Republicans should abandon the president-emeritus route that they have taken with George H.W. Bush, Bob Dole, and John McCain. This is because their starting line-up--Romney, Gingrich, Palin, etc.--is so flawed. This is because their bench--Rubio, Christie, Ryun, etc.--is so strong. Read my column @ Human Events, which argues that the GOP would be better off treating its vice presidential options as its presidential options.

Christie is a proven liar and hack. And a hideous glutton, which implies an inner darkness and viciousness. I doubt he could pass a medical exam with a satisfactory bill of health, which should disqualify him from ever running.

Ryun's also a total hack and completely unproven. He's about as qualified to run for President as Obama was in 2008.

Marco Rubio is one of the luckiest politicians to ever run and win. He benefited greatly from a three-way race where Christ siphoned votes away from the democrat. He barely broke 40%, which considering the competition was very sad. There's no way in hell that he will win again. Florida gets bluer and bluer by the year as the white population dwindles.

So yeah, your bench warmers aren't very strong, and neither are the starters. You know your team is f@#!ed when people start bandying the name of Mitch Daniels about. Pharmaceutical exec and Bush budget director...LOL!

It's not clear to me how people cannot think that most any candidate that the GOP puts up could beat an absentee, empty suited dufus like Barack Hussein Obama.

He and his party have ruled over a 60% increase in the national debt topping off a $14 Trillion deficit. He himself has StimuLIED and spent his way to the accumulation of another $3 Trillion in debt in just over two years, an increase in gas prices of 67%, double-digit unemployment and he has demonstrated an arrogant disdain for the Constitution and for the Congress of the United States that has his reputation as a dictator in the wings solidified.

But, Christie is fat, Ryan in an unknown and Rubio is just lucky. That's tip-top an@lysis.

And it means so much more coming from the same rube that predicted that Dems would keep the house in November and that Alan Grayson was a lock.

I say that BHO is over-estimated. And that in 2012, the Dems will justifiably lose the Senate and the Presidency.

That Hope and Change thing that a bunch of voting age adult children bought in 08’ has worn off I think.

I was too terrified that the country would reward those who carried the ideological banner that wrecked our country and turned us into the leading debtor nation (we were the leading creditor nation before Reagan), and that hampered my prognostication because I had more faith that people would recognize irrefutable facts. I was terribly wrong.

This time, however, I'm not prognosticating, but only ana1yzing what already happened with 20/20 hindsight. You said nothing to refute any assertion that was made and it still stands.

He and his party have ruled over a 60% increase in the national debt topping off a $14 Trillion deficit.

I'm not sure how you live with yourself when you spout these disgusting lies. Again, those were Bush budgets, and the lion's share of the deficits post-Bush are because of lower revenues due to the greatest financial calamity since the Great Depression and the Bush/Paulson regime TARP program. Be glad God doesn't exist.

Any opinion on Rand or Ron Paul?

At this point, do any one really even know who the "starting line-up" and the "bench" is? As for those named in the "starting line-up" lets start with Sarah Palin. She currently holds no political office nor does she hold any kind of position within the RNC. Holding neither a political office nor a position within the RNC means she is in no position to influece either the government directly nor does she have any say in what policies the Republican party will support or not support.

To carry the ana-ology of a starting line up and a bench a step further, the RNC is like the coach. The coach will ultimately decide who plays and who sits on the bench. In this case, the coach who is the RNC does not particularly like Sarah Palin. As such, no matter how credible she might be, at this time, she will NOT get the Republican party nomination for the Presidency or the Vice Presidency.

At this time, Mrs. Palin is simply a media pundit and author nothing more. The media obsession with her is actually somewhat amusing. At a minimum, less time should be spent discussing her and more time should be spent focused on the people who are actually in a position to influence the government.

As for Newt Gingrich, the same things apply to him that generally apply to Mrs. Palin. While the RNC does not like Mr. Gingrich very much, they don't have quite the hatred for him that they have for Mrs. Palin. Still it is unlikly that "Coach RNC" is going to put Mr. Gingrich in the game as a starter no matter how credible he may or may not be.

