Handicapping the Race for Kristol's Times Slot

At the New York Times op-ed page, William Kristol is out; that leaves a spot open for another conservative to keep David Brooks company, writes Michael Calderone in Politico. Times editor Andy Rosenthal wouldn’t comment, but Calderone has guesses on a replacement:

1. David Frum: The former Bush speechwriter and National Review contributing editor is working on reinventing the GOP at NewMajority.com. 

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2. Byron York and Megan McArdle: Rosenthal has praised these two publicly. York is a National Review righty, McArdle a libertarian who writes for the Atlantic. Both appear regularly on BloggingHeads.tv on the Times website.
3. Ross Douthat: Also at the Atlantic, and only 30, Douthat’s fierce pro-life views won’t please the Upper West Side, but his new book on the GOP’s future, Grand New Party, was widely praised.
4. Peggy Noonan: Reagan administration and Wall Street Journal veteran garnered wide praise for her performance in 2008.
5. Rush Limbaugh: Not too likely, but conservative blogger Patrick Ruffini is pushing him as a challenge to elite sensibilities.

(Read more William Kristol stories.)