In Will's defense...

Will was not saying the list was "his" list... only that it was a list he seemed to think would carry into the election cycle because of "centrist" tendencies in the candidates. Will's point seems to be that the GOP candidates with the best chance will be those that can play the center. I tend to agree with Ryan, however, and disagree.

Look at his list... Romney and Daniels are known moderates, at best. I know Ryan liked Romney in '08, but let's face it, he really was just a notch up from McCain on "middle-of-the-road" conservatism. I've heard an awful lot about "Romney-care" too... and it is still a far cry from anything an actual "conservative" would endorse. I still think it is pretty clear cut... the only regulation that needs to be written and enforced is a 14 to 21 day limit on how long an insurance provider can delay paying a covered claim, and that should be mandated across the country. Otherwise, delete all regulations that inhibit or slow down inter-State insurance coverage, deregulate who can and can't offer coverage (the people selling the insurance ARE NOT the people providing the medical services... they don't need to meet any standards other than proving they have the capital to cover the costs when they arise), and let people shop for the best coverage they can find for their lifestyle. Someone, somewhere is going to provide them with coverage they can afford, and the bigger the provider, the better the coverage (as is the case with ALL insurance companies).

Only Barbour seems to be a real conservative in both actions and words... and I can't find the original article, so I don't know who his fifth pick was. My point is that Will seems to think there will be a real effort (both in and out of the GOP) to keep candidates on the march who are appealing to "both sides" of as many issues as possible. This is 100% counter to the latest push by the Tea Party and its supporters (as Ryan said) and I'm not sure it will work. If we end up with another "maverick" like McCain on the ballot, the conservative movement will be sunk in 2012. Huntsman, Daniels and Romney are nothing more than McCain 2.0.