Dear Democrat strategists, the GOP already has a clearly defined critical path to Election 2012

Dear Democrat strategists,

How long ago must the election of 2008 seem where none could stand between your candidate and the highest office in the land.

Whilst mired in a health care reform many are sceptical of, public prosecution of a leading investment bank with spurious evidence and a conflict in a place where no Great Power has claimed meaningful or lasting victory your political opponents nearer home have a clear route to making your Presidency but a single term in length.

1. MId term elections 2010: As the Washington Post reported, the GOP are targeting three key Senate seats; the seats of the President, Vice-President and Majority Leader which will be highly symbolic and take full advantage of the protest vote.

2. Keep your political support base on the boil: Sarah Palin's role in the next election might well be as a stalking horse seeking to itch to a future President's wagon or Cabinet however she is using her name recognition and charisma out on the lecture and speaking circuit. Expect some intruiging language (can she top Charlton Heston ?) in her headline address at the National Rifle Association's annual conference in North Carolina on May 14, 2010. Mitt Romney is meanwhile busy courting the traditional power-base of the Republican Party endorsing candidates for 2010 (and therefore himself for 2012?).

3. Celebrate Past Success and galvanise support: 100 years since the birth of former President and Republican icon Ronald Reagan is due in 2011. Expect events and positioning of the Party and prospective candidates plus the California celebrations will represent the close of Govenor Arnold Schwartznegger's period in office - if only the USA would relax their laws to let him run as a candidate in 2012...

4. Have a clear election platform: A 2012 GOP election platform will likely be based on the following themes;

- Taxes and roll-back of Government.
- End the commitment to Afghanistan and bring the troops home.
- Stop interfering in Wall Street - reform could be damaging for the Democrats and seen to errode American competitiveness in the global economy.
- Pick up the renewable energy baton from the Democrats and wrap together entrepreneurship and innovation messages.
- Over-turn health care reforms which are overly complex - and then leave well alone.