...that the GOP, already suffering from a thin bench, may end up nominating somebody like Mike Huckabee

Or Sarah Palin....

The litmus test shouldn't be whether they would deny abortions to victims of rape. It should be whether or not they have ever eaten squirrel.

Glad to see somebody stand up to that bully Rudy and call him out on his association with Kerik. Boy, did that one get swept under the rug, and fast.

Rudy should just go home and shut his snarling, arrogant mouth.

Rudy and Kerik are the lowest of the low scumbags. Those who got rich off the dead of 9/11.

Biden had it right: Rudy uses a noun, verb and 9/11 in every sentence. Pathetic.

Robert Gibbs is the face of Americans I love... figuratively speaking, of course.

He is smart, confident without being arrogant, calm and measured.

I am so happy I have lived to see a candidate like Barack Obama, and a spokesperson like Gibbs.

... that Bill Ayers is no friend of his, that Obama condemns the terrorist activities of the Weather Underground, and that Ayers and Dohrn ought to have, and will have, nothing to do with his policies or his administration.

The more that Obama condemns Mr. and Mrs. Bill "Bomber" Ayers, the more I am willing to cut Obama some slack. While I know perfectly well what a malevolent creature Ayers is, it just makes me feel better to hear Obama say it.

Isn't Huckabee a pretty frightening candidate? He's funny and he's pretty cool. He has a genuine populist record. He strikes me as an extremely strong candidate.

On the other hand, he's visciously right-wing on social issues, and his one economic proposal during the Republican Primaries was a seriously anti-populist flat tax. He's also dumb as a box full of Sarah Palins.

I'd much prefer the Republicans nominate someone with a weird religion and close ties to investment banks, but with a lot of evidence that he's a reasonably competent technocrat.

Was the "Mormon Mitt" really necessary?

I rather expect to see a headline like this somewhere. Maybe the Washington Times?

that Rudy "I'm going to win the nomination by ONLY campaigning in Florida" Giuliani be laughed off the public stage?

Seriously- he's a complete asshole- why does he have even an ounce of credibility? Maybe mouthbreathers still think he is some 911 hero- try telling that to a NY firefighter and see what they say. Yeah, not so much.

Rudy should go home to his mistress- er- new wife and stfu already.

but I have to agree with the upthread comment that "Mormon Mitt" seems really unnecessary, especially when everyone else on the list got their last name or full name, and no reference to their religious affiliation. "Romney" would have been just fine.

Right off the bat, please let me apologize for any spelling "mistakes" I might make in this post. I now know how much that upsets you.

I am so sure that Obama will be eternally grateful to you for "cutting him some slack." Your beneficence is truly humbling to behold. Even more than Palin's "tolerance" for homosexuals. My cup runneth over.

To bad you weren't listening back in APRIL when Obama disavowed Ayers and every other time since!

Now, would you care to address my questions from yesterday regarding McCain's close associations with G. Gordon Liddy and the Palin's with the AIP?

Anybody can be rehabilitated, Mitt and Sarah included.

Gulliani will likely run for Mayor of New York again next year if Bloomberg get the chance to.

Who among the republicans will be the sacraficial lamb for Obama in 2012?

If Palin can maintain a strong grass roots base in the primaries don't count her out, and don't judge her too harshly by what she says and does as McCain's surrogate. They say that as governor of Alaska she was actually capable of speaking to the press unscripted on her own, so who knows, she might be back.

Regardless, it will be Obama again in 2012.

The meltdown occured before Obama took office, as such he will either have gotten America back on track by 2012, in which case his argument is are you better off now then four years ago. If the economy is still in the crapper, our current melt down is large enough that so long as cities aren't on fire, the republicans are effectivly banned from the whitehouse until 2016.

Roosevelt got reelected, not because his first four years were a success, but because the previous four years were such a utter mistake.

Now, in 2016, it likely will be an open field again for the Republicans, and who knows what fresh new face of change will be on the scene.

As a former NYC resident I'm sitting here chckling again for the second time today thanks to the Salon team.

When will this guy ever learn that old axiom about glass houses and throwing stones?

He hasn't been able to get elected dog catcher since 9/11 and if they ever do a fact check on his claims re: that brutal tragedy it could be very embarassing and the GOP knows it too. Ask the brotherhood of Police and Firefighters...

This man is hardly in a position to discuss the word judgement personally or professionally.

Mike Blloomberg, sparkling personality aside is EVERYTHING to NYC that Rudy wasn't and never could be. I hope they give him a third term because that city needs him and the REAL financial brilliance that is apparently so wanton elsewhere in the region.

on a whole lot of factors but I'd say whether or not the republicans get a credible nominee is based mainly on if the democrats win a super majority in the senate. If they do not get at least 60 then it will be an uphill battle all the way to implement any new agenda and undo a lot of the damage the current occupant has done. With a super majority in congress an Obama administration has a chance to really implement some changes.

If republicans can pull that off, someone with a credible chance of winning will probably step up. Of course there are a lot of factors out of anyone's control but looking at it simply politically I'd say that is the turf.

Btw - the meltdown of the Bush administration is the only reason McCain is nominee- say what you want but he was the only one of the herd with a chance. Being the best shot with his last shot at 72 - does show how shallow the bench and/or that no one with a future was willing to run this year.

Anyone with a future won't run against a strong incumbent but if the Obama administration is weakened by a defiant congress they will bring a star up to the plate.

Btw- I agree Mitt the Mormon is rude but I think the point was that he was a victim of his own party’s religious bigotry.