Poll: Who Should Replace Kristol at the 'Times'?

George Bush isn't the only Republican who could be out of a job come January. Rumors are pinging around the blogosphere that The New York Times isn't inclined to renew the one-year contract of William Kristol, the neo-conservative Weekly Standard editor and ubiquitous talk show presence. The Times hired Kristol to write a weekly op-ed column at the end of 2007. (A Times spokeswoman says, "We don't discuss personnel matters such as contract renewals.")

Why might the Times give up on Kristol? Oh, gosh, so many reasons. But it can't help that he pissed on the paper that publishes his polemics during a recent Daily Show appearance.

If Kristol does go, it seems fairly certain that the paper will give his slot to another conservative rather than steepen the page's already marked leftward tilt. Below, I've listed a few writers who, although armed with impeccable Republican credentials, have shown the independence of thought that Kristol so glaringly lacks: Wall Street Journal columnist and former Reagan speechwriter Peggy Noonan; Grand New Party author and blogger Ross Douthat; Time columnist and former McCain advisor Mike Murphy; and Sarah Palin-hating National Review* columnist Kathleen Parker. Pick your favorite, or offer a write-in vote in the comments.

And should the Times decide it had basically the right idea with Kristol, there's always Karl Rove.

-----
*Correction: The original version of this article incorrectly put Kathleen Parker at the National Journal. The link to her column was correct.