I'm going against today's conventional wisdom and suggesting that Rick Santorum and George Allen should consider running for the Republican presidential nomination.  It certainly wouldn't be the first time politicians who've lost elections have run (and won) office.  Indeed, Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney have lost elections.  Obviously, Richard Nixon lost for president in 1960 and governor of California in 1962.  

I still consider Santorum and Allen among the best and most appealing conservatives on the scene.  I believe Santorum has national appeal, despite his loss in Pennsylvania.  And although Allen's campaign was knocked off stride, nobody will care much.  After all, John McCain has overcome much worse, namely the Keating Five scandal; and Rudy Guiliani appears to have put his marital and health issues behind him.

And on the Democrat side, don't get me started.  Suffice it to say that Hillary Clinton, Barak Obama, John Kerry, et al, all carry baggage, and some of it pretty heavy.