By Scott Wright

If it's still a little too early for you to get involved in the infinitely long process of electing the next president of the United States, never fear. I have a DVR and tons of free time.

Since the Pittsburgh Steelers have played a couple of night games recently, I've had all day on consecutive Sundays to eyeball the major political talk shows and scribble notes about what the Beltway insiders think is going to go down come November 2008. Basically, all I learned is that no one really has a freaking clue what's in store. But I wouldn't be much of a writer if I couldn't squeeze another 800 words out of this topic, so here goes.

As a dapper English chap on George Stephanopoulos' Nov. 25 show pointed out, one fact that does seem quite clear is that 74 percent of Americans are sick and tired of George W. Bush and his style of “government” — and I use that terminology loosely. Conservative columnist Harry R. Jackson, Jr., on the www.townhall.com website, admitted as much last week when he wrote that voters want “substantive change and a better America.”

I'd love to tell all the Alabamians who voted for George W. Bush “I told you so” in person, but gasoline is three bucks a gallon. Besides, the last poll I read indicated that 40 percent of the voters in this state STILL support that card-carrying cretin. If the last seven years of Dubya's severe shortcomings and my pointing out most of them hasn't done the trick, there's obviously no communicating with some people using logic and reason. I give up. Let's move on.

Most columnists and political pundits are spilling a lot of ink over two candidates in particular these days: Democratic hopeful Barack Obama and Republican candidate Mike Huckabee. Both have come from far behind their party frontrunner — Hillary Clinton on the Democratic side, and the GOP's Mitt Romney — and are building momentum in Iowa as the state's Jan. 3 caucuses draw near.

Republicans are looking for someone who can beat Hillary Clinton. Period. The Democrats, on the other hand, want someone who will become the standard-bearer for the “change” so many Americans are looking for — and plenty of them are more than a bit unsure if Hillary fits that bill. After all, Americans have been hearing Hillary's name since the 1990's. On the other hand she's a woman and a Democrat, so some believe that may make her “different” enough to win the general election.

But that's far from a foregone conclusion, especially since her name alone is so polarizing to so many Americans. Last week on a morning talk show, Newt Gingrich predicted as much. “My guess is Senator Obama's going to win Iowa … by a surprising margin,” he said. The latest Zogby poll even shows Hillary losing to all the leading GOP contenders in general election match-ups. Obama and John Edwards fared much better in the poll, winning against every potential Republican candidate.

Shining brightest on the other side of the political fence is Huckabee, the former Arkansas governor who talks straight, looks smart and doesn't act like any of the other GOP hopefuls. And considering that among the others is a Mormon, an adulterer and a lazy Hollywood actor, some conservatives figure he couldn't have picked a better lineup to pose alongside.

Huckabee has ascended to the top of the heap in Iowa on a lot less money than his competition (particularly the ultra-rich Romney, who's already run over 5,000 TV ads in Iowa to Huckabee's handful) in part because conservative Christians make up around 45 percent of the GOP turnout in Iowa and Huckabee happens to be one. The Southern Baptist preacher is, in the words of conservative columnist Star Parker, “so folksy and plain-speaking that he has become the new John McCain of old.”

A few Republicans are worried that Huckabee can't carry enough momentum after he finishes second in Iowa (the latest prediction), and some are more worried than others. Last week, GOP hatchet man Bob Novak penned an editorial column aimed at Huckabee titled “The False Conservative.” In the piece, Novak laid out a laundry list of reasons why “real” conservatives shouldn't vote for the former Arkansas governor. (Novak and his D.C. ilk don't care for Huckabee? Hell, I like him already.)

Actually, there are some holes in Huckabee's record as governor, particularly on taxes, illegal immigration and ethics. The Associated Press released a story Wednesday titled, “Huckabee tries to gloss over Ark. record,” though it's safe to assume that if a major arm of the media is taking a shot at Huckabee, then he has become a serious candidate. If Huckabee can defend his record and do well in Iowa and New Hampshire, he may get a chance to try and spread his Bible-heavy political message to the rest of the nation.

The race for the White House is certainly a long way from over. In fact, it hasn't even officially begun. Despite what happens in Iowa, Obama could still find himself on the cheap side of scheming Democratic donors who figure a woman with decades of political experience and a name familiar to most Americans will ultimately have a better chance of winning the White House than a lesser-known, more inexperienced African-American male with an odd, Middle Eastern-sounding last name.

Huckabee's likeability may mitigate the shortcomings of his shoestring Iowa budget, but if he fails to follow up an impressive early showing because he can't afford to campaign nationwide, his straightforwardness may not matter much in a fight with Romney's deep pockets and Rudy Giuliani's shameless Fox News connections. Remember, John McCain's straight talk didn't do him a bit of good in 2000. (I believe Sen. McCain and actor Fred Thompson are both finished, for what it's worth.)

If a lot of this information sounds new to you then it is too bad you don't follow politics more closely. This presidential election process has actually been fun to watch so far, and will probably continue to be right up until the time we finally whittle the lists down to one Republican and one Democrat. At that point, I imagine, we'll all pick sides and go back to ripping the country apart like we have for the past seven years — perhaps the only lasting legacy of the politics of George W. Bush.

At least, when this process is over, we'll finally be rid of that man for good.