Metro Republicans

Maomie Emery has an interesting article on the three top Republican candidates, McCain, Romney, and Guiliani.

"None hails from the South, none looks or sounds country, none is conspicuous for traditional piety, and none is linked closely to social conservatives. At the same time, none is exactly at odds with social conservatives either. None is a moderate, in the sense of being a centrist on anything or wary of conservatives; rather, each is a strong conservative on many key issues, while having a dissident streak on a few. Each has a way of presenting conservative views that centrists don't find threatening, and projecting fairly traditional values in a language that secular voters don't fear. In a country that has been ferociously split into two near-equal camps of voters for at least the past decade, this is no small accomplishment, as it suggests the potential to cross cultural barriers, and therefore extend one's own reach."

Guiliani appears, at this point, to be the most popular of the three. I'm certainly not opposed, and would hope for him to tap a more conservative VP if he becomes the nominee to broaden his appeal to the base.