(Ben Smith-Politico).The Republican Party is, understandably, extremely eager to put forward a new, new face, and so maybe it's no coincidence that of the three who have come to the fore post-election -- Sarah Palin, Michael Steele, and Bobby Jindal, none are white men.
But beyond them, the party's top rank is overwhelmingly white and male. And Jindal's weak performance last night -- along with the fact that, as Jonathan Martin noted, it's very hard for him to run for reelection in 2011 while roaming Iowa -- serves, along with Palin's fading profile, a reminder that the party is unlikely to have an obviously, visibly different face to put forward in 2012.
At this point, though, there's a fairly clear frontrunner, I think: Mitt Romney. While others may be indecisive or distracted, he's already, quietly, clearly focused on solidifying his position inside the party, backing House Republicans through his PAC and appearing at CPAC this week. And he has a crucial advantage over almost all the other Republican candidates who are mentioned: He's not in office, and doesn't have to spend the next two years (at least) raising taxes, cutting services, and/or borrowing huge sums. He's free to articulate a clear voice of opposition, and to position himself to play the role of the turnaround specialist if he can make the case that Obama hasn't delivered.
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