Novak: GOP in "Dark Mood"

Taegen Goddard has an excerpt from the latest report from conservative pundit Bob Novak, who says that "amid the exciting windup" of the Democratic nomination process, "the reality is that 2008 shapes up as a very bad year for the GOP." Huge Democratic turnout and boisterous rallies have generated pronounced "pessimism and gloom" in the pro-GOP business community.

Adding to the "dark mood among Republicans," Novak says, is the possible departure of Hilary Clinton from the race:

[T]hey will not be able to bolster their morale by running against the detested Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.). Her unification of Republicans has been one of the few GOP assets going into the campaign. It will take time and effort to work up a passion against the likable Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) no matter how leftist he really is."

Readers have been debating the significance of this purported GOP preference for running against Clinton in the comment thread to an earlier post.