Paul and Cruz are the two heavyweights at the moment and should remain strong contenders. I'm glad Scott Walker is getting some more mentions in the past week or two as well. I also like to throw Susana Martinez into the mix simply for her potential to make the Dem's heads explode should she make it onto the ticket. She's got a growing national presence and is raising campaign cash for her reelection all over the country. 

We've got some relative youth and diversity on the bench and the party of youthful diversity has...Hillary Clinton. 

I too was annoyed with his Hagel vote but it seemed to bolster a point he kept making during the filibuster. He repeatedly mentioned that it wasn't personal, and that he had supported 3 of the president's nominees already. It may be that he planned it that way all along.

Rove & his supporters love caterwauling about Akin & O'Donnell but seem to have forgotten that Charlie Crist was the "electable", establishment favorite they were pushing in the 2010 FL Senate race.

Turnout is, of course, very difficult to predict but there are some reasons to believe it might be an advantage for the GOP.

The numbers from the Wisconsin recall and the Texas runoff were rather impressive. Yes, they were very special elections but both can be looked at as evidence of the "fired up" motivation Mr. Rahe refers to here.

The GOP also has a far better ground game in 2012 than in years past. True, that wasn't difficult to improve upon but it is worth noting. Some of the better funded grassroots organizations are devoting resources to canvassing and phone banking now as well as GOTV training for election day.

The RNC also seems to be paying better attention to GOTV efforts. In early August, I asked Chairman Priebus if he thought the GOP could gain some ground on the Democrats when it came to GOTV performance. Without even blinking, he replied, "I think we're gonna crush 'em."

He didn't go into details but he didn't sound very worried.

Leftists in America define history as anything dating back until just before the first inconvenient fact is encountered. The MSM has become very adept at introducing issue-specific amnesia into the hive mind and that is where the real battle against progressives must be fought.

Stunningly, OFA and the MSM have found an even lazier approach than "Blame Bush".

The three words most often heard when discussing this with other Catholics yesterday were "even Notre Dame". 

Fingers crossed that GOP candidates will take note of this. This pledge has more teeth because it's about a specific piece of legislation rather than a general principle (like taxation). The robocall number is stunning. Even if Romney shies away from it, attention to Obamacare repeal by congressional candidates may create a reverse coattail effect.

The piece finishes with Brooks straddling the middle, unable to stand firmly on one side or the other. Most fitting. 

The GOP Establishment, which my friends who live and work inside the Beltway swear doesn't exist, will forever lust after the fickle moderate and nonexistent independent vote. Conservatives are always the embarrassing cousins who prevent this blessed union in the middle from happening. So, as has been mentioned already, we're going to be blamed anyway. Even if Romney is the nominee, the cover will be "Conservatives tore him down and weakened him during the primaries!"

That leaves me thinking that our best hope is the "stick a fork in it" scenario for Romney's career if he adds yet another loss to his "Electable" résumé. 

A fantastic 26 minute speech on such a serious subject and THAT was your first thought about it? It's usually best to keep that kind of inanity to yourself.