i don't think it's clear who is going to control the republican party in 2008: "moderates" a la mccain and giuliani; small-government conservatives (if any); or the continuing, hara-kiri committing bush dynasty mercantilists/internationalists, now chastened to the tune of condi. or they could come up with some kind of (no doubt gay) anti-gay/anti-immigration religious demagogue; that might play pretty well. where's alan keyes? i personally would have a hard time voting against mccain. surely his "increase the force" approach to iraq is one of the two plausible ideas (the other being immediate withdrawal). i still say he can't make it through the primaries, though. romney would be a wise choice strategically, but he's got no zealots. the last act of the present administration will be to pardon itself retroactively for war crimes, by the way, which might slightly embarass an incoming republican administration. fortunately the republicans will not be incoming this time around.