Now for Mitt Romney. He is generally held in high esteem by the RNC, however, he could not win a general election any where at this time. While "Coach RNC" might like him, you can't win with him in office right now. As such, his chances of getting the nomination are slim and nill and slim is on extended vacation and is lost at the moment!!

Now as for the "bench", these people all hold political office at the moment unlike the so called "starters" and they aren't generally held in disdain by the Coach RNC in the manner that Gingrich and Palin are. Given that these people currently hold office indicates they might actually be electable unlike Romney and the fact that they aren't held in low regard by the RNC means any of the members of the so called bench are far more likely to get the nomination for Presient or the Vice President at this time than any of the people that Mr. Flynn names as starters!!

Note I say "at this time". Alot can change in the next few months to a year. I don't think it is known who the "starters" are and who the "bench" is yet. With that said I don't see the attitude of the RNC changing toward either Mrs. Palin or Mr. Gingrich. If either of them are to run for President, they will have to do so as a third party candidate.

As for Matt's question regarding Ron or Rand Paul, if I might offer an opinion, I think either of them would have a decent chance to win a Presidental election, however, the problme at this time is the RNC. At this time, I don't see them having the support from the RNC that would be necessary to mount an effective Presidental campaign as a Republican. It is conceivable that could change. Time will tell.

Thanks, B.Poster. I could (hypothetically) see Palin going third party, even though I doubt she ever would. Gingrich is a candidate that only a GOP "Yellow Dog" could love, same as Romney.

Has anyone here read John Zmirak's "From Pat Buchanan to Rand Paul: What Have We Learned?" over at InsideCatholic.com? He's got a feisty take on the GOP that tends to parallel Antle's thoughts.

Let's not forget, Barack Insane Obama was a virtually unknown junior senator and ex-community organizer of dubious credentials who was financed to the tune of a trillion dollars by foreign and clandestined donors and masked by the National Media to steal the most powerful office on the planet.

The GOP might pull the same thing off with a candidate that has equally as weak credentials Sans the trillion and certainly the media's support.

I remember sitting in a bar in DC with a lobbyist back in 2000. She was talking about Obama as a potential president during his run at the House. I know it seemed like he came from "nowhere" but that's not really true. DC and Dem insiders had their eyes on him for a long time.

Great minds think alike. the late great Robert Novak used to note that the GOP gave the nomination to whoever's turn it was.

Well yes, I'm sure that Marxist insiders were planning this guy's ascension for some time. But he hit the general public and those uninformed or generally disinterested like a rocket. And with the support and fervor of the in the tank liberal media who masked his flaws and with the help of over a trillion dollars in legal and illegals finances he was able to make it to the White House and seize control of our government and country.

So I'm not sure what the point is because it's obvious that people in D.C. are usually on the cutting edge of what will be.

The meat is left up to a public who either gives a shite or not; depending on the level of awareness.

Walked by the White House today and the fountains on the north side are green. I assume this means that the President has changed his name to O'Bama, and NOT that the radiation from Japan has finally arrived.

He was talking about his Irish heritage today which he will celebrate with another tax payer funded junket to Ireland in April. Will part the Shannon while there I suspect.

And after meeting with the Irish Prime Minister this morning, he and Michelle Antoinette are getting ready for another tax payer funded bash tonight.

Life is good for the Boy King.

I think you are very much in error. Neither Mr. Rubio nor Mr. Ryan has any experience in an executive position and Mr. Christie's is at this time limited to just a year in the Governor's chair. Mr. Ryan employment history subsequent to his schooling is almost completely consumed by elective office (atypical but not uncommon in the Democratic caucus; quite peculiar in the Republican caucus). Mr. Rubio and Mr. Christie were both lawyers. Lawyers generally have very few people working under them and earn their keep in a market protected by occupational licensure.

Our more able Chief Executives of late have generally had some antecedent experience as...executives. They have also generally been elderly men who entered politics after a long run of years earning a living in other trades. That would describe Mr. Romney. Bar that he remains in late middle age, that would describe Mr. Huckabee. It will be a dozen years or more 'ere it could describe Mr. Christie.