These names, of course, by no means exhaust the list of those mentioned for possible nomination by the Republicans in 2012. But it is probably fairer to stop naming names now rather than try to list everyone and risk omitting somebody who deserves to be included.

And never overlook the possibility that a major contender might emerge, not from Congress but from the ranks of business or the military, both of which have produced powerful candidates in past decades. Witness Wendell Willkie, who in 1940 moved from a career in business to the Republican presidential nomination and gave FDR a thoroughly credible battle for the White House.

In general, however, it is in the political ranks that we are likeliest to find plausible candidates for high political office. For one thing, they tend to have the kind of political experience that such office requires. A businessman may know many things of value, but he hasn't been schooled in the strikingly different arts of politics, and his performance in the latter field is almost bound to suffer as a result.

In any case, there is plenty of time for attractive possibilities to emerge. The off-year elections of 2010 are fewer than two years away, and any one of them could produce a brand-new governor, senator or even Congressman capable of making an important splash in 2012.

The nation's politicians and political observers are well aware of this and will keep a sharp eye on who emerges from the political cauldron in 2010.