Forward Planning

Another one bites the dust, as Jon Huntsman bows to the inevitable.

Huntsman's backing Romney, apparently, and that's inevitable also. The Republican party has become too Rightwing for Huntsman's tastes, but he's not above backing a man who, for the the better part of his political career, has been relatively moderate until he learned to pander for political purposes.

Is Huntsman's real game an angle for the Vice-Presidential spot? If Romney does get the nod, I don't see that. Romney will have to prove his conservative credentials and choose a running mate who reflects Tea Party values, which - I surmise - is why Mme Haley's been sniffing around the MittMobile as of late.

Be forewarned! This woman makes Sarah Palin look honest, and if she does get the nod, it will be fun watching the press and media deconstruct her own shady history vis-a-vis her tax and financial records, which she'll be forced to show.

I actually think Huntsman might be looking ahead. If - and at this moment, I'm taking nothing for granted - the President secures a second term, it might jolt the Republicans into a sensible moment of reflection and realise that electable politicians, and not the Klown Kar of kooks we've been served this time, ought to make a comeback; thus, Huntsman might dip his toe into the water again.

On the other hand, if the President secures a second term, we ought to then start looking ahead for ourselves. There'd be nothing better than to retain the White House for 2016, assuring at least twelve years of Democratic rule. But our field looks pretty thin.

I actually think the Republicans' plan for this cycle, seeing the goonies who put their hands up as candidates, has always been to retain the House and secure the Senate - thus, either resulting in a gridlocked situation (which will make the President look ineffectual and weak to both the far Right and the increasingly lunatic far Left) or, worse, it will force the President to veer to the Right in a compromise situation, which will ensure that the Firebagging blogosphere spontaneously combusts.

If you look at their potential Presidential candidates for 2016, the field is formidable: Huntsman, Chris Christie, Marco Rubio, John Thune, possibly Paul Ryan. Don't even rule out Jeb Bush. Now look at the name which has been bandied about on the Democratic side: Hillary Clinton. A Bush-Clinton contest would prove that dynastical politics, which we fought a Revolution to overcome, is both alive and well and resident in the halls of power in the United States.

The only other two names which have been mooted as potential Democratic contenders in 2016 are Virginia's Mark Warner and New York governor Andrew Cuomo, and neither of them make the fabled tingle run up either of my legs.

But let's get 2012 into the history books and get the President re-elected. Then let's see if we can gee anyone awe-inspiring and electable to keep the White House blue. Just don't leave it too late.