Flap’s Links and Comments for May 23rd on 13:45

These are my links for May 23rd from 13:45 to 13:46:

• Some observations as Mitch Daniels bows out – So Mitch Daniels is not running for president. That’s what I expected—on Tuesdays and Thursday and alternate weekends; on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays I was convinced he would run, and on the leftover weekends I was uncertain.

  Let’s review the bidding.

  In, in alphabetical order: Herman Cain, Newt Gingrich, Gary Johnson, Ron Paul, Tim Pawlenty, Mitt Romney, Rick Santorum.

  Probably in: Michele Bachmann, Jon Huntsman.

  Probably not in: John Bolton, Sarah Palin.

   Out: Haley Barbour, Mitch Daniels, Mike Huckabee, Mike Pence, John Thune.

   Declared out but still being wooed: Chris Christie, Rick Perry, Paul Ryan.

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  Read it all….

• President 2012: Exeunt Omnes – Not running: Mike Huckabee, the 2008 runner-up; John Thune, the likeliest candidate from the Senate, the body that has produced the out-party candidate in 2008, 2004, and 1996; Mike Pence, who could lay as much claim as anyone to represent the conservative movement; and Haley Barbour and Mitch Daniels, effective two-term governors with impressive D.C. experience as well.

  Pretty amazing.

  It would be unfair to call the current field a vacuum. But it doesn't exactly represent an overflowing of political talent. And insofar as politics abhors even a near-vacuum, others are bound to get in. I now think the odds are better than 50-50 that both Rick Perry and Paul Ryan run. I also now think they (and others—Sarah Palin, Chris Christie, John Bolton) may not feel they have to decide until after Labor Day—or maybe even until October or even November. The field could well remain open and fluid until Thanksgiving.

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  Bill Kristol has a point that the field may not be settled for some time.

  But, it really looks like Romney now will be the nominee.