Nature abhors a vacuum.

Here's the vacuum:

As the Republican presidential candidates gather this morning in Des Moines for their fourth debate, Iowa GOP voters are expressing limited enthusiasm for the field of current and potential aspirants, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll. Their views appear to be a microcosm of GOP sentiment across the country and point to a wide open battle for the nomination.

Former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney has emerged as the early leader in the campaign for Iowa. But his support is both soft and shallow, suggesting that the Republican race in the state, as nationally, remains extremely fluid.

Just 19 percent of likely GOP caucus attendees said they were "very satisfied" with the field of candidates -- far below satisfaction levels among Iowa Democrats -- and poll respondents were badly fractured when asked to rate the candidates on political and personal attributes.

What will fill this vacuum? Well, Newt thinks he's the guy, but he's not. Newt's a twit. He's the dork who thinks the prom queen wants him when all she dreams of is. . . Jeb. Always, Jeb.

It's Jeb they want. It's Jeb the GOP masses yearn for. It's not Rudy or Fred or John or Sam or Newt, it's Jeb. Jeb is their true love.

I said it here, all the way back in February:

There's a name out there that Democrats don't want to think about that they should be thinking about. That name is Jeb.

It will be interesting to see whether Jeb, feeling the black hole pull of all that pent-up Republican desire can say "no." Don't be so sure. The giant vacuum roars, the airflow becomes irresistable, and off in far Tallahassee, Jeb knows the wind is calling his name.

Ask not for whom the Hoover calls. It calls for Jeb.

This entry was posted by Michael Reynolds, on Saturday, August 04, 2007. You can leave your response.