Who Will Rise?

From Peggy Noonan in the Wall Street Journal:
When a party has a president, he's the leader.
Parties out of power, almost by definition, are in search of one. When parties do not hold the White House and Congress they are, of necessity, retooling and reshaping themselves. Leaders of various party factions, being humans in politics and therefore bearing within themselves unsleeping little engines of ambition (that's what Billy Herndon said lay inside his friend, unassuming prairie lawyer Abe Lincoln) will jostle each other for place.
The last time the Republican Party was in this position was 1977-78, after Watergate and the 1976 victory of Jimmy Carter. The Republicans then had no leader of the party, or rather there were a number of leaders: Rep. John Anderson was a leading moderate, Howard Baker was in the Senate, and Rep. Jack Kemp was a promising conservative. Out West, Ronald Reagan, nearing 70, was writing commentaries and contemplating a third presidential run.
No one knew what would happen, who would rise.
No, Peggy.
We didn't know then and we don't know now what will happen or who will rise.
But ideas, movements and leaders now emerge with incredible swiftness.
And conservatism remains vibrant.
Faith, fortitude and a great leader (yet to rise) will show us the way.
Avanti!