With the dust settled, WonderfulPessimist.com wishes to congratulate the victor, Barack Obama. Of course, we still believe he’s the wrong guy, woefully underqualified and determined to take the country in the wrong direction. Yet, as the victor, that’s his prerogative and we wish Barry well.

To be honest, despite all the hours at the espresso machines worrying about an Obama victory, the truth is that a McCain victory would have been worse for the GOP, because McCain was at the top of the ticket, after all, not Sarah Palin. And McCain would have done many of the same things Obama is gearing up for, only it would have been the GOP that took the blame for it all.

So, in an “addition by subtraction” sort of way, an Obama victory, while wrong for the country from a political philosophy point of view, is probably the best thing that the conservative movement could have hoped for.

Rather than being saddled with yet another liberal Republican in the White House, the GOP field for 2012 looks rich with a commodity sorely lacking in ’08, and that’s genuine conservative candidates. Though four years can change a lot, I certainly anticipate eagerly the potential presidential campaigns of Sarah Palin and Bobby Jindal.

Sure, there are still risks that could shut conservatives out; Tim Pawlenty is a mirage when it comes to genuine conservatism, Mitt Romney was the best of a bad field and doesn’t measure up to Palin or Jindal, and there are still threats from Charlie Crist (liberal) and Mike Huckabee (fake conservative who seems to want to be the U.S. Pastor, not the U.S. President) to fend off, but Palin and Jindal are definitely the future of conservatism, if not necessarily the GOP.

One name I can guarantee won’t show up in 2012?

Jeb Bush.

What a mess.

First off, as a former Baptist preacher, Huckabee not only should know better, he probably does. Second of all, for all his religious supporters, Huckabee needs to remember that he’s not up for a Baptist pulpit opening; he’s aiming for the White House, not the Pearly Gates.

While Huckabee’s support is booming at the moment, if he keeps up such cynical slurs, that support will quickly dry up. Maybe his campaign buses need new espresso machines to keep him on a more even keel. I’m not sure if Huckabee, Romney or Thomson have my support in the Minnesota caucus quite yet, but Huckabee’s offended this “religious conservative” by the use of such hardball smearing tactics.

Seems Huckabee inherited some of Bill Clinton’s leftover disdain for opponents when he took office in Little Rock, AR, shortly after Clinton left. One would hope for a bit better than this from a Republican. The Politico claims the Huckster has at least apologized for his remark. That’s a good step; now, don’t go out and do the same thing again, or your apology is worthless; let’s see a real change in how you campaign from here through Super Tuesday, Mike.