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Poll Watch: Marquette University Law School Wisconsin 2012 Senatorial Survey
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Poll Watch: Marquette University Law School Wisconsin 2012 Presidential Survey
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Huckabee Wins Important South Carolina Endorsement
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Mike Huckabee (R-Arkansas) won over a crucial endorsement in South Carolina this weekend after a very strong performance at the Republican Debate in Columbia, South Carolina. David Beasley, the state's former Republican Governor gave his endorsement quite early saying “I know Mike’s heart and his record. I know he’s one of us” .
“Mike Huckabee is the best candidate because he is consistent on our party’s core values, he has a record of success at winning support from Republicans and like-minded independents, and he has a track record of executive accomplishment that prompted him to be named one of America’s best governors,” - Former SC Gov. Beasley ('95-'99)
Beasley is still highly respected among Conservative voters in South Carolina, he had this to say to his fellow South Carolinians:
“If my fellow South Carolinians are looking for a candidate who best understands them, they could find no more perfect fit than Mike Huckabee. He has a track record of success in cutting taxes, in reforming education and at the White House he’ll understand how to pay attention to the special challenges of rural and small town America.”
It seems that Huckabee's campaign is picking up the most steam out of the bunch, with strong performances in both debates, important endorsements coming in left and right, and a very good showing in polls in Iowa and South Carolina. Voters are very impressed with his authentic appearance and true conservative politics and values. He will be very hard to beat if his campaign continues to grow at it's current race.
“Mike Huckabee is the best candidate because he is consistent on our party’s core values, he has a record of success at winning support from Republicans and like-minded independents, and he has a track record of executive accomplishment that prompted him to be named one of America’s best governors,” - Former SC Gov. Beasley ('95-'99)
Beasley is still highly respected among Conservative voters in South Carolina, he had this to say to his fellow South Carolinians:
“If my fellow South Carolinians are looking for a candidate who best understands them, they could find no more perfect fit than Mike Huckabee. He has a track record of success in cutting taxes, in reforming education and at the White House he’ll understand how to pay attention to the special challenges of rural and small town America.”
It seems that Huckabee's campaign is picking up the most steam out of the bunch, with strong performances in both debates, important endorsements coming in left and right, and a very good showing in polls in Iowa and South Carolina. Voters are very impressed with his authentic appearance and true conservative politics and values. He will be very hard to beat if his campaign continues to grow at it's current race.
Team Mitt campaigns hard in the South. Can he win there?
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Mitt Romney (R-Massachusetts) has spent his last week in the South in South Carolina in the debate and in Georgia at the Georgia GOP state convention. His poll numbers are rising in both Iowa and New Hampshire, but his current presence in the south does not seem to be making any huge affects for his campaign, at least not positive ones.
It raises a question that will be very important to Mitt.
Can he win in the south?
His numbers are not great here in "red country" and he has had a hard time thus far proving he is truly conservative on both social and economic issues. If he can not define his positions on abortion and taxes and at the same time assure conservative voters that he will not "flip-flop" on those issues again, the south will be a vary hard place for Mitt to find votes.
Romney toke a big stance at the Georgia GOP state convention in Duluth, GA. During his speech he said that the new illegal immigration legislation is amnesty and should be thrown out. The legislation is co-sponsored by Georgia's senor senator Saxby Chambliss (R-Georgia), a Senator who is highly respected among Georgia republican voters. Romney's comments were some what down played though, as Newt Gingrich (R-Georgia) had it out even worse for the bill and got most of the media coverage of the night. Newt is also considering throwing his name into the race, however he will not make an official announcement until late September.
In the South Carolina debate Romney had a good start, but trickled further and further down as the night went on as he had to face the facts about his convenient change of heart on issues such as abortion when John McCain (R-Arizona) toke a stand saying he didn't change his positions because of the office he was running for or where he was running (a direct blow to Romney). Romney also had a hard time defining his stance on the 2nd Amendment and Gun Control. He said that he fully supported the ban on assault weapons, but yet supported American's Right to Bear Arms.
