Regardless of how Arizona Sen. John McCain feels about it, Mike Huckabee and Ron Paul aren't going anywhere in the forseeable future.

This morning on CNN, Huckabee and Paul both announced their intentions to stand firm and extend the political dialogue as far as they can.

During his interview, the former Arkansas governor appreared mildly annoyed when a CNN reporter asked whether staying in the race at this point is hurting the Republican party.

"Not staying in the race hurts the GOP," Huckabee responded. "If the party wants to have a coronation rather than an election, then set up the rules like that."

Meanwhile, Dr. Paul was his usual good-natured self during his interview, telling a reporter that his candidacy is "up to my supporters." "I was very reluctant to enter the race, didn't think it would last more than a month or two, but to my amazement, we literally got hundreds of thousands of supporters and millions of dollars, and they are still very enthusiastic," the Texas Congressman said.

Huckabee and Paul may be as stubborn as old tree roots, but I have to agree with them. The fact is, as much as I like McCain, he hasn't won the nomination yet, and until he does, issue-oriented public debate is good for the country.

I'm tired of candidates sailing into office using the same tired rhetoric we've all heard countless times before. Certainly, the tone of the primary race has been civil enough, so why not talk about issues we all care about?

I haven't heard McCain complaining, so why should anyone else?