And the 2012 GOP Nominee is ????

I have dusted off my crystal ball in giving you my prognostications as to who I believe will obtain the nomination of the Republican Party for President in 2012. I have listed a dozen potential candidates below in an ascending order as to how much chance I think they have of being nominated. OK, This is just for fun, let's laugh at this two years from now.


12. Colin Powell- He could have run and been elected President 10 years ago. His time has passed and he speaks now only for the nearly extinct Rockefeller Republicans . He could now only emerge as the GOP nominee from a deadlocked convention. The more probable scenario would have him becoming the running mate of NY mayor Michael Bloomberg on a third party ticket. That would spoil the GOP's chances and that would be something Mr. Powell would enjoy.

11. Glen Beck- The party that gave us both Bushs , Bob Dole , and John McCain will not allow an outsider to win.

10. Ron Paul- No, despite the fact that he just won a straw poll at CPAC he is too old and just a little too scary.

9. Tom Huckabee- The man who did more for getting John McCain the GOP nomination in 2008 than anyone else says he is not running. The perfect beltway Republican from outside the beltway knows he can't win and that's a good thing.

8. Newt Gingrich- Says all the right things and has done all the wrong things. Famous for the Contract with America and infamous for prosecuting President Clinton for infidelity while cheating on his own wife at the same time. In 2009 he backed liberal GOP candidate Dede Scozzafava over conservative Doug Hoffman.
Newt will run and will find out that a man named after a lizard can't be elected President.

7. Governor Bobby Jindhal - The capable Governor of Louisiana who is of Hindi descent and speaks with a southern drawl . Very few of us have prejudice anymore but all of us have preferences. The GOP voters will have a preference for someone else.

6. Scott Brown- A pretty face who will only have two years in the Senate in 2012 ( hey, didn't we just do this?) My prediction is that he may be the Vice Presidential nominee.

5. Tim Pawlenty- A likable able Governor of Minn. I think his efforts will turn up short and is another good candidate for the VP spot.

4. The unknown entry- Television and the Internet make stars out of unknowns who appear at rallies or sometimes Congressional hearings and can be a jump off point for a candidacy. Perhaps someone like Senator Lamar Alexander of TN will decide to run. Another scenario could be a small state Governor who runs against the establishment. Anyone remember Jimmy Carter?

3. Sarah Palin- The most loved or hated woman in the GOP depending on who you talk to. She will be the one they gang up on in debates and how she handles those debates will determine if she gets the nomination. One contributing factor as to whether she will even run or not is that her special needs child will be four years of age in 2012.

2. Mitt Romney- Lots of money and the man the establishment GOP hopes wins. Unfortunately, he backed state run health care in Massachusetts. and that's not going to be something he can run on with the Tea Party folks. It's March 2010 and he has just published a book, is appearing on Letterman and on every FOX commentary show. There is nothing more stupid than the GOP establishment and they tend to vote in mass for the establishment candidate.

1. Senator Jim DeMint of South Carolina - At this time not a household name. He heads a powerful political action committee and is breaking with the GOP establishment in supporting Marco Rubio over Governor Charlie Crist in the GOP senate race in Florida. South Carolina is an important early GOP primary and even Sarah Palin's star power will not be enough to overcome home field advantage. DeMint not only appeals to Tea Partiers , but has the money and establishment connections to win the nomination. If Mr. DeMint is nominated, he will be the perfect Ogre in the eyes of the Democrats to run against . I also think they thought that about some guy named Ronald Reagan.