Following the defeat of the GOP in the executive and legislative elections, introspection begins within the Republican Party.

Politico reports:

Votes are still being counted in some races in last Tuesday’s election, but no matter: talk of the potential Republicans field in the 2012 presidential election is already underway.

Too early?

Too bad – just look around.

Two potential candidates will be in Iowa before month’s end, multiple prospects – almost certainly including Sarah Palin – will make high-profile appearances next week at the Republican Governor’s Association (RGA) meeting and Newt Gingrich’s name has already being floated in a Bob Novak column.

For a party anxious to move past a brutal election up and down the ballot, and especially a presidential campaign they’d just as soon forget, it’s not too soon to start thinking about ‘next time,’ as the pros call it.

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See also: The Republican circular firing squad begins, by Sunny Hundal