I was not happy when John McCain clearly became the Republican nominee. I was rooting so hard for Giuliani or Romney because the Democrats could have nominated my three year old son and won the presidency. While McCain is certainly beatable, he will be a challenge.
But I recently realized that there is a big plus to McCain's nomination and I haven't seen it discussed anywhere. If McCain loses, the Republicans could be set back for a generation.
I was not happy when John McCain clearly became the Republican nominee. I was rooting so hard for Giuliani or Romney because the Democrats could have nominated my three year old son and won the presidency. While McCain is certainly beatable, he will be a challenge.
But I recently realized that there is a big plus to McCain's nomination and I haven't seen it discussed anywhere. If McCain loses, the Republicans could be set back for a generation. Limbaugh and the theocons will scream "I told you so!" Their argument will be that by nominating someone to the left of Attilla the Hun, the party ensured itself defeat.
This will of course, be the absolutely wrong conclusion but I think it will resonate in Republican circles. I think it also explains why Huckabee is smart to stay in the race. He's running for the 2012 nomination. He will become the logical person for the theocons to turn to, and the economic conservatives in the party will be powerless to respond.
Even if it is not Huckabee, the Republican party will surely veer rightward in the wake of a McCain defeat. And that is nothing but good news for the Democrats.