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I liked your article and I agree with you on history being on the side of Romney.  Except for one thing:  wherever I travel, more and more Republicans are fed up with this idea of someone’s turn.  More often than not, you here “Him again?!!” rather than “It’s his turn?” (or “It’s her turn?).

Thus, I would argue that someone who is a fresh face has an advantage.  Which may explain why Govs. Barbour and Pawlenty, possibly Jim DeMint, Gen. David Petraeus, or someone who emerges in 2020—say a Gov. John Kasich of Ohio—could easily be a heavyweight contender in two years.  Put another way, Republicans finally won the House in 1994 when they ran a national strategy; they might well win in 2012 with a fresh face.

Newt endorsing Scozzafava aligns him with Markos Moulitsas who declared Dede the most liberal candidate in the race.

That aligns Newt with ACORN, which has twice endorsed Dede.

That aligns Newt with Planned Parenthood and NARAL, active supporters of Dede.

That aligns Newt with the SEIU, the AFL-CIO, and a host of other left wing interest groups including the gay marriage lobby.

Today Newt Gingrich stands athwart history and pees on the legacy of 1994, where it is no longer about principles, ideas, ideals, and integrity, but the raw acquisition of power for the sake of power. He aligns with a candidate to the left of the Democrat.

The GOP will not take back power until it repents of its sins that caused it to lose power. And chief among those sins was the abandonment of principle for the sake of power. But when a political party stands for nothing, it fails to stand.

At least we can thank Newt today for declaring himself out of the 2012 race. Or, should he stay in, conservatives at least no longer have to feel under any obligation to stick with him, since he makes clear in NY-23 as he did in MD-01 that he feels under no obligation to stick with conservatives.

Writers who develop organically have time to grow a thick skin. With each job advancement comes more attention and more criticism. But just as Sarah Palin was dropped into the middle of a presidential campaign with little time to prepare for such a high-profile role, McCain was thrust into the spotlight without having developed a solid political philosophy -- or the callused ego one gets from enduring the slings and arrows fired by the public each day.

Democrats, who already have 60 votes in the Senate, theoretically don't need her support. But in practice, they do -- to persuade their own wavering moderates to support the legislation.

Snowe's vote also gives Democrats the right to claim that their bill is technically "bipartisan," even if it is opposed by the 39 other Republicans. Thus, Snowe's support vastly improves the legislation's prospects, as demonstrated by the retreat of health insurance stocks on Wall Street after Snowe announced her support for the measure.

Republicans are in a strong position to take back the House majority and fire Pelosi in the 2010 midterm election. In terms of candidate recruitment, fundraising, and issue development, we are far ahead of where we were at this point in 1993 - and you remember what happened in 1994.