Thursday, December 30th, 2010 11:03:40

2010 Republican Primary Prognostication

Even though predictions often prove wrong, many people like to provide them, and many others like to read and discuss them. We like our world orderly, and clinging to a potential storyline seemingly provides intellectual stability. I’m no different.

Last week, columnist Jonah Goldberg declared the 2012 “GOP Presidential primary season underway” and identified 24 potential Republican candidates, “Sarah Palin, Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich, John Thune, Tim Pawlenty, Mitch Daniels, Mike Pence, Rick Santorum, Haley Barbour, Mike Huckabee, Bobby Jindal, Paul Ryan, David Petraeus, Ron Paul, Jeb Bush, John Bolton, Bob McDonnell, Jim DeMint, Chris Christie, Herman Cain, Gary Johnson, Judd Gregg, Marco Rubio and Rick Perry.” (Gingrich is my father.)

Goldberg, who writes for National Review Online, concluded that there are “five front-runners: Romney, Palin, Gingrich, Pawlenty and Daniels. Romney is the organizational front-runner; Daniels is the first pick of wonks and D.C. eggheads; Palin probably has the most devoted following among actual voters; Gingrich will dominate the debates; and Pawlenty (vying with Daniels) is the least disliked.”