If Romney does not straighten himself out on issues near and dear to southern voters, he may not be "whistlin' dixie" when the southern primaries role around.
It raises a question that will be very important to Mitt.
Can he win in the south?
His numbers are not great here in "red country" and he has had a hard time thus far proving he is truly conservative on both social and economic issues. If he can not define his positions on abortion and taxes and at the same time assure conservative voters that he will not "flip-flop" on those issues again, the south will be a vary hard place for Mitt to find votes.
Romney toke a big stance at the Georgia GOP state convention in Duluth, GA. During his speech he said that the new illegal immigration legislation is amnesty and should be thrown out. The legislation is co-sponsored by Georgia's senor senator Saxby Chambliss (R-Georgia), a Senator who is highly respected among Georgia republican voters. Romney's comments were some what down played though, as Newt Gingrich (R-Georgia) had it out even worse for the bill and got most of the media coverage of the night. Newt is also considering throwing his name into the race, however he will not make an official announcement until late September.
In the South Carolina debate Romney had a good start, but trickled further and further down as the night went on as he had to face the facts about his convenient change of heart on issues such as abortion when John McCain (R-Arizona) toke a stand saying he didn't change his positions because of the office he was running for or where he was running (a direct blow to Romney). Romney also had a hard time defining his stance on the 2nd Amendment and Gun Control. He said that he fully supported the ban on assault weapons, but yet supported American's Right to Bear Arms.
If Romney does not straighten himself out on issues near and dear to southern voters, he may not be "whistlin' dixie" when the southern primaries role around.
New York Republicans Endorse Giuliani
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The New York Republican state party official endorsed their native son, Rudy Giuliani (R-New York) this week at their state convention.
"Only Rudy Giuliani has stood at the abyss of terror and destruction and shown a city, state, nation and, yes, the world the true meaning of leadership," state Republican chairman Joseph Mondello said at the event at a midtown Manhattan hotel.
The chairman also spoke on the national party needs to be competitive in all states, even in the northeast saying, "My view of this race for president is that the Republican Party should not go into this election, as we have in the past, having to write off New York, Connecticut, New Jersey. We've got to make this a 50-state election."
Giuliani has been doing quite well after rebounding from the first debate at the Regan Library, he has had an excellent second debate, the pick up of this major endorsement, and a great appearance on "the Late Show with David Lettermen" where he gave answers to presidential scenarios.
"Only Rudy Giuliani has stood at the abyss of terror and destruction and shown a city, state, nation and, yes, the world the true meaning of leadership," state Republican chairman Joseph Mondello said at the event at a midtown Manhattan hotel.
The chairman also spoke on the national party needs to be competitive in all states, even in the northeast saying, "My view of this race for president is that the Republican Party should not go into this election, as we have in the past, having to write off New York, Connecticut, New Jersey. We've got to make this a 50-state election."
Giuliani has been doing quite well after rebounding from the first debate at the Regan Library, he has had an excellent second debate, the pick up of this major endorsement, and a great appearance on "the Late Show with David Lettermen" where he gave answers to presidential scenarios.
We're Back and ready to Rank... New Republican Rankings for August 7, 2007... Where do they stand?
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Well it's been a while and definitely a long time since the last promised update in rankings. Most of you already know the major changes that have taken place since the last ranking came out. Just for a brief overview of the two biggest happenings...
- John McCain had a major meltdown in his campaign when three top campaign leaders, including the Campaign Manager and the Lead Strategist resigned from the campaign.
- Jim Gilmore dropped out of the race and no one has really missed him.
Now for the good stuff...
