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From Time

Dave Filipi, a 48-year-old family doctor, made his way to the back room of McKenna’s Blues Bar near the University of Nebraska’s Omaha campus. Nervously smoothing his suit, he lingered in the doorway. “To be honest, I’m a Republican,” Filipi sheepishly said as two dozen curious faces swinging around toward him…
At Obama events in Oklahoma, Kentucky, Virginia and Georgia, a good 20% of audiences routinely raise their hands when emcees ask for Republicans in the crowd… An August University of Iowa even found Obama running third in the state among Republican candidates, behind Mitt Romney and Rudy Giuliani but ahead of both Fred Thompson and John McCain.

In August when I went on MDE and King Banianianianianianian’s radio show, I tossed off that a poll had come out saying that Barack Obama came in third in some states among Republicans, this was of course met with tut-tutting and “Well, I dunno about that…” I didn’t care to follow up with it because I think I was more preoccupied with getting some warm chocolate chip cookies at the State Fair, and I don’t post this to say nanny-nanny-boo-boo (although, nanny nanny boo boo MDE and King), but instead to get what may be a good discussion going about how, at least nationally, it seems like we‘re casting about.

A little analysis after the jump.

Obama’s appeal to Republicans lies in the fact that there is a vacuum of leadership in the Republican party. Rudy Giuliani is a cancer to a majority of the current Republican party base, a man whose morals make Bill Clinton look like a saint, Mitt Romney makes John Kerry look like an unflappable, arrow straight candidate who always stood by his values and morals. John McCain spent money like a drunken sailor on shore leave with an armful of hookers and an unquenchable thirst for cheap third world beer — and Republicans don’t like him, because although he has a better conservative record than Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney, McCain has a habit of speaking his mind. And, Fred Thompson? Corpses have run more active campaigns than he has.

In the midst of that Peyton Place of Republican Presidential politics, what is there to do, but look in places where you wouldn’t usually?

And Barack Obama is waiting there, patiently, an attractive choice full of optimism, positive rhetoric and promising transformative change.

There are questions about the Democratic field as well, but that is another post all it’s own. In the meantime, is Obama the only Democratic candidate who can win the country in 2008? Are the big 3 Democratic candidates all shoe-ins. LHIOB.