Over at ABC News, they’re assessing the quiet efforts by Republican operatives to come up with a Plan B for the 2012 election. Even many of the conservative publications and web sites are complaining about the less-than-inspirational field of candidates.
According to ABC’s The Note, even Rudy Guiliani’s name is back in the mix.
Here’s what The Note had to say: 
“If there’s one thing we know about Republican activists, donors and rank and file voters it’s this: they aren’t compelled by the current field of not-yet-official GOP presidential candidates and they’re looking for alternatives.
“Even House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, who skipped watching Thursday’s South Carolina debate and instead dined at a Washington, DC, steakhouse, said he thinks ‘there’s more time for people to get in.’
“And, as if we needed another indicator that the GOP is not altogether persuaded by their 2012 choices, The New York Times reported over the weekend that many of the party’s major donors are staying on the sidelines.
“‘A result (of all this) is the chicken-egg dynamic that is delaying the party’s urgent need to begin raising money to defeat an incumbent president whose fund-raising goals are as high as $1 billion,’ wrote The Times’ Jeff Zeleny and Jim Rutenberg. ‘Potential candidates have been slow to get into the race without the assurance that they can raise the money necessary for a credible campaign, while donors are waiting to see how the field develops before making decisions.’
“In South Carolina — one of the key early nominating states — it’s clear that activists and establishment types are eager for some fresh faces. They liked the first impression they got from former U.S. Ambassador to China Jon Huntsman.
“One plugged-in Republican we spoke with in Columbia this weekend told us that Huntsman was easily the most impressive candidate he’s met thus far (and he’s met ’em all). That said, let’s see what happens when these folks learn a bit more about Huntsman’s positions — like his support for cap-and-trade and civil unions.
“Amid all of this, comes word from the Associated Press’ Tom Beaumont in Des Moines that Iowa donors are courting New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, trying to prod him into the presidential contest.”
Of course, the gregarious Christie has said no so many times to so many people asking if he will or might run for president, that it would be pretty hard for the governor to say yes at this point.
The GOP is feeling equal pangs of concern and frustration because a year ago they thought President Obama was an easy target. And he still has to be considered a vulnerable incumbent.

Here’s how The Note sums up the situation:

“If not Christie, then who? Don’t count out former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who has been thrust back into the spotlight post-bin Laden and who’s headed later this week to New Hampshire where the latest WMUR-University of New Hampshire poll showed him in third place behind Romney and Trump.
“When asked by NBC’s David Gregory on ‘Meet the Press’ yesterday if he was still thinking of running for president he answered: ‘Not, not right this minute, but, yes, I am.’
“As The Washington Examiner’s chief political correspondent, Byron York, put it, ‘in the back of their minds, many Republicans are hoping that somewhere, somehow, a superhero candidate will swoop down out of the sky and rescue them from their current lackluster presidential field. They know it’s a fantasy, but they still hope.'”

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