"MY Shiny state thing, also too, is bigger than, say, YOUR shiny state thing. You Betcha!"

One thing that everyone at the recent Republican Governors' Association pool party could see is that post a crushing defeat on 11/4/08 the party really has no unifying plan moving forward.

Evidence of this is apparent in the two top Govs. Crist V. Palin. Charlie and Sarah don't agree at all on how to move the GOP forward for the elections in 2010 and 2012.

Crist's message: Racial inclusiveness, bipartisanship and civility offer the clearest path for the GOP's road to recovery.

"It worked in Florida," Crist said. "It could work nationally."

Palin put forward a harder line: Tough adherence to the party's ideological principles.

Republicans, she said, should start on the road back by dogging the Obama administration and Democratic Congress on taxes, health care and energy, making no concessions.

"Now it is time for us to go our own way ... confident in the knowledge that there will be another day. We'll rise to fight again," Palin said.

The occasion was the annual meeting of the Republican Governors Association in Miami.- by By WILLIAM MARCH from TBO.com

Meanwhile the geniuses over at Redstate are calling Palin the "Anti-Crist." (Far be it from me to tell them that this might not be the best use of metaphor... Mr. Gator says not to point things like that out to them as it helps us, but don't worry, they won't understand what I mean anyway.)

It is good to see the GOP taking this post-election opportunity to really examine what they stand for and where they want to go, instead of, say, displaying their infighting and flailing lack of direction on the national stage.

Am I gloating again? Damn straight.