User blog comment:Opark 77/Season 2 reviews: episode 4 "Garden of Bones"/@comment-209.221.3.150-20120427152356

So it seems to me that Stannis essentially makes a deal with the devil to try to win the iron throne. He was so convinced that he couldn't win due ot his lack of manpower, but his 'joining' with Melisandre on the table, which caused other forces to fall to the floor/be defeated, was his recourse.