No matter how much Hillary Clinton claims she’s the best bet to take on John McCain in the general elections, the simple fact is that, from a strictly electoral demographic standpoint, Barack Obama is easily McCain’s worst nightmare. For starters, both McCain and Obama have proven to draw from the same pool of potential voters – independents. McCain’s primary strength has always been of the moderate conservative / center-right type that wouldn’t vote for Hillary at almost any price.

I might be unfair, but Hillary unlocked the “Flaming Liberal” achievement years ago, and that is not going away anytime soon, the more so now that she’s shifted her focus to the blue-collar bloc, unconsciously occupying the spot John Edwards used to before he dropped out. Despite the fact she’s been consistently more centrist than Obama, it’s impressions that count and the name “Clinton” automatically brings about memories of the last social-liberal administration in the White House. If there was ever the case that proves poli-science was right about hitting voter emotions rather than issues, it’s Hillary v. Obama. Obama has the whole Camelot thing wrapped around his finger right now and there’s little Hillary can do about it.

A Hillary v. John McCain battle would thus split the election along party lines. Hillary would win, of course, but probably, not by much and certainly McCain would have an easier time against her than Obama. Barack has already proven elusive at being pinned down by Hillary’s “Experience Artillery”. McCain will largely have the same problem. As far as liberalism goes, conservatives may moan, but at least to a proportion of McCain’s men, an Obama candidacy might prove tempting, particularly if the Republican orthodoxy forces McCain to conform to their views. John flirted with this back in 2007 and his campaign virtually collapsed. It might happen again now that he’s forced back into the nominee’s seat and, without a Clinton to mobilize the middle, maverick types might just be tempted, in the words of ol’ Bill, “roll the dice” with Obama. Hell, I’ll go off on a limb here, but Obama just might leech off some of the right’s Christian base against McCain. His inspirational style may appeal where his policies do not and if the choice is between a Heretic and an Inspirer…

About the only people McCain can count on are foreign policy hawks, and how many of them are there?

Hillary has run an astounding race and, face it, she has a political machine like no other. She’s an excellent candidate and her views are nicely centrist in a way that has considerable cross-party appeal. It’s just that, like McCain, she represents the “Old Guard”. Public opinion is already pretty fixed onto what both these old war-horses stand for. Obama would provide a refreshing contrast to the aged McCain, while eating into the Mac’s base of support. Hillary might be good, but Obama is better.