Republican Presidential Candidate Rankings as of August 7, 2008 (Pre-Ames Straw Poll)
1. Mitt Romney
Well Mitt's use of the almighty dollar puts him at the front of the pack in Iowa and for that case in the race itself. Romney has made sure he is not unknown going into the straw poll. But is Mitt really how Iowa wants? Polls have shown that Romney's message has just not spoke loudly in Iowa. Not nearly as much as his name and face. Lets face the facts, Mitt Romney cleans up well and is an extremely good public speaker and puts out a great image on television looking like a family man who is just another average American, the only part of that, that will come back to bit him is in the Straw Poll and Caucus the voters get to see the candidates in real life and in real life Mitt does not come off anywhere as good as he does on television. Money and popularity have gotten Romney to the top spot, but it is not likely that he will take Iowa just to the fact that Iowans have through out history filtered the phonies out of the race. And that's all Romney is. A pretty talking head phony.
2. Mike Huckabee
Mike Huckabee has been on an unbelievable tear as of late. It looked as if he was about to take a big hit after the second quarter fundraising figures came out. Huckabee had finished in the bottom 3 of Republicans and it looked like his campaign was about to go into panic mode. However Mike had different plans. Just as the name of his latest book, his campaign has risen From Hope to Higher Ground. After the ABC News debate from Iowa it seems as if Huckabee has an excellent chance at not only placing highly at the straw poll, but even winning the poll in Ames. During the Iowa/ABC News Debate Dr. Frank Luntz (one of the nations top political pollsters) used the new real-time dial technology that let's voters give an immediate feedback to what they think about what the candidate is saying. Dr. Luntz said that Huckabee's numbers went through the roof when attacked the Suadi royal family and their involvement and funding of terrorism with money coming from US oil revenue and that America needs to be independent on energy within 10 years. Read this small portion of a Politico.com article...
"At the session’s start, only one participant picked Huckabee as the candidate he or she wanted to win. Nine chose former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, eight were for former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, five were for the absent Fred Thompson, two were for McCain, and the remaining candidates were picked by one or none.
But when it was over, Huckabee had 14 votes, compared with 10 for Romney, three for Giuliani, one for Fred Thompson and one for Rep. Duncan Hunter of California."
Check out the entire article by clicking here.
This is all great news for the Huckabee camp and he is an a great position to be catapulted to the front of the pack after the Iowa Straw Poll this Saturday.
3-t. Rudy Giuliani
The man who started out the campaign as the favorite to sweep through the primaries with out much resistance has had a much rougher time than expected and has fallen from his top spot. He refuses to get down and play primary politics. Giuliani seems to think that meeting voters one on one in Iowa and even on a big scale by way of the Ames Straw Poll and the September YouTube debate is too much work for him and not enough gain. Not only has Giuliani lost hundreds of thousands of potential votes by trying to play primary politics on a national level, he has alienated much of his support in Iowa which is THE most important state in the primaries for Republicans. Does anyone else remember what happened to the last big name candidate who tried to take his campaign to a national level months in advance and then got blown out in the primaries?
It was only four years ago when just that happened to the democrats original favorite, Howard Dean. Dean had money, a popular name, a message that many democrats were in too and so he thought he could skip the entire primary process that has elected our Presidents all through out history and get a seventh month head start on the general election.
I believe Rudy Giuliani will be wishing he would have learned the phrase "If you don't learn history, you are doomed to repeat it." Because it seems like Mayor Giuliani is totally clueless as to what is about to happen to his campaign in the primary states. And that is fail.
3-t. Fred Thompson
Time is running out for Fred Thompson. All depending on how the Ames Iowa Straw Poll turns out he could find himself losing a lot of his popularity. His name being on the ballot may actually hurt him. If he does not finish in the top two and loses to some one who is not Rudy Giulian or John McCain (which is very likely) he will begin to slip as "the candidate everyone wants". If Mike Huckabee wins the Straw Poll it will likely end the chances of Fred Thompson entering the campaign as the favorite. Right now he thrives on being the "true conservative" which is nothing but a myth. A Huckabee win at the Straw Poll would undoubtedly put Mike in the "top tier" and all it would take to find out that Huckabee is much more conservative than Fred is a few minutes on the internet. Not to mention Huckabee beats him out on experience and record. If Fred Thompson wants to be the Republican nominee, he better hope Huckabee has a bad showing at the Ames Straw Poll or he better jump in the race and try to spin his weak record to people. If he does not, his campaign will be nothing but a "what if" by the end of the month.
