Candidate's story seems written for Hollywood

One about Senator John McCain, he'd make a hell of a movie.

Picture a pugnacious young man becomes a Navy pilot, then a prisoner of war. He ends up as a feisty politician with an independent mind and often foul mouth, who can take more than his share of punches and still persevere.

Even now, at age 71, his war wounds make it hard for him to raise his hands high enough to comb his own hair.

It's why a lot of Americans who don't agree with his politics admire him anyway. And why the Democrats may have a tough time defeating him.

Democrat Senator Barack Obama's 10 consecutive primary and caucus victories got all the attention last week because he needed them so badly. He's in a tight contest with Senator Hillary Clinton and he could lose it.

McCain last week too, in Wisconsin and Washington states, but that's getting less attention because for the first time in a long time, McCain isn't fighting the odds, he's the clear favorite.

But let's back up.

McCain nearly six years as a prisoner of war in North Vietnam and was tortured there.

Vietnam his politics today: His determination that the US will not withdraw from Iraq in defeat; his vow that if he's elected president, the US will forswear torture of any kind.

McCain himself on his independence from his party and even public opinion.

When US President George W. Bush took the enormously popular step of cutting taxes in 2001 and 2003, McCain opposed him both times because he said it would primarily make rich Americans even richer. Republicans don't often vote against tax cuts or forgive those who do.

He was an outspoken critic of the prosecution of the war in Iraq, not because he opposed the war but because he felt it was being fought with too few troops to win. Bush's recent and apparently successful troop `surge' in Baghdad suggests McCain was right. But again, Republicans haven't forgotten that McCain broke ranks.

Americans outside the party haven't forgotten either.

The media love McCain and largely overlook his foibles -- his explosive anger and startling behind-the-scenes profanity. Stories of his fiery outbursts at fellow senators, using words you can't publish in most newspapers, have made their way into the media and McCain doesn't dispute their accuracy.

Salty aside, voters seem to appreciate his willingness to express unpopular positions.

Polls that even though this is a terrible year for any Republican, if an election were held today, he would be essentially tied with Clinton and fall just a few percentage points behind Obama.

In other words, the Republicans have found a candidate who could actually win this one.

It would make a heck of a Hollywood ending.

Jonathan Mann is a CNN anchor and correspondent based in London.