LAST EDITED ON 10-31-06 AT 06:31 PM (EST)

CTgirl, when something is stated clearly it helps us to understand. This passage from your post has made me look at things differently:

"Rob and Kim were not seen or heard at all in this montage of events...At the beginning of the leg, they were the only team who didn’t comment on the alliance, Kim talked about taking control...Rob commented that Kim is in survival mode...she’s awesome."

I looked back at my notes on them and here is a quick run-down by episodes:
1) Villains that recovered from being in the second plane. Erwin tells Rob: "Your girl's got game."
2) They have strange teamwork but it gets results. They demonstrate that the race is difficult.
3) They have little face time but continue to fight. They form the "buddy alliance."
4) They win the leg despite their fights but Phil doesn't comment on pulling through.
5) They aren't involved in the train interactions. She complains of the smelly bus.
Then a change:
6) Rob tells us he is too dramatic. They practically don't fight. They have no conflicts with the alliance.
7) Kim takes control. Rob argues with the lame Kentuckians but contrary to Peter's comments, David lets us know he was mean! They honk to try to show the girls the way. Rob has a great comment: "it is amazing how this game flips."

Their edit has changed. Certainly we had the threat of quitting and the arguments but that could be trivial in the editor's eyes. Kim is now more in charge and she's "got game". She is as fit as Dustin and Kandice. Her wall climb and her swim were impressive.

What about their lack of airtime and their negative edit? The lack of airtime could be due to the shroud that the Peter/Sarah vs David/Mary story put over the winner's story. The negative edit could be like some of the prior winners. Maybe someone felt a popular winner isn't necessary after all. If so, then I owe an apology to Ceedee who first saw that they could be winners in this thread.

If they do win, what is their story? They're the team that has the least conflicts with the alliance. They had an alliance with T/J and wanted an alliance of circumstances with the girls. Still they have run their own race for the most part. Maybe that is the message: A 6-Pack style alliance could turn the race into a joke, the producers may not want it to become the accepted strategy. Punctual alliances like R/K have used is fine but this is a race and we should have a full-fledged competition.

From the 6-Pack: Is the separate edit that Lyn receives from Karlyn enough to show them as winners? That I have big doubts and their physical limitations increases them. The Chos are too nice and Kentucky's story is over.

We've seen enough bad navigation from Tyler and James to create the required suspense so that we couldn't say "I knew that the young guys would win" if they do. They have very little story to offer so I don't see them as winners.

I still think Dustin and Kandice have great editing pointers even if we've been shown increasing negativity. We'll find our winners in either the girls team or the intense couple, I'd say. I still have my money on the girls but, like mavs said, it could be what I want to see!

We still have a lot to figure out!