5. John McCain
As you saw above, McCain's campaign has taken hit, after hit, after hit and it is really starting to show. He has been declared the loser of ever debate, except for the first according to Dr. Frank Luntz, the Fox News pollster mentioned earlier in the rankings. It seems like Immigration (which if you might remember Republican Race '08 predicted it spoiling his chance at winning the nomination) has destroyed his campaign. He too has decided to skip the Iowa Straw Poll this Saturday, but his campaign had no real shot at showing well in the poll and so he backed out to have a reason for his poor showing. He did not fair well in 1999 in the Iowa Straw Poll and that was the beginning of the end of his presidential hopes in '99 and here we are in 2008 and we are near the end of the end of his presidential campaign this year. And once again the Iowa Straw Poll will show how little his support he really has.
6. Tom Tancredo
Who ever thought Tancredo would make it this far? In the last ranking he was ranked dead last behind Jim Gilmore. He has made a surge taking bold stances on not only immigration, but has widened his spectrum to taxes, Congresses high spending and even has a better grip on foreign policy and the War on Terror and Iraq. He has became more and more popular and is now the leader of "the new second tier" and he had an excellent 2nd quarter in fundraising and has used it to get his name out in Iowa. All depending on his showing in the Ames Straw Poll, Congressman Tancredo could be positioning him self as a leading candidate to be the VP nominee.
7. Duncan Hunter
Duncan Hunter has remained a solid name in the "second tier", but he hasn't really picked up a lot of ground. He did not perform well in fundraising and is not really gaining popularity, but he has been staying in about the same place in polls (around 6th-8th)
He has had two great showings at the last two debates and is still impressing and surprising people, but just like all the other candidates he will find out where it has put him in the eyes of the people after the Iowa Straw Poll.
8. Sam Brownback
Brownback has become the red headed step child of the group. He doesn't get any attention and in an attempt to get more attention he has constantly cried about other candidates and has on two attempts, blamed candidates for things they had nothing to do with (most recently the Huckabee camp for a supporters email). He has not been charming nearly as many Iowans as pundits thought he would. Instead he has become a big annoyance for everyone else in the race and has dropped into the attack mode attacking Romney, Giuliani and Huckabee and it has not helped him in the polls at all and according to Dr. Frank Luntz' real-time feedback dials voters have not liked what Sam Brownback has said about some of his fellow candidate and many did not approve of his campaigns attack phone calls to voters regarding Mitt Romney.
9. Tommy Thompson
Mr. Wisconsin is the only man who has remained in his post from the last ranking. Tommy has impressed many people on Health Care, if he would make that the main topic of his campaign he would probably be a lot higher in this ranking, but he has not played his card correctly and here he is, a spot away from dead last and only above Ron Paul.
Thompson has been performing better in the debates, but he still isn't "clicking" with voters and it shows. In most polls he is barely registering and in the ones he has he is no higher than 2%, with the exception of a few where voters mistake him for Fred Thompson.
Tommy's campaign will likely be over a week or two after the Straw Poll.
10. Ron Paul
Well I guess we'll see how many Ron Paul cronies read Republican Race '08! Dr. Paul has lost just about all credibility by resorting to the "neo-conservative" movement and take over of the Republican Party. That phase will end any chance he ever had of pulling an upset. It has been a phrase that has ended many "true conservatives" campaigns all across the nation in many republican states. Fact being you don't call your potential voters a name just about all of them hate to be called. You can not alienate voters and expect to win and Ron Paul has done just that. Alienated Republican voters. You would think a man as educated as Dr. Paul would know how to speak to voters, but yet he doesn't and that lands him in dead-last.
