How would you ding Thune?

[Mr. Morden]

A year ago, folks like Crist, Ensign, Huntsman, and Sanford were in the conversation as potential "second tier candidates".  The people who are currently in the mix as "second tier candidates" are just those for whom nothing has so far managed to derail their chances (obviously, Huntsman is a slightly different category from the others, as he more or less dropped out of the running by choice in accepting the job as amb. to China).

Huckabee and Romney have been dinged by things that, while not nearly as obviously career ending as Sanford's problems, probably would have already caused people to take them out of 2012 conversation if they didn't already have high national name recognition.  I mean, I'm just thinking about a parallel universe in which it was Pawlenty who had been the lone governor in the country to sign a health care reform plan with an individual mandate.  Wouldn't people already be writing his political obituary?

[Mr. Morden]

Affairs in the very recent past tend to be treated differently from affairs from many years ago.  Also, Sanford's affair involved extenuating circumstances that led to the state legislature trying to impeach him.  It seems quite a bit different from McCain's case.

But still, the point stands.  The rules regarding what takes one out of contention for the WH are different depending on whether you've already established yourself on the national scene or not.

[Mr. Morden]

Lunar, you just spent three posts arguing with someone who thinks "proximity to a major airline hub" is a major consideration in VP selection.  Were you just bored?  Or are you actually expecting to get somewhere with this?