Surprising?

At least it is to me, but according to the recent head-to-head polls pitting McCain vs. Clinton or McCain vs. Obama, McCain leads in both matchups (by 9 points over Obama and 5 over Clinton).

The negativity in the late-stage battles between the Dems may be to blame and it may not last...in fact we can expect the usual ups and downs in polls in upcoming months leading up to conventions and the November election. But considering the prevailing opinion in the media and generally, this is a pleasant surprise.

Undoubtedly this is in part due to McCain's strength among independents, but it does not tell us what the conservative base will do and how motivated they are. This will be a critical factor for him in the fall.

And I still have the same areas of concern I had about McCain all along. That said, compared to the Democrats and on the most critical issues of the war on terror, the economy and national debt and expenditures, and the Supreme Court, I trust McCain far more than Clinton or Obama.

McCain v. the Democrats' Victimhood

An interesting post to the National Review's "Corner" blog mentions the challenge right now with Obama, in that nearly every challenge or question presented to his candidacy is derided on the basis of being racist/insensitive. As this post suggests, Clinton is even being out-Clintoned by all this!

Perhaps, VDH suggests, McCain may be a proper antidote to some of this:

"McCain may become a proper antidote for all this. Unlike the verbose Michelle Obama, he really has suffered in his life; unlike Barack Obama he really has reached across the aisle and paid a price for it; and unlike Obama's promises of transparency, he really does talk in specifics and bluntly rather than in mellifluous platitudes. And as for an against-the-odds candicacy, in postmodern America a 71-year-old survivor of communist torture and malignant melonoma seems to match the narrative of a young Ivy-League graduate of mixed ancestry."

Clinton Makes It a Race Again

Hillary did finally win Texas also, which gave her 3 of the 4 states voting yesterday, including the "big two." I don't think it erases all Obama's momentum, nor does it give a big swing to Hillary going forward, but it does make it a race again, when it was starting to look like Obama would roll.

So, for the Dems it will continue to be a dog fight. I find it interesting that according to a number of media accounts, Obama was finally asked some tough questions by the media this week (he really hasn't been up to now), and it did seem to swing some support away from him and to Hillary. That may indicate Obama has some real weaknesses and has come this far mostly on an emotional wave of support. Emotional waves do have a way of cresting at some point.

It all remains to be seen and is very fluid.

For the Republicans, we won't be on the front cover much for a bit since McCain has clinched the nomination now, but it's a time to do behind-the-scenes raising of money, and planning, and consolidating of support. I'm sure McCain will also continue to take pot shots at the Democrats. ;-)

McCain Clinches the Republican Nomination

McCain swept the four primaries held today: Texas, Ohio, Rhode Island, and Vermont. That puts him over the top in terms of delegates needed to clinch the nomination. Huckabee finally conceded the race.

Not that it really means much, but in terms of "moral victories" Romney will end up second place in the delegate count, still ahead of Huckabee despite Huckabee having stayed in the race longer.

The Democrats still will not have their race decided today. Clinton has won Ohio and Rhode Island. Obama wins Vermont. Texas as of right now is still too close to call, though Clinton has a very tiny lead. Particularly if she wins Texas, she will still be in the race.

More Coming...

Sorry no recent posts the past few days - I've been out of town. More on the series looking at McCain v. Obama to come in the next few days though!