If Marsha runs for governor, I will no doubt support her and work for her campaign. Of course, if Bill Frist runs, Marsha and everybody else on our side will let him get the nod and I’ll be working for him. Either one will be fine with me.

You seem to think I’m keeping the fact I worked for Marsha Blackburn the past two summers some kind of secret. In fact, I have mentioned this a couple of times since I’ve been here. Of course most people here don’t have a problem with that since most of them happen to like Marsha. If you want to bash her for “not being conservative” go back to your racist, isolationist, protectionist buddies at Blue Collar “Republican.”

Speaking of secrets though, you seem to be the one who has declined to comment on the fact you ran for the Democrat nomination to run against her this past election cycle. I think the real question is who you would endorse for governor…

Rudy is a great guy but its a lot to ask a man to stand up to that kind of stacked deck.

And, yeah, I got a few things wrong in the original comment because I was doing it off the top of my head.

And data is always good, but some of the data you’ve come at us with are not particularly helpful – for example, you quote us data for three Dem governors (KS, OK & TN) who are all term limited, and tell us basically forget about those states because of the numbers. Uh, if those guys aren’t running again, their approval number are irrelevant! It’s great (though, frankly, puzzling) that Sibelius has 67% approval ratings, but that will do pretty much nothing to hold that seat for the Dems in GOP-leaning KS in 2010 when she’s not on the ballot. Ditto TN & OK.

You also quote us numbers for states that just had elections this year (DE), or won’t have elections until 2011 (LA).

And, while numbers are good, they aren’t all they’re cracked up to be – Dem numbers may be in the tank in MI, NJ & OR, but that doesn’t mean those states will elect Republicans, no matter how bad the Dems’ number get – that’s why they’re Blue States. Not that we shouldn’t try. I guess NJ is one to particularly think about, as it and VA are the only ones up in 2009.

But I’ll take your points about WI, MA (Blue State, but with a recent history of R Governors) and possibly KY (another 2011 state) – those are all worth looking at in the next year.

Another one to think about ME – it’ll be open in 2010 as well.

I’m not saying we’ll take back the Senate in 2010.

But the odds of the Dems picking up the 2-3 seats they need to go 60+ are also a long-shot, unless Barry can show us he can walk on water over the next two years.

Unless our recruitment tanks, I’m not worried.

You’re right about all the mud that would be slung at Condi, and why would she want to go through that after eight years in D.C.

You can decry the movement conservatives in CA for not playing nice with others, but we rolled for Ahnold because we thought he could get elected and actually do something. That’s why a rock ribbed conservative has to be run – so if he wins we have a chance of staving off the socialists in the legislature.

Otherwise, we might as well let some liberal do the job and take the blame.

Minner (D-DE) was termed out and another democrat won the governor’s race, despite her poor approval/disapproval numbers.

Rice has privately been talked to about the California Govenor’s race, but up to this point she has been preoccupied with All Things Bush Administration. A lot would depend on how enthusiastic the Movement Conservatives would be for her. California Movement Conservatives tend to have long memories, short fuses, and a tendency for wanting to take their football home if they don’t get their way.

Right now, after Arnold has completely demoralized the Party, the only person who could possibly run statewide is Rice, and only then on a budget reform/fiscal responsibility ticket. The Democratic Campaign against her would be All War Criminal/All Lesbian/All The Time.

You can see her hesitation, can’t you? Despite this, I don’t see any other Republican on the horizion with anything that approaches her name recognition. If I’m Condi, I really prefer that job with the 49′ers, especially if I can help them to a Super Bowl or two and pocket that credit for a possible reentry into politics after Obama leaves D.C.. Remember, she’s only 54.

Still and all, the Republican Party of California is in desperate shape, and has been ever since Pete Wilson gave them the mark of cain. The only thing that could possibly convince Rice to get in that game is that Sacramento is west of the Mississippi, which is where Rice wants to be at this point in her life.

Other than that, there’s no one else among current. Harold Ford, Jr. is livin’ it up in NYC, Steve Cohen is far too liberal, John Tanner and Bart Gordon have great committee assignments they’re not gonna give up, and Jim Cooper had his chance at statewide office and got creamed by Fred back in ’94. Bill Purcell (former Nashville Mayor) already said no, I believe, and no one in the legislature has the stature to mount a statewide campaign.

Lincoln Davis vs. Bill Frist, Marsha Blackburn, or even Ron Ramsey or Bill Haslam will be a cakewalk for us.

I think she just want’s to go back to academics – unless she can be Commissioner of the NFL.

I doubt McClintock will run for governor at this point. And I don’t know what some people have against McClintock. Everything I’ve ever read of him or heard him on radio, I’ve pretty much liked.

You toss in there is an enormous amount of liberal vengeance up there that the anointing of the Obama has done little to quell. Well it just doesn’t look good.