Wouldn't a better bet be Gov Ritter from Colorado? The party needs to realize that the south is long gone. We might pick up a state or two in an unusually good Dem year, and we're probably making structural changes in Virginia. But as our politics have become defined by "culture wars"--you know, Christian working class voting for the corporate party because of abortion and marriage--the south is fundamentally unfriendly territory.

The West, on the other hand, offers a lot of promise. Like the south, it has a booming population--more yummy electoral cookies! And it has a much more libertarian streak. Its rural areas are far right but overall the region is very urban and rapidly become more so. And its demographics are changing. More hispanics and asians, which is obvious, but also look at Nevada with its rapidly growing population of seniors and Jewish Americans.

The only southerner who merits attention for national office is Mark Warner. Otherwise we should stick to places like the West, Florida, Pennsylvania or the non-Christian (eg non Indiana) midwest.

And of course, a lousy candidate is still a lousy candidate, regardless of which state they're from.