Sadly for the news networks, the election has passed, as have the guaranteed ratings that it brought. So every journalist and their mother is scrambling for something election related to talk about. I never thought I would get so sick of hearing Sarah Palin's name. Seriously, I like the woman, but I think it's unrealistic to think that she'll go after the presidential nomination in 2012. Odds are pretty decent that her 15 minutes of fame are winding down, and we'll barely remember the name after January 1. But it raises an interesting question. Who should the Republicans nominate in 2012? Obama has proven that it is indeed safe to stray from the old fashioned mentality of "nominate a crusty old white guy who looks like he's been around the block". He has a lot of popularity going for him right now, and I have a sneaking suspicion that even if he screws up massively over the next four years, he will still have popularity on his side. So the Republicans will need somebody equally or more popular to stand a chance in the election. Think for a moment, who was the last genuinely popular Republican president?
Ronald Reagan.
And wait a second.....what did Reagan do before kicking Soviet butt and taking names?
He was an actor. Look at Arnold Schwarzenegger. The man's a Republican (albeit a comparatively liberal one) and he's the Govenator of the most Democratic state in the Union. However, he cannot run for president, as he wasn't born in the U.S., but you get the point. It's all in the name recognition, in the charisma (neither of which actor/senator Fred Thompson had, so it makes sense that his bid for candidacy went over like an f-bomb in a monestary). So who then should the Republican party nominate for 2012? What actor is a Republican with an interest in politics, has name recognition and popularity, not to mention the chiseled features to look good on a commemorative coin? Isn't it all too obvious? 
In 2012, vote for real change. And the roundhouse. | 
