THE BURNED OVER DISTRICT

Now that the current clown car full of presidential candidates is obviously impressing no one, the second line is considering stepping up to fill in the yawning gap. Various governors are making the necessary rumblings prior to throwing their hats in the ring.

Think the Republican field is already crowded? Better find more room, because the roster of potential candidates for the GOP presidential nomination may grow even more.

New Hampshire Republicans heard from 18 people who are or may be running this weekend. Two others didn’t attend.

It probably didn’t matter, because when the marathon ended, no one could claim momentum. And no one could reliably say what the primary ballot will look like.

Prominent party figures barely known outside their home states are weighing bids. Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder and former Maryland Gov. Robert Ehrlich are thinking about it. Snyder loyalists have set up a fund that so he can travel and boast about his battered state’s economic comeback. Ehrlich, who won the governorship in heavily Democratic Maryland, has made several visits to New Hampshire in recent months.

Others are being mentioned in insider circles. Indiana Gov. Mike Pence’s prospects sank during the recent flap over Indiana’s religious liberty law, but he still has fans among conservatives. Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval, who’s won two terms in a state that’s been trending Democratic, has also been mentioned, though more as a potential vice presidential pick.

This muddled, still-emerging field is the result of an unusual convergence of political influences. Republicans for years have given their nomination to the next in line, often a runner-up in the previous cycle or a vice president. This time, “there’s no heir apparent,” said Steve Duprey, the state’s Republican national committeeman.

There is a widespread feeling that Republicans have a good shot at winning the White House. Only once since World War II has the same party won the presidency more than twice in a row – Republicans in 1980, 1984 and 1988.

So GOP activists have two broad standards for picking a candidate: They want someone reliably conservative. And, “I want a winner,” said Tanja Owen, an Amherst marketing director. It’s a sentiment echoed repeatedly.

Having run their states into the ground, they have the necessary party cred, but do they have the approval of their particular invisible sky demon? Rumor says that is what Ohio's John Kasich is waiting for.