Palin will have less chance than Edwards did this year. Romney will have a tough time remaining relevant for 4 years. Jindal's skin color problem hasn't disappeared, it simply became less than what the Democrats in Louisiana had.
Someone elected in 2004 or 2006 would be perfect for someone fresh enough, but neither Mitch Daniels or Butch Otter ain't a stellar candidate and Palin is already wasted, and that's all they got for Governors. Corker ain't going anywhere either. With all the pickups in 2004 you'd think there'd be a good candidate, but let's look:
Martinez - Ineligible, the end. Not that he would've been a candidate anyway assuming he even survives 2010.
Vitter - Normally he would be a contender. But he blew it.
Coburn - Don't make me laugh....
Isaakson - Good for a state like Georgia, but not nationwide. Boring, uninteresting policy wonk.
DeMint - He might run, but he's way too far right. He could only win in the very unlikely scenario Obama ends up as popular as Bush is now, he runs again, and survives the primary.
Burr - Possible dark horse, but what's notable about this guy? His last name is also likely a liability.
Thune - This guy might be it. Far right, but he's not as blatant about it as DeMint or Coburn. He'd require Obama to be fairly unpopular to win, but he could take the primary.
If I had to bet on it, I'd bet on Thune, but there's no way I'd bet anymore than $10 right now.
Gov. Jon Huntsman of Utah could be a strong candidate -- he's popular, smart, young and conservative. He's also been an ambassador and a deputy U.S. trade representative and held administrative posts in several Republican White Houses. And he's been a CEO.
His problems are that (a) he's a Mormon, which as Mitt showed, isn't a plus in a Republican primary, and (b) he actually may be too moderate for an evangelical base. He supports stem cell research and limited same-sex domestic partnerships, for example.
Also, if he himself thinks he has a strong chance, he may sit out 2012, as I imagine Jindal will. It depends on how Obama looks around 2011. He may only run if he feels that Obama is likely to lose reelection.
