New Jersey Governor Chris Christie. Photo: wiki commons.

Politico – There are growing calls for an alternative to Mitt Romney as the Republican standard-bearer, with the names of Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie again being seen as the most likely saviors.

With concerns over Romney rising after a series of gaffes and polls showing him losing to Rick Santorum in Michigan – a state in which he was born and raised — and with a protracted primary fight ahead, some Republican activists are desperately looking for alternatives. Most concede that it’s late in the game and such a scenario is highly unlikely.