Schrag: California Here They Come: My Take on the Leading Democrats and Republicans Running for President

Romney, who once suggested that having his sons working in his campaign showed as much patriotism as McCain's sons are showing in their military service (one of them in Iraq), also seems to think that you have to be a good follower of Jesus to qualify for office. Is this still America?

McCain is just as conservative as the rest of the GOP field. Based on their current policy positions, you couldn't really pick any of them out of a line-up. (And certainly you couldn't tell by race or gender, either.)

McCain's problem is that so far he hasn't won any primary on the basis of Republican votes alone – the difference in New Hampshire and South Carolina, the states he carried, has been independents, people who seem to care more for moderation and integrity than the party faithful. He didn't have that advantage yesterday in Florida, and he won't have it in California next Tuesday.

A lot of Democrats are justifiably gagging at the unseemly and divisive attack-dog behavior of former President Clinton and the resulting race and gender ugliness of the Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama fight. A Billary candidacy could kill the Democrats in November.

For now, the fight among the Democrats even overshadows the narrowness of the GOP, where there's hardly a black or brown face anywhere and, with a few exceptions, few who seem much to care. Look at the complexion – or the gender – of the California Republican delegation in the House, or in the state Assembly and Senate, and compare it with the Democrats.

The Republicans who have long despised McCain for his departures from orthodoxy – on campaign finance reform, global warming and, among other things, for once singling out Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell as "agents of intolerance" – aren't likely to be bothered by primary rules that exclude all but party members.

(To be sure, McCain, like most of his opponents, has now also genuflected at the altar of intolerance, though it hasn't done him much good. Robertson endorsed Giuliani, the cross-dressing, thrice married, one-time – and maybe still? – supporter of abortion rights.)

But the restrictive GOP rules give the lie to the promise that when California moved its presidential primaries up to Feb. 5, all Californians might for a change have a say in picking the candidates. It was, as Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said at the time, an opportunity for all Californians to ask the candidates tough questions.

At last count, Barack Obama was trailing Hillary Clinton in California polls. Decline-to-state voters, being shut out of the GOP primary, may give him a boost Tuesday, but probably not enough to beat her. But if she doesn't lower Bill's profile, Democrats may still come to regret her victory.

This year there are two big differences between the parties, the obvious one in political philosophy, the other in what the candidates are running for. For the Republicans, it's the nomination. For the Democrats, it seems to be the presidency. But Obama's vision is shaping even the GOP campaign, especially that of Romney, the thoroughly modern (hollow) man.

Kristol, who can often be so wrong, was right on this one.

Peter Schrag is the former editorial page editor of the Sacramento Bee. This article is published with his permission.