What the Republicans need...

...above all else, is a sunny, optimistic, attractive leader in the tradition of Franklin Roosevelt, Jack Kennedy, Ronald Reagan, or Barack Obama--someone who can inspire the nation in a positive way.

Let's look at some of the current voices of the party: Rush Limbaugh, Bill O'Reilly, Sean Hannity, Sarah Palin, Michele Bachmann, Karl Rove, Dick Cheney, and Newt Gingrich (three journalists, two actual officeholders, a couple of Bush administration dead-enders, and a political has-been who's trying to stage a Nixon-like comeback). And what do they all have in common? They're all angry white people.

Let's see, Rove just called Maureen Dowd a "bitter, twisted, deranged columnist for the New York Times," and a "dour, downbeat liberal." (My emphasis added in both.) Bachmann, who just might be the biggest gaffe machine in politics today, said recently that "we've moved into the realm of gangster government." Cheney has become the party's foremost champion of torture (nice touch). And Palin's latest embarrassment is a public feud with a late-night talk show host. I could go on but I think you get the idea.

There are other leaders in the party, of course: John McCain, Mitt Romney, Mark Sanford, Tim Pawlenty, and Tom Ridge (my personal favorite) to name just a few. But they are all colorless or keeping a low profile for now. I can't see any of them seriously challenging Obama in 2012.

The next election will be decided, like most elections, on the public's perception of the economy. If it's seen as improving, Obama will win in a landslide. If not, the Republicans will have a chance. But in the meantime, not only do they need to decide on their message (move to the right or move to the center), but they need to find a messenger who can deliver it. So far I can't see anyone out there who fits that description.