Didn’t Thune just co-sponser some lefty bill? I can’t remember what but I do remember thinking it not at all conservative.
I LOVE Jindal but he needs to run the full 8 in LA (not the least of reasons, to help build the party in that state) - his day will come.
I like Barbour, naturally, I also would be happy with:
Watts (the face of the next generation of the party of he will stand for it)
Thompson (age becomes an issue)
Kemp (age is already an issue but he’s healthy)
Gingrich (despite differences, he’s a thinker which is good)
Sessions (I’m usually not that enthused with Senators as prez candidates but he impresses me)
Allen (we need to defeat this BS about one word destroying your career)
Couburn (I worry that he won’t sell well on the national stage)
I like WHAT I KNOW OF these guys too:
Sanford
DeMint
Cronyn
Kyle
McClintok (needs to win SOMETHING high profile out there)
Steele (ditto - Lt. Gov. just isn’t much of a resume)
Santorum (easily deionized I think)
Franks
And a couple of names who aren’t yet presidential material but are the sort of “rising stars” you want to keep an eye on besides Jindal:
Steve Larnget (is this guy an illusion? What happened to him after he lost the governor’s race? He’s too camera friendly and good on the issues to let slip away)
Marsh Blackburn
Chip Pickering (my money says he follows Haley as governor of Mississippi and from there...?)
Mike Pence - great work in the House so far, but eventually needs a higher profile)