Finally, the Republican got a mighty presidential candidate to bring them to the promised land in Rick Perry, governor of Texas. Will party voices now stop clamoring for new "white knights" to jump into the race and save them from the totalitarian reign of mild-mannered technocratic centrist Barack Obama? Of course not.

Now there's renewed talk of Rep. Paul Ryan, the nice young Cub Scout from down the street who's offered to fix America's finances, not ruling a bid of his own. All of his buddies on Capitol Hill want a serious man of ideas or whatever to run. And according to Roll Call, "Ryan discussed the matter with Speaker John Boehner when the subject of whether he should be appointed to the bipartisan Joint Committee on Deficit Reduction arose." But Ryan still does not want to run, partially due to family considerations. But the "growing" list of backers will never get up! They really want the "end Medicare and replace it with private insurance coupons" guy, whose budget plan is the very source of possible House Republican woes in 2012 elections, to run for president. So... odd.

And then we come to our old friend, the good Governor Sandwiches of New Jersey, Chris Christie. Karl Rove thinks either Paul or Christie could still jump in:

"I think Chris Christie and Paul Ryan are gonna look at it again … I'm starting to pick up some sort of vibrations that these kind of conversations are causing Christie and Ryan to tell the people who are calling them, you know what, I owe it to you, I'll take a look at it."

Ross Douthat wants Christie to run too! And don't forget the crybaby hedgies. Everyone loves Chris Christie, because he talks like he's on the Sopranos. Sadly, he's never seriously entertained the idea.

If either of these two jumped in, it would have to be super soon and with a long list of donors and establishment supporters ready and willing to back them. Or they could just settle with Romney or Perry already, right? Unless Kevin Michael Barba decides to take the plunge, obviously.

[Images via AP]