'Perfect Storm' for the Republicans.......

The presidential race appears to be shaping up well at this point for the Republicans. The two candidates that will create a perfect matchup for the Republicans to retain the White House are now leading their respective races to win the party's nomination for President.

First, Hillary Clinton is leading by a wide margin over Barack Obama (30% to 12%) in a poll with a margin of error of +/- 3%. While the Bill Clinton supporters in the Democratic party see her as a link to their past success, she is the worst pick out of the Democratic candidates as far as Independent and Republican voters to secure the win. The poll also shows that more Republicans and Independents will vote against her than any other Democratic nominee. That isn't likely to change much given the general impression that most voters have about her. The real shame is that if she is nominated and loses badly, it could sour both parties on nominating a woman for the presidency in the future. That doesn't make sense because her loss would have a whole lot less to do with the fact that she is a woman and a whole lot more to do with the fact that she's a terrible candidate in general because she doesn't have any appeal to independent or Republican voters.

On the other side, former NYC mayor Rudy Giuliani leads John McCain for the Republican nomination (30% to 22%). Rudy is a great candidate for several reasons. First, he is not in the mold of a deeply conservative candidate. He is quite moderate and even sways to the liberal side on some of his opinions. He also does not pander to the religious right, which is a key in getting more votes from independent and some Democratic voters. His handling of the 9/11 situation some would argue was even better than Dubya in that he directed the recovery efforts extremely well. He's got a very outgoing personality that makes him a 'people' person.

The polls for this matchup between Hillary and Rudy indicate a sizable win for the Republican Party. It's a perfect situation for the Republicans. They can retain the White House while putting in a candidate that offers a lot of differing opinions when compared to Dubya. I've said from the start that I'd love to see Hillary as the Democratic candidate. I wouldn't be shocked to see Republicans voting as Democrats for Hillary in Democratic primaries simply to make sure that she leads the Democratic ticket. It would be the best way to make sure that a Republican ends up in the White House.