While Johnson will likely recover enough to return to perhaps part time Senate duties, will he be well enough to run again when his term expires in 2009?
Which raises several interesting questions. Might Stephanie Herseth challenge Johnson in a Democratic primary? If not, how big a sympathy vote might Johnson (who has very high approval ratings in his home state) receive in the general election? I would expect family members would probably campaign on his behalf. How much backlash might there be towards a Republican who has to run against an incapacitated or not fully recovered Sen. Johnson? It would certainly be an unorthodox campaign in many ways.