Will a Conservative Run for President?

With the departure of Bill Frist from the 2008 presidential race, John Hinderaker notes that no mainstream conservative candidates appear poised to enter the race. John McCain has voted along conservative lines for most of his career, but has sometimes deviated from conservative orthodoxy in recent years. Neither George Romney nor Rudolph Giuliani can be described as consistently conservative, though Romney may come closer.

Frist always has struck me as more conservative pragmatist than consistent conservative, but Hinderaker is right that no leading conservative voice has emerged. Hinderaker is correct that Newt Gingrich packs far too much baggage to take on the mantel. If anyone else is to step forward, it will have to be within the next 6 months, given the fund raising realities of modern campaigns. Even so, one senses that some unexpected candidate has yet to be heard from.

Any thoughts as to who that might be?