Right where he wants to be.

Per this new Gallup poll, 98% of Republicans prefer someone other than Haley Barbour as their nominee. And that's a good thing.

While anyone with any sense recognizes the rest of the names are unacceptable nominees for one reason or another, Barbour even getting his name mentioned at this point is a good thing. Any guess where Bill Clinton, another southern Governor, was 3 and a half years before the 1992 election?

Exactly.

Being mentioned in polls such as this one draws notice by those that matter when you're two years from revving up your campaign - major party activists, leaders and fundraisers. The importance of high Gallup numbers this early rates about as high as whether I'll have the #6 or #1 from Wendy's this afternoon.

Make no mistake, 2012 will be about one thing - a referendum on Barack Obama and the Democrat-controlled Congress. But that doesn't mean the GOP needs to nominate someone that simply satisfies the constitutional citizen and age requirements. They need to introduce America to a new candidate, not a retread, with a proven and successful record. They need someone who can articulate the failures of the President. They need someone who will be aggressive and connect with the American people.

Of all the people on Gallup's list, Haley Barbour is the only one who satisfies those requirements.