Joe Farah on the 2008 campaign

WorldNetDaily: Now begins the next campaign:
"The time to think and pray and plan and volunteer and work is before the choices are presented to you. Now is the time to determine what those choices are.
"It's no secret I wasn't thrilled about the choices we had in the presidential race. In many ways, it was no choice at all. It was the choice between bad and horribly unimaginable. I don't think I was alone.
"But, my guess is, that today, most Americans are complacent, happy. They are thinking: 'The politics is behind us. Now things are going to be all right.'
"It's not true. Everything is not going to be all right."

Depressing as it may be, Farah is right that now is the time to begin preparing the way for candidates for the presidency in 2008. As a Republican, I freely admit that I have no idea who will be in that hunt. But here are some early guesses, not necessarily people I would want to support, but names I expect to hear mentioned.

Among the GOP governors, the possibilities have to include George Pataki of New York and Mitt Romney of Massachusetts, although neither is particularly appealing on ideological grounds. Jeb Bush of Florida says he won't run, which is just as well since I don't think the country is ready for another Bush so soon. Taft of Ohio is not particularly popular in his own state these days.

Among Senators, there are some potentially strong candidates like George Voinovich who was just reelected in Ohio, he has been governor and mayor of Cleveland so he has executive experience. George Allen, Jr. of Virginia, a former governor and state legislator, is riding high on the basis of his performance as head of the Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee in a year that saw the party gain four seats. I met George when he entered law school at UVa - he is bright, personable, handsome, and has a very good record. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania is an outside possibility, but he may have alienated too many fellow conservatives by closing ranks with colleague Arlen Specter who was challenged by conservative Rep. Pat Toomey in the Senate primary this year. Bill Frist may have visions in his head of higher office, but I don't see him getting very far.

In the House, I can imagine some conservatives trying to start a buzz around someone like Tom Tancredo of Colorado or Dana Rohrabacher of California. I may be out of touch, but I can't seem to think of many House Republicans who look presidential.

Bush Administration figures who are going to be mentioned but probably to no avail, include Colin Powell and Condoleezza Rice. Other possibilities include Rudy Giuliani, who would be a hard sell to the party base. I'd like to see some consideration given to Jim Gilmore. I first met Jim in September 1967 when we started at UVa and both were dorm captains in the College Republicans. Jim served in Army intelligence in Germany after college, then came back and went to UVa law school. Later he was elected prosecutor for Henrico County, attorney general and then governor of Virginia. I haven't seen Jim for many years, but I remember him as smart, tough, and hard working.