Most influential Republicans?

“The Line” is out and for another day this week Cillizza has me thinking. Take a look at his list of Republican Influencers:

10. Jeb Bush: The former Florida governor’s prominent involvement in the first event of the National Council for a New America last weekend speaks to the regard with which he is held in the party as a policy maven. But, with former state House Speaker Marco Rubio — a Bush protege — running for the Senate in 2010, Bush will likely have one eye (at least) on Florida. (Previous ranking 8)

9. Jon Huntsman: Utah is not exactly a hotbed of politicians with national abilities (apologies Senator Hatch) but Huntsman, the state’s governor, is starting to be cited on the national level as the leading edge of an attempt to re-shape (critics would say moderate) the Republican message. Huntsman’s stances on healthcare, the environment and civil unions are far more progressive than might be expected from Utah’s governor. And, Huntsman is clearly positioning for a 2012 run — his travel schedule (a recent trip to Michigan) and his circle of advisers (John Weaver) are obvious examples of his aspirations. (Previous ranking: N/A)

8. Michael Steele: It’s day 99 of Steele’s tenure as the chairman of the Republican National Committee — and he is still dealing with the fallout from his disastrous first few weeks in the office. Steele, smartly, has limited his media appearances recently but we would expect him to re-emerge soon because, despite all of his missteps, he is still potentially one of the Republican party’s best spokesmen. (Previous ranking: N/A)

7. Bobby Jindal: The Louisiana governor’s profile has dipped of late, which is a good thing. Jindal could never sustain the “Republican Barack Obama” moniker for the next three years. It’s even possible that his not-good-at-all Republican response to Obama’s congressional address earlier this year will ultimately be a good thing for Jindal as it effectively lowered expectations for how good he is and can be. We still believe talk of Jindal in 2012 is far-fetched and that he is far more likely as a 2016 candidate but time will tell. (Previous ranking: 10)

6. Mark Sanford: There’s no Republican politician more in line with the anger among the party base toward the increases in government spending under Obama than Sanford. But, Sanford, who has never played well with others — even those within his own party — must find a way to make nice with some of the establishment if he wants to be considered more than a fringe candidate in 2012. (Previous ranking: 3)

5. Eric Cantor: Part of being influential is having the ambition to make yourself a national player. Cantor, the House Minority Whip, has shown ambition in spades over the past five months — throwing himself into almost every political and policy discussion within the party over the first months of the Obama administration. While Cantor’s National Council is derided by some conservatives — and LOTS of Democrats — it’s a start and shows that rather than simply standing in opposition that some within the party are trying to move the policy agenda forward. The criticism we hear of Cantor is that he is moving too fast on too many fronts and might get tripped up as a result. (Previous ranking: 5)

4. Haley Barbour: Barbour, the governor of Mississippi, is, without doubt, the most critical behind-the-scenes strategist in the Republican party at the moment. Barbour’s experience as RNC Chairman during the early 1990s is seen as essential to bringing back the party once again. We’ve written before that one of Barbour’s great strengths within the party is that because he has no further national aspirations he can be a neutral broker among the 2012 candidates. Now, we’re not so sure that Barbour might not take a hard look at 2012 . . . . (Previous ranking: 2)

3. Newt Gingrich: Gingrich’s presence at the White House earlier this week to talk education reform is a recognition that he is the de facto “ideas guy” within the Republican Party. In a party that is widely seen as devoid of any new ideas, that is a powerful place to be. Gingrich’s smarts are unquestioned by strategists in both parties but will his sizable ego get in the way of the obvious good he can do for the GOP? (Previous ranking: 4)

2. Sarah Palin: We just don’t know what to do with the Alaska governor. We’ve ranked her as high as number one on this list and as low as number six (in last month’s Line). Looked at one way, Palin is a disaster — a political team rife with divisions and miscommunication, faltering poll numbers in Alaska and a penchant for winding up on the cover of tabloids. Looked at another, Palin is the prime mover in Republican politics. An example: when Cantor unveiled the National Council for a New America, the first question asked by every reporter was whether Palin was involved and, if not, why not. (She, eventually, said she would be involved.) Palin remains an extremely powerful brand in Republican politics despite her (and her team’s) unwitting attempts to devalue that brand. (Previous ranking: 6)

1. Mitt Romney: The former Massachusetts governor claims the top spot for the third straight Line. Why? He is still the Republican that is the closest the party has to the complete package. Romney can — and does — speak from a position of authority on economic issues and has begun to broaden his criticism of Obama to include the sphere of foreign policy as well. On the political front, Romney is unmatched — he has kept an active presence via his Free and Strong America PAC and continues to travel the country in support of candidates. (Previous ranking: 1)

The very obvious question is whether or not you agree with this list. I’d like to propose putting up a list of NH Influential Republicans and will be taking e-mail submissions over the weekend. After compiling my own list and taking your suggestions into account, I will post the list on Monday, May 11.

Send your emails to Tom@RedHampshire.com