We will update the rankings after the Ames Straw Poll this Saturday. Please check back within the next day or two or subscribe by email (just put your email in the box above to the right and click submit) We will have new articles coming regularly.
To those of you who want to know... I have been moving to my new apartment, in a new state and that has consumed a lot of my time the last month and a half and I have not had a chance to hit the blog on a regular basis.
But Good News... I'M BACK and Republican Race '08 is back to being a regularly updated web site.
Stay tuned for the best coverage on the 2008 Republican Race for the White House!
- John McCain had a major meltdown in his campaign when three top campaign leaders, including the Campaign Manager and the Lead Strategist resigned from the campaign.
- Jim Gilmore dropped out of the race and no one has really missed him.
Now for the good stuff...
Republican Presidential Candidate Rankings as of August 7, 2008 (Pre-Ames Straw Poll)
1. Mitt Romney
Well Mitt's use of the almighty dollar puts him at the front of the pack in Iowa and for that case in the race itself. Romney has made sure he is not unknown going into the straw poll. But is Mitt really how Iowa wants? Polls have shown that Romney's message has just not spoke loudly in Iowa. Not nearly as much as his name and face. Lets face the facts, Mitt Romney cleans up well and is an extremely good public speaker and puts out a great image on television looking like a family man who is just another average American, the only part of that, that will come back to bit him is in the Straw Poll and Caucus the voters get to see the candidates in real life and in real life Mitt does not come off anywhere as good as he does on television. Money and popularity have gotten Romney to the top spot, but it is not likely that he will take Iowa just to the fact that Iowans have through out history filtered the phonies out of the race. And that's all Romney is. A pretty talking head phony.2. Mike Huckabee
Mike Huckabee has been on an unbelievable tear as of late. It looked as if he was about to take a big hit after the second quarter fundraising figures came out. Huckabee had finished in the bottom 3 of Republicans and it looked like his campaign was about to go into panic mode. However Mike had different plans. Just as the name of his latest book, his campaign has risen From Hope to Higher Ground. After the ABC News debate from Iowa it seems as if Huckabee has an excellent chance at not only placing highly at the straw poll, but even winning the poll in Ames. During the Iowa/ABC News Debate Dr. Frank Luntz (one of the nations top political pollsters) used the new real-time dial technology that let's voters give an immediate feedback to what they think about what the candidate is saying. Dr. Luntz said that Huckabee's numbers went through the roof when attacked the Suadi royal family and their involvement and funding of terrorism with money coming from US oil revenue and that America needs to be independent on energy within 10 years. Read this small portion of a Politico.com article..."At the session’s start, only one participant picked Huckabee as the candidate he or she wanted to win. Nine chose former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, eight were for former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, five were for the absent Fred Thompson, two were for McCain, and the remaining candidates were picked by one or none.
But when it was over, Huckabee had 14 votes, compared with 10 for Romney, three for Giuliani, one for Fred Thompson and one for Rep. Duncan Hunter of California."
Check out the entire article by clicking here.
This is all great news for the Huckabee camp and he is an a great position to be catapulted to the front of the pack after the Iowa Straw Poll this Saturday.
3-t. Rudy Giuliani
The man who started out the campaign as the favorite to sweep through the primaries with out much resistance has had a much rougher time than expected and has fallen from his top spot. He refuses to get down and play primary politics. Giuliani seems to think that meeting voters one on one in Iowa and even on a big scale by way of the Ames Straw Poll and the September YouTube debate is too much work for him and not enough gain. Not only has Giuliani lost hundreds of thousands of potential votes by trying to play primary politics on a national level, he has alienated much of his support in Iowa which is THE most important state in the primaries for Republicans. Does anyone else remember what happened to the last big name candidate who tried to take his campaign to a national level months in advance and then got blown out in the primaries?It was only four years ago when just that happened to the democrats original favorite, Howard Dean. Dean had money, a popular name, a message that many democrats were in too and so he thought he could skip the entire primary process that has elected our Presidents all through out history and get a seventh month head start on the general election.
