A one-term governor feels the same pressures - to put themselves into a position to be able to say at the end of their four years that they have accomplished certain things without regard to their long-term sustainability.

He has to get down in the trenches and work for some of these candidates.

Republicans have a problem that is going to be difficult to deal with. What has to happen eventually is, one, one of the two sides is going to lose interest in the battle, or two, they're going to mutually decide, as Democrats have nationally, to agree to disagree on issues that they know they will never agree on, and focus on the things that they can agree on.

They can point to the results of the last two gubernatorial elections and the gains that have been made by Democrats in the House, where the Republican Party is more conservative, and make the point that changes need to be made, and soon.

I actually don't see it happening anytime soon. Virginia, for better or for worse, likes its traditions.

He has to be really careful about how he positions himself to remain in the spotlight. Luckily for him, he has the money to do it. It's one thing if you don't have the resources. It's another thing if you have the resources, and you can make yourself visible. He's going to have to find a way to do that.

The incentive for CEOs who focus on improving their quarterly reports is short term, at the expense of long-term, sustained growth. And so you see things, as we have seen in recent years, where CEOs are more willing to play with the books or make acquisitions that look good in the interim but may detract from the long-term mission.

Right now, neither of the two sides seems to be willing to give in.

What Warner should do is become active in the party and find some cause he tie his name to, something that can give him the national exposure that he needs.