George,

Predictions are usually dangerous (I once told my wife that there was no way the American people could elect Ronald Reagan president), but I believe George Allen has no political future. He lost his huge lead over Webb in part because of revelations of what kind of person he has been and still is. Those revelations were incomplete. Should he ever run for public office again I'm sure he would be confronted by wide publicity that would reveal in great detail his history as a bully, a bigot, a polished prevaricator, and a one-time wife abuser. Much of the evidence for all of these characteristics has already surfaced, but there is much more. He is clearly dead as a presidential candidate (an astonishing idea to begin with).

As for the John Warner Senate seat in '08 my hope is that Mark Warner will run for and win it. He would not have to move his home and he could still have plenty of family time. Two Virginia Democrats in the Senate would be, as they say, a good thing.

Paul Gaston (Electronic mail, November 11, 2006)

Editor's Note: An index to coverage of George Allen on the Loper website may be found at http://loper.org/~george/archives/2006/Aug/925.html