Re: 2012 Elections Part I: All Politics is Yokel
Somebody needs to find out, after recent revelations, if Orrin Hatch still plans on filing that amendment to the Constitution in order to make Arnold Schwartzenegger eligible to run for President!

Couldn't resist, not at Ahhnold's expense but at that idiot Hatch's. I'm going to e-mail his office that question tonight.
Way to early but what the hey - Really surprised by Huckleberry not running. This nomination was his for the taking. He won last time in the Iowa primary. Had he done that again, conceded NH to Romney as everybody else will, and then kicked butt down South when the primaries shifted there I don't see how he'd be stopped. People don't always remember that the Huckster didn't raise tons of cash last time and still had a strong showing, even moving outside of his southern base into the midwest. With no top tier candidate from the regional base of the party (excepting Paul and Gingrich who seem unelectable), I couldn't tell you who wins this thing.
I'll throw one other thing out there. While the ability to make big bucks may be preventing some people from jumping in, I'm also wondering if watching how Donald Trump got destroyed once the admin focused on him didn't discourage a few people too. Having said that, fortune favors the brave, and being out of office for years doesn't seem to be the best avenue for winning your party's nomination (Reagan I guess, or Mondale would be the last). Romney seems to understand this is his last chance unless he's someone's VP pick ala Biden. If a Huck, Palin, Jeb Bush, etc is looking at 2016 instead, I don't think history is going to be on their side.
Kepler, purely for fun, I'd keep an eye on Jim Webb for the Dems in 2016. They always dream of winning back the South and he hits the right notes on military policy and bipartisanship. Really though, I think Hillary takes a few polls quietly two years beforehand to see where she stands vs the rest of the electorate.