I'm an right of center independent who really wants McCain. If I can't have him then I'll vote for Hillary, a person I swore I'd never vote for and personally can't stand but I've listened to her over the past few years. While I don't like everything she says and has done at least she has been consistent, unlike others in her party like Pelosi who I've listened to in public and then at a convention where she went way left of left which I believe most of the democratic candidates really stand. Yea I know Pelosi isn't running but whoever is President will have to deal with her. You have to listened to her when she thinks only the dems are listening. Gives some insight into the scary side of that party.

I believe McCain when he says something. I believe Hillary has changed her tune to court the votes and will change back if elected. I also believe these two can be more than a match for Pelosi and the other left / right nut jobs in the congress.

If it's not McCain or Hillary then I'll vote republican no matter what. Bush may have poisoned the waters but I'll still vote for the lesser of the two evils and with what's left over it's the republican.

I would hope that Rudy Giuliani could make it as the candidate in your senerio. My primary reason is his continued position on fear, 9/11 and the rest of the world. If he could be soundly defeated, it may show the rest of the world that we are not a bunch of blood-thirsty imperialists hiding in our corner waiting for another excuse to beat another country to a pulp. Forrest Gump's mom had it right - "stupid is as stupid does" - and allowing Rudy to run this country for four years is really stupid.

Trading cowboy diplomacy for mafia diplomacy will sink the US faster than you can say "fugidaboudit".

My easy-win vote goes to Giuliani because he's going to get trashed on both fronts. His cold-war rhetoric and hawkish opinions on Iran alone will keep democrats voting for whoever's against him, but what's going to really hurt him is his own party. Even if the many scandals blow over (which they won't), the religious right will not stand for a pro-choice gay-tolerant president. They will either get a spoiler 3rd party or just not show up at polls.

The evangelical church is certainly a stain on a political image nowadays (thanks, Pat Robertson), but even Barack Obama gave Huckabee a compliment when asked to name a GOP candidate that he thought was a decent guy. People think that exposing him as a religious ideologue will make him a piece of cake to beat. But no, no, people thinking that are in for a big surprise - because most democrats actually ARE tolerant of all religions, some could look past the church and find a reasonable guy behind it all.

How about Ron Paul? He is the front-runner in the Republican race, the best candidate the GOP has to offer, and the one that will probably win the nomination. I may go for Obama in the general election, but I would love to have a Ron Paul to counter the hawkish Hillary in case she pulls it off. Get rid of these hawks on both sides, and recognize the benefits of a foreign policy of peace.

Obama/Kucinich or Paul/Hagel in 2008!

Well written, enjoyable article. However, I don't agree. Huckabee is no moderate, and I wouldn't want to trust the world's future to a man who believes civilization started 6000 years ago. A man who denied an abortion to a mentally retarded girl who had been raped by her stepfather. He made that decision on HIS best interests, and he also released convict Drumond because Drumond converted to Christianity and convinced gullible,religious Huck he was good. Then Drumond killed two women soon after release. (Huck blamed this on Clinton in a recent interview.)
As to Guiliani, he's next best thing to a mobster, and Romney is fighting his Morman battle. Face it, Republicans have a weak slate. Where is Ross Perot when you need him?

Hmmm...as one of those Secular Atheists that Romney is warning everyone about, I have to admit that come Election Day, I will be forced to cast my vote for a Believer (or, at least someone who SAYS they are a Believer), and THAT'S OK.

Why? Democracy is about compromise. One should not expect one to get everything one wants. Most of the folks running for office are qualified, at a minimum level. If they also have an invisible friend who tells them what to do, I can only hope it is a nice invisible friend. Most people have these invisible friends, and most of them are fine folks.

That said, an informed electorate is vital to the long-term survival of this nation, and the coup-d'etat of 2000 and election of 2004 show that there are a lot of people in this country that need to pay more attention to what's going on, their invisible friends notwithstanding.

For the record, we Atheists don't want "god" out of the public space...we want it out of the GOVERNMENT space.