Politics and Policy Early Guessing: Republican Nominee in 2008? (March 1, 2006) I know it’s still early, but any discussion of polling numbers always gets me thinking on these points. Who the heck is going to run for the Republican presidential nomination? I know - we usually are asking this question about the Democrats, because, well, it just more fun, because Democrats are generally more fun. In contrast the Republican nomination candidates are usually a choice between tweedle-dum and tweedle-dee, and one of them obviously has already received the backing from within the party. But this year things appear to be shaping up differently. Usually it is someone in the administration, who is being groomed to "take up the mantle" during the administration's final two years in office. But the most obviously visible people in the administration are clearly "no-go" as candidates - Cheney, Rumsfield, Chertoff. Gonzales might have had a shot, but his support of the administration in the NSA scandal has doomed him. Colin Powell left after obviously disagreeing with the administration, and its unlikely he would get Republican support for his "disloyalty" even if he decided to run. This leaves only Condoliza Rice. All others either left early when they wouldn't drink the cool-aid, or are clearly "non-entities", like Michael Brown, who don't make Bush look bad by comparison. Therefore, any candidates other than Condoliza Rick will probably come from Republican Senators, Representatives, or Governors who can distance themselves from Bush’s policies and management ineptitude. Other commentators who agree: Mark B. Barabeck, L.A. Times 03/06/2006 GOP to Get Early Look at Leading Hopefuls for '08 Posted by RHP6033        Copyright 2006-2007 - Brookridge Associates Inc. All rights reserved.