Perry’s last chance to keep his campaign from entering a terminal condition.