McCain and Hillary in 2008

I think it Is almost all but settled that Senators McCain and Clinton will be the two nominees for president duking it out in 2008, assuming they both decide to run.

Conservatives may not like McCain that much, but they'll back him since he really is the best shot the Republicans have of capturing enough of the Centrist and Independent votes to win.

Ditto for Senator Clinton, but coming from the liberal side of the Centrists and Independents.

Personally I could live with either as president. Nominally I vote Democrat and would vote for Hillary in a McCain/Clinton "battle", but if Hillary declines to run or gets a running mate with little or no Centrist credentials, I could switch to McCain.

I am at a loss to come up with two runner-up candidates who would be anywhere near as strong and competent as these two. Either would make a good solid president and restore some sense of dignity to the office.

That doesn't mean that I would be likely to agree with most of either candidate's policies, but at least I wouldn't feel that I had no "ownership" in their leadership or feel that more than half of the American voters felt that left out of the political process.

-- Jack Krupansky