The GOP 17

Republican voters will have a lot of choices...for at least a couple of primaries...when they go to pick the 2012 nominee who will face Barack Obama (or perhaps Hillary Clinton).  Here's the list from Washington Whispers:

The A-Team Nine

- Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, the front-runner, largely because he was the runner-up to Sen. John McCain in 2008.

- Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, who has recently made a name for herself by endorsing winning Tea Party candidates.

- Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, a social conservative in his second term.

- Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels, a fiscal conservative in his second term.

- Mike Huckabee, a Fox host and former 2008 presidential candidate.

- Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich.

- South Dakota Sen. John Thune, a conservative and darling of the party for defeating former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle in 2004.

- New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, whose budget cutting in his first year has impressed many in GOP ranks who want him to apply his touch to Washington.

- Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, already running and showing his conservative side.

The Eight Long Shots

- Indiana Rep. Mike Pence, a hero to fiscal conservatives.

- South Carolina Sen. Jim DeMint, a Palinesque conservative who's helped steer the U.S. Senate to the right.

- Texas Rep. Ron Paul, the gadfly 2008 candidate who kept a very loyal following.

- South Carolina Republican gubernatorial candidate Nikki Haley, who hasn't even won yet but is being heralded as the new Sarah Palin.

- Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush who has rejected a run but who still gets kudos for being the "smart Bush" for his successful two terms in Florida.

- Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, who'd be the social conservative in the race.

- Former United Nations Ambassador John Bolton, a foreign policy hawk who conservatives adore.

- Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal whose effort to protect his shores from the Gulf Oil Spill won him notoriety lost when he gave a lackluster national political address in 2009.

Let me run through the names:

• Mitt Romney - The GOP has a bad habit of nominating "whoever's next", and that would be Romney.  But he's still got the Mormon problem...and the personality problem.  He's also the author of Romneycare, the MA version of Obamacare that's proving to be a fiscal nightmare.
• Sarah Palin - Quitting the governor's job in Alaska, no matter how justified, will kill her chances. That and the caricature that has been created by the media. 
• Haley Barbour - I like him.  He was a great RNC Chairman, has been a good governor through some pretty tough times for his state (Katrina hit MS hard), and is a very smart politician.  His deep South accent won't help him in certain parts of the country.
• Mitch Daniels - Could be a strong candidate, though he's not some major name recognition work to do.
• Mike Huckabee - I'm not convinced he wants to give up his Fox TV gig to get back into a fight he probably can't win.
• Newt Gingrich - Good idea man but carrying way too much baggage.
• John Thune - Impressive guy but will have to get a lot better known.
• Chris Christie - Won't run.  Too soon.  He needs to show what he can do in New Jersey first.
• Tim Pawlenty - I like him, but another guy who is not well known outside of Minnesota.
• Mike Pence - Solid conservative who could be a tough candidate if he can get the media to pay attention to him.
• Jim DeMint - I doubt DeMint will run.  Very conservative but not that well known.
• Ron Paul - Will run a vanity campaign, but not a chance of winning anything.
• Nikki Haley - Hasn't done anything yet.  If she ran she'd be another fad candidate and we don't need that.
• Jeb Bush - Great guy, great governor, bad last name.
• Rick Santorum - Unlikely to get far in the primaries.
• John Bolton - As I said the other day, there aren't enough adult diapers in all the Wal-Marts in the country to handle the liberals who'd lose control if Bolton became president.
• Bobby Jindal - Very smart guy who at this point would probably be a better VP candidate.