In a report on "Democracy in America," the Economist interviewed David Frum, a former speechwriter for George Bush and founder of NewMajority.com, a political website devoted to "building a conservatism that can win again."

Frum says the GOP must build a reputation of good governance at the state level and offer alternatives to Obama's policies. To meet the first challenge, he sees hope in Republican governors, including Utah's Jon Huntsman:

We are seeing some good results from a: the examples set by Jon Huntsman in Utah, Charlie Crist in Florida and Bobby Jindal in Louisiana head the list.

As to b, however, the results are not so good. On the $800 billion stimulus and now on the multi-trillion-budget, Republicans have made clear what they oppose, but not what they favour.

Rather than offer a grab bag of tax measures as our substitute stimulus, we should have rallied to a payroll tax holiday: a clear and powerful single alternative idea. Instead of fighting the science on climate change, we should champion nuclear power against the Obama administration's preference for costly, subsidized wind and solar power.

The Tribune examines the political future of Huntsman and fellow-Mormon Mitt Romney. John Green, a fellow at the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life, says their faith is sure to be an issue in any presidential run:

If you have two Mormons in the race, one could imagine you're diluting whatever religious opposition there might be. On the other hand, it could magnify that.

The Deseret News offers an op-ed piece on Romney's challenge of political "renewal."