He is a great candidate and a fresh face on the national level. I hope that he makes a serious effort in Iowa.

Of all the candidates on this list, John Thune likely has the best shot at winning the nomination. He has the conservative resume to win over the base and has solid communication skills, which will help him with the broader electorate. He also has broad appeal within the party, which is something that the major candidates don't have. Romney has big problems with the evangelicals, Huckabee won't win over the fiscal conservatives, and Palin doesn't score well with moderates. Thune does have a base in all wings, which will help during the primary.

Senator John Thune would enter the Republican primary with the least political baggage of any other potential candidate that is listed. He has consistently delivered a strong conservative voting record in the Senate, but most importantly has avoided scandal and has not pursued a path of providing negative or extreme-sounding soundbites to the opposition. He has an undeniable ability to appeal to voters evidenced in his successful House and Senate campaigns, the latter resulting in a toppling of the then-current Senate majority leader Tom Dashcle. A feat that had only been previously accomplished 50 years prior. His rhetoric is rousing, but not inflammatory. There is no liberal that could convince an independent that John Thune is a mindless right-wing extremist, because Senator Thune conducts and carries himself in a completely non-provocative posture. His record and initiatives on veterans affairs, national defense, taxes, health care and ethanol will allow Sen. Thune to appeal to moderates, independents and conservatives in critical swing states like Ohio, Missouri, Indiana, Colorado, North Carolina and Virginia that Republicans need to either recapture or retain for success in 2012. I sure hope Senator Thune decides to run.

A hero to most conservatives for the single monumental feat of replacing Tom Daschle  the Senate.  Senators make lousy presidential candidates, though and Thune, while his respect from the right is unquestionable, appears too young and too narrow to be seen by any knowledgeable observer to be in line.