It seems Republican South Dakota Senator John Thune (pronounced "tune", I think) is considering a 2012 presidential bid. While still largely unknown nationally, I've noticed his increasing presence through the eight years he's served in the senate. He's currently the Minority Whip and you often seeing him standing behind Minority Leader Mitch McConnell when he, McConnell, is addressing the press. He is presently seeking reelection to the senate and that will no doubt effect his decision to run for president.
Thune achieved national attention by defeating then Democrat Minority Leader Tom Daschle in 2004 after having very narrowly lost a senate bid two years before to Democrat Tim Johnson. In the 2002 race there were strong suspicions of voting irregularities that angered conservatives both statewide and nationally. As a result, when he ran again in 2004, this time against a very prominent Democrat, the race received national attention and Thune used that attention to appeal for funds more broadly. I sent him a small check then and have remained on his list ever since. (Once they know you, they never forget you.) The tenacity of those mailing appeals over the years have always kept me wondering about his larger ambitions, and, well, I guess I was right.
Anyway, check him out and keep your eye on him. I mean, who had ever heard of Barak Obama until just a few years ago?
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