The Obama Diary

Politico: A presidential primary favorite is emerging among the ranks of congressional Republicans: none of the above.

The dissatisfaction with the likely GOP field — long whispered among party activists, operatives and elected officials — is growing more audible in the House and Senate.

Interviews on both sides of the Capitol have revealed widespread concern about the lackluster quality of the current crop of candidates and little consensus on who Republican senators and House members would like to see in the race.

…There were politicians who are putting off decisions (Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels), politicians who’ve said they won’t run (former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie), individuals who aren’t even politicians (Gen. David Petraeus)…

The float of Petraeus, currently commander of the war in Afghanistan and rumored to be the next CIA chief, highlights the GOP’s quandary. He has repeatedly said he won’t be a candidate … but that hasn’t lessened the ardor among some of his Republican admirers. It’s an indication of the view among some party stalwarts that they’ll need someone better than a conventional pol to beat an incumbent president expected to raise a historic sum of money.

…“We think we can beat the president, but we have to have somebody to beat him with,” said West Virginia Rep. Shelley Moore Capito. “And I think there’s no clear front-runner, and there’s some frustration out there, not that we haven’t nailed it down but that it’s sort of all over the board.”

…Shrugged Arkansas Sen. John Boozman: “Republicans have always been for who’s next in line, and there’s nobody in line.”

Full article here

I usually avoid linking Politico articles, but I enjoyed this one