Why Republicans Respect Obama

He beat Clinton for a start, which is more than they have ever managed to do. A longtime Republican reader writes:

Barack Obama has achieved respect from Republicans across the board for one reason; he is on the cusp of a towering political achievement and has done what the Bush Familiy could never do-defeat the Clintons in open combat.

Here is this talented young man, fresh from the Illinois State Senate, taking on the most feared politician in the United States-Hillary Rodham Clinton. Understand that she was feared by Republicans. Obama has made it look easy, and has brought and end to the Clinton/Bush era.

He understood what Bill and Hillary had not, and what all of Karl Rove’s polling had missed - there was a deep yearning for national unity and a restoration of what we had under Eisenhower and Kennedy - a sense of decency and purpose. The Netroots, of course, never got this, so obsessed were they with the Ahab’s Whale that is George W. Bush.

You’ll notice that in the runup to the 2006 midterms so dominated by the Democrats, Obama didn’t cater to their kind of politics.

Huckabee will, in all likelihood, not be our nominee. I suspect that as time goes on, McCain will grow stronger. A JMC/Obama campaign would be good for the country, one conducted between two men who respect each other and respect the opinions of the voters. Republicans would welcome such a campaign rich in ideas and poor in rancor. The two men respect each other.

Do not sell JMC short in such a campaign. He represents an integrity and heroism that simply cannot be denied.