My guess: in the future Isaac painted, he'll play a Rudy Guiliani role after the explosion goes off in New York, thereby achieving nation wide recognition and popularity, and this will get an offer to run with one of the presidential candidates in the next election - 2008 - as his VP; Linderman makes sure the candidate in question wins the election and then Mr. President has an early death by heart attack or something.

That would work. So, at this point we have Linderman's entire plan hinging on NY going boom. If NY doesn't go boom, his plan starts to fall apart and it'll require even more corrupt wrangling to get Nathan where he wants him. Eeek! Let's hope there's a contingency plan that doesn't send Nathan down a completely dark path...

(Also, observe the illustration of Nathan's priorities to Claire here: Peter dead equals "I don't care about elections", Peter alive, otoh, but long lost daughter returned, equals the election are on again. I mean, he does care, but the pecking order is really Peter, then politics and family in competition and politics often winning.)

I LOVE this about him. That, and he has flings with blondes (Meredith, Niki), but his long term relationship is with a woman with dark hair and hazel eyes... One could say he wanted a girl just like Mama Petrelli, but... ;)

Re: Mohinder Does the man have an unerring instinct for that or what?

He's just like Locke! If the two of them ever meet, they'll cause some kind of implosion (maybe that's what happens to NY...)! :D