kane

I actually think just the opposite. I think the republicans want Hillary. Here is why:

1. the religious right pretty much controls the fate of the republican party. Without the support the republican's don't win many elections. They don't like McCain and are on records as saying they will not support him. Without there support he is in trouble. Need proof of that, look at the election in 2006. The religious right turned their back on the party and it cost the republicans the house and senate. They might not vote for the democrat, they just won't vote.

2. If the religious right don't like McCain the only thing you can say for sure is that they hate the Clintons even more. If it were Hillary that got the nomination the religious right might support McCain out of spite and simply as a way to stop Hillary from winning. If it is Obama there is a strong chance they will not support McCain.

3. Sure the dems are tearing at Obama now, but if he wins the nomination suddenly it will be a love fest. Look at the Republicans. They attacked McCain and now talk like he is their best friend. That is just politics.

4. McCain, if he decides to sling mud, better be ready for a landslide. You don't stay in the Senate as long as he has and not had bad votes, bad decisions and stupid bills. This is one of the things that happened John Kerry. He spent half his campaign defending his senate records. McCain may very well find the same. This is one of the advantages Obama's lack of experience may bring him. He has fewer skeletons in the closet.

5. If the worst thing the Republicans can find on Obama is to try to make people think he is a Muslim they are in trouble. If you are paying attention to the race you can see that those tactics are backfiring on Hillary. She supposedly releases that picture of Obama and says he is a Muslim and is now under fire for doing it and it seems to be working against her. He was trailing by almost double digits in Ohio and Texas just a few weeks ago and today it is pretty much dead even.

6. It is a classic match-up. You have a the traditional old white guy for the republicans and you have a young, charismatic guy for the democrats. The republicans have had a good run. They have been in power for a while. Politics goes in cycles and once a party has been in power for a little while they get bloated and arrogant and the people get sick of them and vote them out. That is what is happening right now. There is a nationwide republican backlash and many people want something different. An Obama/McCain race would give them a clear choice. Choose to stick with the republican standard issue, or go with someone that is very different.

7. The democrats are seeing records turnouts at their elections. Recently in Wisconsin abut 400K people turned out to vote in the republican primary. 1.2 million democrats have turned out. It has been that way in many of the primaries. The republicans have always banked on low turnouts because they know their base will be there. They can't count on that base now and these big democrat numbers have to worry them.

8. McCain continues to give speeches in front a few hundred people. On rare occasion he speaks to a few thousand. Obama is a rock star. He shows up anywhere and 15,000+ show up to hear him. It is a long time until the election in November, but that kind of momentum will be hard to beat. If McCain can't get the support of the religious right and Obama is able to activate the hippy liberal left and actually get them out to the polls on election day, McCain is done.

Anyway, sorry for the long post. just my 2 cents, I don't think it is as cut and dry as a lot of people think it is.