Just two short years ago Bill Frist was clearly in the mix of contenders to become the Republican nominee for president in 2008. However, as President Bush's popularity fell and frustrations mounted with the Republican Congress throughout 2005 and 2006, Mr. Frist's position as Senate Majority Leader became much more of a liability than an asset to his presidential aspirations.

Mr. Frist recognized his weakened position and instead of forging ahead with an embarrassing and anemic White House run, he wisely pulled the plug. However, recent reports in such newspapers as The Tennessean and The Hill suggest Mr. Frist has turned his eyes to the Tennessee governorship in 2010 -- an office that would provide a considerably more attractive and effective platform from which to launch a run for the White House in 2016 or 2020.

Mr. Frist, whose life story points to a man who is intensely driven and focused, appears to be taking a disciplined approach in his quest for the biggest prize in politics. His name ID and personal wealth would make him a near-lock for the Republican nomination for governor in 2010 and would place him in a very strong position to win the general election and replace term-limited Democrat Phil Bredesen. Even given the increasingly earlier start time for modern-day presidential campaigns, 2012 might be too soon for a White House run by Mr. Frist, but 2016 or 2020 would work very well.

And the governorship would be better suited to Mr. Frist's political strengths: It's easier to be the chief executive of a state than to manage the competing influences and egos in the U.S. Senate. The move would also give Mr. Frist time to distance himself from the Bush administration and the recent Republican Congressional Majority. Perhaps most importantly, Mr. Frist would be 65 years old in 2016 and conceivably might have more appeal on the campaign trail as an older Southern gentleman as opposed to a handsome and maybe too ambitious pol. With 12 years in the Senate (including four as Majority Leader) and two terms as governor of a growing and increasingly important state, Governor Frist might see a path to the White House that a Senator Frist never could.