Sitting around last night in a room full of conservative intellectuals at leisure, the question came up: Setting aside your own preferences, whom do you believe will actually be sworn in as President in 2009?

Only two people ventured confident answers, with full supporting arguments. Those answers were:

1. Al Gore

2. Hillary Clinton.

This is a case against either (a) the current strength of the field, or (b) conservative intellectuals. Go figure.