Recent events indicate more and more that John McCain will be the Republican nominee.  The conservative base of the republican party is beginning the process of swallowing this very bitter pill.  Reports are circulating that the base is attemping to coalesce around what is shaping up to be a fait accompli.  The question for democrats is who is most electable against McCain.  Both republicans and democrats agree that McCain’s best chance of winning the White House in 2008 is with Clinton as the domocratic nominee.  Most are speculating that in a McCain-Clinton matchup, McCain would win and therefore the winner is determined at the outset of the race.  According to recent statements by McCain, I think he agrees.  Most republican and democrats believe that Obama will be a much better general election candidate because of his message and his huge draw of independents.  I have noticed that the media and other operatives are framing the match-up as McCain-Clinton.  Is this because they believe that we are the same unengaged, gullible, electorate of yesteryear?  An electorate that falls in line with whatever the pundits and media outlets profess? No no no, just because you say it louder doesn’t make it so.  In such a volatile race, anyone who can state definitively that it will be between two specific candidates, I question their/its motives.  Especially considering the extraordinary unpredictability of this race.  Therefore, whenever I hear such statements, I am immediately suspicious of the person or outlet. Recently, I heard an interview where Pat Buchanan stated that Hillary Clinton will be the democratic nominee.  I think that I heard this on the day that Teddy Kennedy endorsed Barack Obama.  In the midst of all the excitement surrounding what has been lauded as a historic moment, Buchanan still maintained that Clinton will be the nominee.  One might think that he was working for the Clinton campaign considering that at every opportunity, regardless of how well Obama is doing at the time, he insists that Clinton will be the nominee.  Now, I tend to be a little suspicious of life-long militant conservatives, who are so far to the right they’re left, pushing or helping a particular democratic candidate.  So I ask Mr. Buchanan…why are you pushing a Clinton candidacy so vigorously?  Especially because during Bill Clinton’s time in office, you were probably their most outspoken critic.  Guess what, we are on to you this time.  The tail will not wag this dog.  Electability is the order of the day. We will vote for the most electable person that best represents America’s possibilities.  If we are democrat, we will push forward, and vote for, the candidate who has the least baggage, and has the greatest chance of beating possible republican nominee John McCain.  If we are republican, we will push forward, and vote for, the person that can best face up to the democrats.  All in all, and most importantly, we will elect the person who can bring us together as a nation and repair our image with our foreign counterparts.  We will elect the President that best represents our dreams and hopes for America’s future.  Why you ask…..because that is progress.