I saw a rumor about Pataki on Political Wire last week, and there seems to be a lot of buzz about Christie now (though the latest at Political Wire is that NJ Dems are weighing a recall attempt, but leaning against it). One of the more recent PW pieces about Christie (IIRC) was that Pawlenty campaign staffers are waiting to see what he and Paul Ryan will do before deciding which ship to jump to now that Pawlentys out of it. I even saw something earlier about Fred Thompson. Party watchers have said Palins upcoming schedule screams "presidential candidate" and several Tea Party activists are predicting she'll declare on Labor Day.

Obama's THAT vulnerable (hovering around 40% is a generous assessment of his approval rating) and the GOP field is THAT weak. Romney should cruise to the nomination and give us a choice between the open corporate crony or the one "still in the closet". Obamas best hope, according to conventional wisdom and the actions of his re-election campaign, is that Perry's nominated, but this is probably just Perrys Name Recognition Tour: Obama vs. Romney, and may the worst corporate shill win.