David Dewhurst versus the world: Those five simple words describe the likely scenario for the 2012 Republican primary for U.S. Senate. Yet 14 months before primary day, some Austin and D.C. insiders are acting as if a victory by the lieutenant governor is inevitable. Two-thirds of The Texas Tribune's weekly insider panel believe Dewhurst will prevail, and no less a respected prognosticator than the Cook Political Report’s Jennifer Duffy flatly stated that if he got in the race, he would “clear the field.”

There is little doubt that Dewhurst, who isn't officially a candidate but ...

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