Cross-voters

There's been a lot of talk about cross-voters. Supposedly, about a fifth of those who voted for Senator Clinton say they would vote not for Senator Obama but for Senator McCain in the fall.

Are they nuts? How could one person stomach the policies of both Clinton and McCain? Is that racism? Or confusion? Or just insanity? It does seem to support the notion that a sizable minority of the electorate is irrational.

But frankly, irrational or not, I wouldn't worry that Obama's impending nominee status will bleed the Democrats and progressive independents of votes. Just think how many right-wingers are shuffling around and threatening to flee the maverick McCain. Middle of the roaders find a spicy appeal in a maverick or so-called maverick. But ultra-conservatives think a speck of whole-grain in the white bread is sacrilege. If he continues to waffle shifty-eyed a la Pappy Bush, McCain will cost the conservatives plenty. Personal health aside, his unsteady vision thing will cause fractures all over the right side of the electorate -- and perhaps even cause a few red states to turn blue. ("It's the economy, stupid,"rings true again, and only a terrorist attack in the U.S. could change that.)

McCain is starting to make Bob Dole seem like presidential material. Or even Pappy. No wonder the right-wingers liked Reagan so much. He's the only one of them who ever made the past look so good.

Meanwhile, as we speak tonight, farewell Hillary, hello Hope.