A Potentially Winning Gambit for a 2012 Republican Presidential Candidate?

I've been thinking about a truly ground-breaking approach to the presidential election that could be taken by a current Republican- or, for that matter, Democratic- governor.

Admittedly, yesterday, the guy I most identified with this approach, South Carolina's Mark Sanford, removed himself from consideration when he admitted publicly to a year-long affair with a woman from Argentina.

Never the less, here's my idea.

Imagine a governor like Minnesota's Tim Pawlenty or Mississippi's Haley Barbour running on the promise that, if elected, they will work against the steadily-growing power of the president and Congress, and with state governors and legislatures, to convene a Constitutional Convention as soon as practical. By throwing the weight of the presidency behind this step, it would much more likely occur within his four year term than it otherwise ever could.

Building on the increasing size of the segment of voters which are neither registered Republicans, nor Democrats, and increasing voter frustration with the non-responsiveness of the federal government, such a candidate might well gain broad and fervent support.

Consider that, when the Constitution was created, it was the product of 13 states. The states' existences predated and allowed the subsequent drafting of rules for, and the creation of a federal government. The latter is a concept born of the former.

It's unlikely that today's federal government would be recognizable by the Framers of the Constitution. It has nearly completely overrun states' rights and limits on its power.

I contend that a candidate who ran on the express theme of facilitating a Constitutional Convention to revise the pact to explicitly strip the federal government of ad hoc powers, limit its future power, and insert needed modifications for the modern era, e.g., term limits, staff size limits, campaign finance remedies, prohibition of non-cabinet administration officials with significant budgets or power, and new eligibility rules for Congress, would offer voters a truly fresh, positive and meaningful alternative to the tired old, similar platforms of the two current parties.

How refreshing if a presidential candidate promised to focus on Constitutional reform, and then leave office, regardless of which term it occurred. A candidate who ran to return power to the states, and limit the government of which he would be head.

I think it would be unbeatable. Even some in Congress would probably be forced to support her/him, or lose their own local races.