THE MOST UNLIKELY OBAMA VOTER?

Ken Adelman is a 62 year-old lifelong Republican who's worked for Gerald Ford, Donald Rumsfeld, Ronald Reagan, and even the ultra-conservative Project for the New American Century. But in two weeks, he'll be doing the previously unthinkable, he'll be casting his vote for Barack Obama.

His reasons are a stinging indictment of John McCain's judgment as a candidate for the Presidency, and it's beginning to feel like there's a wave of these conservatives who don't like what they see from their party's nominee. In an email exchange with a reporter from the New Yorker, he asks himself rhetorically:

"Why so, since my views align a lot more with McCain’s than with Obama’s? And since I truly dread the notion of a Democratic president, Democratic House, and hugely Democratic Senate?

Primarily for two reasons, those of temperament and of judgment.

When the economic crisis broke, I found John McCain bouncing all over the place. In those first few crisis days, he was impetuous, inconsistent, and imprudent; ending up just plain weird. Having worked with Ronald Reagan for seven years, and been with him in his critical three summits with Gorbachev, I’ve concluded that that’s no way a president can act under pressure.

Second is judgment. The most important decision John McCain made in his long campaign was deciding on a running mate.

That decision showed appalling lack of judgment. Not only is Sarah Palin not close to being acceptable in high office—I would not have hired her for even a mid-level post in the arms-control agency. But that selection contradicted McCain’s main two, and best two, themes for his campaign—Country First, and experience counts. Neither can he credibly claim, post-Palin pick.

I sure hope Obama is more open, centrist, sensible—dare I say, Clintonesque—than his liberal record indicates, than his cooperation with Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid portends. If not, I will be even more startled by my vote than I am now."

It might not be a glowing endorsement of Barack Obama - but it speaks volumes coming from a man who'd obviously love to support his party, but simply can't.