but they find the American love-hate relationship with Romney’s wealth to be confusing. “At least he got his fortune through proper means. Not much to explain. Can we say as much about Chinese leaders?” a commentator asked. As Roaring Shout put it, “Seems the way they do it is: get rich first, then become president. For us, the order is become a leader first, then….”

Some things have become clear: Santorum has a powerfully repellent effect on the Chinese non-electorate. Commentator Li Yi, like others, has tried to make sense of the faith-based campaign: “Are you sure that he’s going for the presidency, not for organizing a cult?” Perhaps the biggest surprise is that Ron Paul has his fans in China, where he’s better known by the genuinely honorific nickname Grandpa Paul. “Compared with Romney’s sugar-sweet talk, this grandfather is a lot more direct and candid,” a commentator wrote Tuesday.