If pessimism isn’t creeping into Republicans’ thinking about their 2012 presi dential prospects, that is another rea son for pessimism. This is because it indicates they do not understand that sensible Americans, who pay scant attention to presidential politics at this point in the electoral cycle, must nevertheless be detecting vibrations of weirdness emanating from people associated with the party.

The most recent vibrator is Mike Huckabee, the former Arkansas governor, who won the 2008 GOP Iowa caucuses and reached that year’s national convention with more delegates than Mitt Romney and might run again. Huckabee was asked by Steve Malzberg, a talk-radio host, this:

“Don’t you think it’s fair also to ask [Barack Obama] . . . how come we don’t have a health record, we don’t have a college record, we don’t have a birth cer — why, Mr. Obama, did you spend millions of dollars in courts all over this country to defend against having to present a birth certificate. It’s one thing to say, ‘I’ve — you’ve seen it. Goodbye.’ But why go to court and send lawyers to defend against having to show it? Don’t you think we deserve to know more about this man?”

Huckabee should have replied, “I’ve seen paranoia. Goodbye.” Instead, he said:

“I would love to know more. What I know is troubling enough. And one thing that I do know is his having grown up in Kenya . . .”

And, then Gingrich:

Republicans should understand that when self-described conservatives like Malzberg voice question-rants like the one above and Republicans don’t recoil from them, the conservative party is indirectly injured — as it is directly when Newt Gingrich, who seems to be theatrically tiptoeing toward a presidential candidacy, speculates about Obama’s having a “Kenyan, anti-colonial” mentality.

An article containing what Gingrich calls a “stunning insight” is “the most profound insight I have read in the last six years about Barack Obama.” Gingrich begins with a faux question: “What if he is so outside our comprehension” that he can be understood “only if you understand Kenyan, anti-colonial, behavior?” Then Gingrich says this isn’t just a question; it’s “the most accurate, predictive model for his behavior.”

To the notion that Obama has a “Kenyan, anti-colonial,” worldview, the sensible response is: If only. Obama’s natural habitat is as American as the nearest faculty club; he is a distillation of America’s academic mentality; he is as American as the other professor-president, Woodrow Wilson. A question for former history professor Gingrich: Why implicate Kenya?

Granted the references to Kenya and Obama’s birth certificate are just weird bu these two fellows have other baggage problems and I have never considered them serious Presidential candidates.

So, who are Will’s favorites for 2012?

1. Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels
2. Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour
3. Former Utah Gov. and departing ambassador to China Jon Huntsman
4. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney
5. Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty

Agreed, except I would add New Jersey governor Chris Christie as a 6th.

Who do I think could beat President Obama?

At this point, I would say Mitch Daniels and Chris Christie. The others will be trounced but will do NO harm to protect GOP gains in the House and the 2012 take over of the Senate.