This hardly qualifies as a diary, more like a comment. Just wanted to share a recent experience. I'll throw in a poll to give it some meat.
While visiting my elderly dad in Tennesseee, I was treated to a treatise by a couple of locals (white males) on Clinton versus Obama.
They are convinced Obama was raised Muslim, and explained to me how Osama bin Laden has promised to strike us "from within." With respect to Clinton, on the other hand, they opined that maybe a woman would be ok because she wouldn't be trying to "kill kill kill" all the time.
I know thinking like this is incomprehensible to most readers of this blogsite, but then I'll wager most of you have never lived in the Bible belt. So what does this have to do with McCain/Huckabee? Just that the two of them would present a likeable (in Huckabee's case) and strong (in McCain's case) alternative that the Republicans would sell as compassionate conservatism (what a lot of people thought they were voting for in GWB).
Also, we should all be aware that just as Hillary and Barack are emphasizing their anti-war credentials in the primary and will moderate rightward in the general, savvy people understand that John is doing the same in reverse. No way will McCain keep us in Iraq for 100 years. He's just saying that to bring in the rightwing fringes. In fact, historically speaking it's a warmonger who can end wars (Nixon/Kissinger ending Vietnam & going to China, same thing with Moshe Dyan -- I think -- in Israel) because he's not suspected of being "weak".
I don't need any flames on this, ok? All I'm saying is, "mark my words." If you have reasoned arguments or refuting evidence, please send 'em along. Otherwise, don't waste space on KOS storage devices.