Granted, his popularity’s up — relatively speaking — since he started going toe to toe with Obama on national security, and granted, he’s a change of pace when even Republicans like Alberto Gonzales are making excuses for Eric Holder’s investigation of the CIA. But (a) his net approval rating was still roughly -20 as of May, (b) he told Chris Wallace three days ago that he’s A-OK with CIA agents violating the interrogation rules he and Bush set out for them, and (c) his candidacy would end up being a referendum on the Bush years, which is just about the only way to fire up the liberal base enough to turn out in droves in 2012.

You guys wouldn’t seriously consider him in a three-way race with Romney and Huckabee. Would you?