If the Republicans get beat...

...in 2016 as I expect they will (the only thing that can come between Hillary and the Oval Office is another recession), look for someone like Neel Kashkari, above, to become the face of the new GOP.

Who?

You may remember him as the guy who administered the 2008 bank bailout under Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson.

Oh, yeah.

Kashkari finished in second place yesterday behind Gov. Jerry Brown in California's "jungle primary."

From a piece in NationalJournal:

"He's definitely a victory for people who are trying to expand the Republican Party beyond the hard-core base," Democratic strategist Bill Carrick said.

In a state where 60 percent of the population is nonwhite and Republicans make up just 28 percent of registered voters, Kashkari offers a fresh face. The former Goldman Sachs employee voted for President Obama in 2008 and describes himself as a nonpracticing Hindu who's accepting of abortion rights and same-sex marriage. He intends to keep his focus squarely on jobs and education.

As members of the tea party die off, new figures like Kashkari should take their place. Only then can the GOP become a competitive national party again.