One last thing...

[jducoeur]

It has occurred to me this morning that I've actually started *enjoying* the current race. That hasn't happened in a long time, and it's a delightful change of pace.

Stepping back, it's clearly because, for the first time in a long time, I broadly respect the remaining candidates. With (as always) the notable exception of Romney, I think they're all pretty sincere and principled folks, even the extreme ones. I mean, Ron Paul may be a bit of a nutjob and Huckabee a theocrat, but they both appear to be decent and honest, even if I think they're poorly suited to be President due to tunnel-vision.

And with it looking like McCain will probably coast to the Republican nomination, we're probably left with three plausible candidates, none of whom disgust or terrify me. That's incredibly refreshing. I've been standing in political smog for so many years, I had almost forgotten what a little clean air smells like. There's a very real chance of a final election where I get to vote *for* somebody, instead of simply *against*...

Comments

[fitzw.livejournal.com]

It has occurred to me this morning that I've actually started *enjoying* the current race.

You are a sick, sick man. ;-)

No you're not, not really. As a Radical Moderate (“Death before Extremism!”), I'm happy to see that there have been some candidates that aren’t at the extreme ends of the political spectrum.

[As for being a ‘Radical Moderate’, that's a joke, son, I say, a joke.]

[laurion]

I'm enjoying the fact that it really feels like a race, and not the usual cage match until candidates drop by TKO.

Terror

[metageek.livejournal.com]

three plausible candidates, none of whom disgust or terrify me.

A theocrat doesn't terrify you?

Re: Terror

[dreda.livejournal.com]

Wait - which one of McCain, Clinton, and Obama is the theocrat? Am I not doing enough reading?

Re: Terror

[jducoeur]

I don't perceive Huckabee as plausible. I could be wrong, sure, but I'm figuring that the bulk of the Republican party isn't dumb enough to nominate him. He may have looked good last night, but the fact is that he's still only got a third the delegates that McCain does. He'll continue to be strong in the evangelical states, but I doubt he's going to win, even if Romney drops out. He's *certain* not to win so long as he and Romney are splitting the fanatical conservatives.

(Actually, there *is* a legitimate concern here: while I think it's still unlikely that he'll wind up the Presidential candidate, he could wind up the VP candidate. I don't think it's the likeliest outcome, since it would weaken McCain's ticket, but it could happen.)

And if you're referring to McCain as a theocrat, I simply don't agree. Yes, he's a conservative, but not a particularly unusual one, and I find it unlikely that he's going to go to bat for most theocratic causes -- broadly speaking, that doesn't match his Senatorial record...

Re: Terror

[metageek.livejournal.com]

I don't perceive Huckabee as plausible.

Ah, I misunderstood. You said, And with it looking like McCain will probably coast to the Republican nomination, we're probably left with three plausible candidates—I took that to mean three plausible Republicans (and Huckabee is in third place). Looking at it again, that's clearly not what you said.