Chris Cillizza notices that the Republicans managed to avert disaster at the gubernatorial level on Tuesday, re-electing the Republican governors targeted by the DNC in key states.  Despite losing Indiana and Vermont to Barack Obama, the GOP managed to hold onto the executive positions.  The Republican Governors Association recommends that the party look outside the Beltway for its future leadership:

One of the few bright spots for Republicans on Tuesday came at the state level where all four incumbent GOP governors won reelection, including Indiana’s Mitch Daniels and Vermont’s Jim Douglas, who were targeted by national Democrats. (Not all was hunky-dory for Republicans at the gubernatorial level, however, as they lost open seat races in Missouri and North Carolina and failed to out Washington Gov. Christine Gregoire.)

In the wake of Tuesday’s election Republican Governors Association executive director Nick Ayers insisted that the best — and perhaps only — way for the GOP to rise again was to look to the states.

“For two years I’ve said we will not win back control on the House or Senate or maintain control of the White House until we first re-establish our party at the state level and build it around governors,” said Ayers. “Today that’s never been more clear.”

If that’s true, then who are the nascent leaders that the GOP needs to tap?  Cillizza picks five, in ascending order:

• Haley Barbour
• Mark Sanford
• Sarah Palin
• Tim Pawlenty
• Bobby Jindal

I’m a little surprised to see Mitt Romney’s name off of this list.  He’s not a governor now, but Mark Sanford won’t be governor for much longer, either.  Romney has the economic savvy to speak to the crisis facing the US now, and while he may not have excited the base had he been nominated, Romney would have provided a trustworthy figure on economic policy in the aftermath of the collapse.

Having said that, this does look like a line-up that Republicans can enthusiastically support.  In 2012, Jindal might be on his second term with a solid record of reform in a state that desperately needs it.  If he can clean up the political sewer that is Louisiana state politics in four years, he could be a formidable candidate against Barack Obama, especially if Obama keeps appointing people like Rahm Emanuel to high-ranking positions.

Sarah Palin can also come back strong in 2012.  Right now, she has to shake off the small-minded idiots who think they can protect themselves from criticism over McCain’s losing campaign through catty gossip.  Once that’s accomplished and the gossips exposed for what they are, she can take a leadership position in national politics, especially on energy and reform.  The Republican base clearly loves Palin, and she will have the name recognition needed to run as the first woman in either party to top a national ticket.

Sanford will have to find something significant to do after 2010 if he wants to remain relevant.  He’s terrific, as I have experienced first-hand, at espousing real libertarian-conservative values.  He probably should have run this year, being in his second term as Governor in South Carolina, but decided against it.  Too bad; I think he could have won the nomination.

Barbour is a mystery to me on this list.  He’s a good governor, but he hasn’t really asserted himself as a party leader outside of his state.  His skillful work during Hurricane Katrina went largely unnoticed because of the disaster in New Orleans, and maybe Barbour missed his shot.  If the GOP wants national leadership, it looks like Jindal, Palin, and Romney have passed Barbour in those sweepstakes.

One other name might arise during the next four years: Matt Blunt.  The young governor of Missouri decided against a run for re-election, but he remains popular and also does a good job in campaigning for conservative values.  If the GOP can get him back from his “sabbatical” in the private sector, they will be pleasantly surprised.

Update: I know that Sanford is governor of South Carolina, not NC, and still has two years left — just had a strange combination of brain fade this afternoon.  Thanks to Brian for correcting me.  And Barbour was RNC chair at one time, but that was more than ten years ago.