John Thune or Rick Perry? Could they change their minds?

[RIP Robert H Bork]

Perry? God no. He'd be a huge mistake and I doubt he even wants to be anything but Governor.

[The Mikado]

Perry's going to need at least one Special Session, and the Texas Legislature would be just about the most embarrassing thing in the world for a Presidential candidate to have to deal with.  (Note: I say that regardless of its partisan makeup...it's a disgrace no matter who runs it...just ask Sam Spade.)

[Liberté]

Rick Perry could make this the most entertaining Republican primary season in some time, and I say this not to demean him in particular. I would love to see how he blends together strident Republican nationalism with strident Republican Federalism rhetorically. There is probably space enough for him to maneuver on the issue, but I can't imagine his call for state sovereignty will be taken that well in the heartland, where the main battle will be waged for the nomination.

[milhouse24]

He just doesn't want to the liberal media to kill the "bush name" before Iowa.

Dude, there's one guy who killed the Bush name, and his name is Bush.

Not all Bushes are the same, they come in different sizes, ages, color, shapes. 

Is there a Bush fattie out there we just haven't seen yet?

Some are hairy, some are bald, some are shaved, some trimmed.

[milhouse24]

None of these guys are running, no matter what. Jeb Bush might be a contender if he wasn't a Bush, but it's not entirely clear he would have even gotten this far if he hadn't been a Bush. Either way this country has had enough. We've already done two father and son teams (Adams, Bush). I can't foresee a third member of the same family becoming president in such a short time.

If I were a betting man, now with Barbour out and Daniels hesitating, I would say Jeb will announce in September.  He passed on the Senate race for a reason and he's not going to wait until 2016 - because the world could end, the rapture could come.  Jeb will be running in 2012, he was a decent 2 term governor, very popular in Florida, and he's got nothing else in his life left to do than run for president.  His kids are grown up, out of rehab, hispanics are very popular now, and his wife and family will bring in the democratic hispanic vote.  Jeb will be President in 2012 and win against Obama if he wants it.  The Independents and Moderates love him.