Well, I didn’t see the debate, though it sounds like it could have used a touch of the Barack/Hillary “Wal-Mart lawyer!”/”Slum landlord!” catfight. But I have been looking at the polls and, as things stand, on Tuesday some lucky lad is going to catapult himself into a huge delegate lead with barely 30% of the vote, if he’s lucky. Or, in Rudy’s case, under Florida’s winner-take-all racket, the 57 delegates added to his present total of one would more or less tie him in the lead with Mitt.
But that doesn’t seem likely. And it may be that Rudy has his work cut out staying in double digits. But assume (some of) the polls are correct and it’s a narrow McCain victory. Even with his South Carolina win and with Fred gone and Rudy sinking, the Senator seems unable to nudge his numbers up above the high twenties. If McCain gets those 57 delegates on 30 per cent of the vote, he’ll be the frontrunner but a very weak one. Which may be why so many Democrat pundits are anxious to convince us he’d be the “strongest” Republican to run in the general.
PS I liked Mitt’s “old Europe” line on Hillary. When he lets fly a little, he’s much more appealing – and, in a tight race, he seems to be where some of the vote’s migrating to.