Redstate

a first step by Ravanel to challenge Lindsey Graham in 2008?

yesterday, and in the 2004 primary. He was my first choice then, with DeMint a close second.

Back when Graham joined the gang of 14, I sent him an email saying that I thought Thomas Ravenel would make a great Senator in 2009.

It is good news that he led the pack by such a wide margin, but it would have been better news if he had cracked 50% and avoided a runoff. And I think you're right. Serving as Treasurer will raise his name recognition for possible future races.

(link) is a "stunning blow" to Mark Sanford, according to Lee Bandy, The State's laughable political analyst.

If he's really a Republican in the mold of Jim DeMint and Mark Sanford, then we really need to draft him to beat Lindsey Graham. We need to get Graham out of there.

I say that presuming that Mark Sanford wouldn't be interested because Sanford sounds awesome. I think he sounds like he has more work he wants to get done in South Carolina, though.

Bottom Line: Surely we can do better in South Carolina than Lindsey Graham.

Yep.  Lt. Gov, Treasurer, and Sec. of State make good stepping stones.

Here in GA, we already have two of the more conservative judges (both against the amnesty bill) in Chambliss and Johnny I.

On the Dem side, the current SoS is making a run at Gov. Perdue while I suspect that Ralph Reed (and his GOP opponent .. Cagle, maybe), are hoping to use the Lt. Gov as a springboard to the Governership at a later time.

Of course, a failed run at a major political slot can often be used as a springboard. Witness Ravenel's Senate bid and Isakson's governor run which he then parlayed into a congressional seat before jumping back to Senate.

Interesting to see what Jindal will do in LA now that he has lost a statewide race, then won a congressional seat.  Maybe a run at Mary Landrieu's seat.

not need Ravenel to run against Graham. It could be an open seat.

If McCain wins in 08 Graham will probaly be on the short list for the Vice Presidency. I could see Romney looking at him as well.

If not VP Graham could be a pick for Defense Secretary or Attorney general.

whether Graham gives it up willingly, or not.

Graham could do what Lieberman did in 2000, run for both VP and Senate.

I like the comment about Ravenel making a classy exit.  We could do with more of these.  I particularly like Lamar Alexander's in 2000 "George W Bush earned my respect the old-fashioned way.  He beat me".

Alexander had been very aggressive in campaigning against Bush, but his exit line was an answer to anyone who brought up those nasty quips later.

The only bad development in this is that Ravenel was my top choice for a primary challenge against Lindsey Graham in 2008.

This strange article contains a hearsay quote from Terry Sullivan, campaign manager for Greg Ryberg, Ravenel's opponent for Treasurer who dropped out of the race yesterday:

Furthermore, Sullivan said, Ravenel also told him that he only planned to serve for two years so he could then run against U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, another fellow Republican, in the 2008 primary.

"He said, `Don't worry, Greg can have this in two years,'" Sullivan said.

Don't really know what to make of this, since the article seems to make Sullivan appear quite hostile to Ravenel. Ravenel may not have actually said that.