A successful two term cycle for Obama, with significant legislative achievement (health care, infrastructure repair, recovered economy, etc) will clear the path for the next Democratic Presidential candidate, with a clear cut agenda set in stone...

My view, the only two candidates that might prevent a Democratic blow out in 2012 are Charlie Crist or Tom Ridge.

Florida is not the south. Crist won't be popular among the national GOP base.

Ridge’s beating Specter would have… helped restablish the Republican Moderate caucus on the Hill. Ridge instead prefers to try to affect that change from the private sector.

Really, a Republican Moderate caucus? Identified by what, lack of a Southern accent? The two ladies from the great State of Maine and…??? Oh, I know, all those Senators who decided to vote in favor of Obama's stimulus package. Some adolescent explained to them that an attitude that would ”let Bank of America and AIG and others fail and let the chips fall where they may”, just might infuriate those who had contributed, or where living off their IRA.

My view, the only two candidates that might prevent a Democratic blow out in 2012 are Charlie Crist or Tom Ridge. Without a National Stage, there is no way that Ridge could in any way modify the Republican Party.