The MSM's Game
I have no proof of this (only my eyes and ears,) but I feel that the MSM (or their handlers) originally started out thinking that Guliani and Hillary would easily sweep through.
Then they saw Dr. Paul coming up from behind, raising money and gaining in popularity. They also saw the scandals starting to break on Guliani, and needed something to divert attention.
I think Thompson refused to play their game back in the summer and declare, so the media has decided that his candidacy is over.
They started giving lots of coverage to Mike Huckabee, trying to make him the darling Dark horse candidate, but he grew to much and too fast. So the second Huckabee broke into first in Iowa and rising nationally they started pulling out all the dirt on him.
As seen today they gave Romney lots of (positive) attention on his mormon talk, and I think they are trying to divert as much attention from Huckabee to Romney.
So I think Romney is there new annointed candidate.
Aswell, with all the recent bashing of Hillary after her poor debate performances, I think the media is now gearing up for a Romney v. Obama showdown.
Little do they know - We have other plans.
Yes, we have other plans
Your assessment would explain why they built up Huckabee so much just to tear him back down with the pardoned rapist scandal. I disagree with your assessment of Thompson's role though: I think they wanted to delay his entrance into the race so they could both build anticipation and minimize public appearances because they also knew his performance in debates and interviews would be absymal. It's been too absymal though: he just isn't the Ron Paul spoiler they hoped he'd be.
I also still think Hillary is appointed one and was from the very beginning: who better than her to carry on the Bush-Clinton regime? They will build her up again somehow and use her ascent as a metaphor of the phoenix rising from the ashes or something like that. It's still early enough in the race for just about anything to happen. Of course, WE know what we want to make happen!
The CCM's Game
Corporate Controlled Media
I think you are right, but since they own them all ('cept Ron), I don't think they are overly concerned about who wins (as long as it isn't Ron). The CCM of course want theater (as long as it isn't focused on Ron - positively, anyway). Let's give them some REAL theater.