Human Events published the CPAC poll on who will be the next Republican nominee. Here are the totals:

George Allen: 22%
John McCain: 20%
Rudy Giuliani: 12%
Condoleezza Rice: 10%
Bill Frist: 6%
Tom Tancredo: 5%
Mitt Romney: 5%
Newt Gingrich: 5%
Rick Santorum: 3%
George Pataki: 3%
Undecided: 4%

Count me a little uninspired. McCain, Guiliani, Frist, Gingrich, and Pataki are underwhelming. I need to know more about Allen, but first impressions are a bit low. Rice won't run. I like Romney only because I am from New England -- no other reason, pure parochialism.

Could I ask Dr. Potomac and the Style Editor to use their insider DC knowledge and tell those of us in the Red States why (1.) Sam Brownback isn't on this list, and (2.) why he is chuckled about privately?

And could they give us any other names to look at? This list has me yawning.