Mitt Romney’s Oval Office aspirations have not been swept away like discarded convention confetti, a new poll shows.

If John McCain fails to win the presidency Nov. 4, Romney is considered the most likely front-runner for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination.

A National Journal poll of GOP political insiders places the former Bay State governor miles ahead of the pack with 55 percent of the vote.

Rising GOP superstar Sarah Palin, who beat out Romney to be McCain’s running mate, trails the entire field with 3 percent of the vote. But Republicans are just getting to know this fiery, 44-year-old mother of five. Link

the poll is moot - because McCain will be victorious.

“Governor Romney is working hard to elect John McCain and Sarah Palin, and that is his only objective right now,” Fehrnstrom said.