I believe Rudy Giuliani will be wishing he would have learned the phrase "If you don't learn history, you are doomed to repeat it." Because it seems like Mayor Giuliani is totally clueless as to what is about to happen to his campaign in the primary states. And that is fail.
3-t. Fred Thompson
Time is running out for Fred Thompson. All depending on how the Ames Iowa Straw Poll turns out he could find himself losing a lot of his popularity. His name being on the ballot may actually hurt him. If he does not finish in the top two and loses to some one who is not Rudy Giulian or John McCain (which is very likely) he will begin to slip as "the candidate everyone wants". If Mike Huckabee wins the Straw Poll it will likely end the chances of Fred Thompson entering the campaign as the favorite. Right now he thrives on being the "true conservative" which is nothing but a myth. A Huckabee win at the Straw Poll would undoubtedly put Mike in the "top tier" and all it would take to find out that Huckabee is much more conservative than Fred is a few minutes on the internet. Not to mention Huckabee beats him out on experience and record. If Fred Thompson wants to be the Republican nominee, he better hope Huckabee has a bad showing at the Ames Straw Poll or he better jump in the race and try to spin his weak record to people. If he does not, his campaign will be nothing but a "what if" by the end of the month.5. John McCain
As you saw above, McCain's campaign has taken hit, after hit, after hit and it is really starting to show. He has been declared the loser of ever debate, except for the first according to Dr. Frank Luntz, the Fox News pollster mentioned earlier in the rankings. It seems like Immigration (which if you might remember Republican Race '08 predicted it spoiling his chance at winning the nomination) has destroyed his campaign. He too has decided to skip the Iowa Straw Poll this Saturday, but his campaign had no real shot at showing well in the poll and so he backed out to have a reason for his poor showing. He did not fair well in 1999 in the Iowa Straw Poll and that was the beginning of the end of his presidential hopes in '99 and here we are in 2008 and we are near the end of the end of his presidential campaign this year. And once again the Iowa Straw Poll will show how little his support he really has.6. Tom Tancredo
Who ever thought Tancredo would make it this far? In the last ranking he was ranked dead last behind Jim Gilmore. He has made a surge taking bold stances on not only immigration, but has widened his spectrum to taxes, Congresses high spending and even has a better grip on foreign policy and the War on Terror and Iraq. He has became more and more popular and is now the leader of "the new second tier" and he had an excellent 2nd quarter in fundraising and has used it to get his name out in Iowa. All depending on his showing in the Ames Straw Poll, Congressman Tancredo could be positioning him self as a leading candidate to be the VP nominee.7. Duncan Hunter
Duncan Hunter has remained a solid name in the "second tier", but he hasn't really picked up a lot of ground. He did not perform well in fundraising and is not really gaining popularity, but he has been staying in about the same place in polls (around 6th-8th)He has had two great showings at the last two debates and is still impressing and surprising people, but just like all the other candidates he will find out where it has put him in the eyes of the people after the Iowa Straw Poll.
8. Sam Brownback
Brownback has become the red headed step child of the group. He doesn't get any attention and in an attempt to get more attention he has constantly cried about other candidates and has on two attempts, blamed candidates for things they had nothing to do with (most recently the Huckabee camp for a supporters email). He has not been charming nearly as many Iowans as pundits thought he would. Instead he has become a big annoyance for everyone else in the race and has dropped into the attack mode attacking Romney, Giuliani and Huckabee and it has not helped him in the polls at all and according to Dr. Frank Luntz' real-time feedback dials voters have not liked what Sam Brownback has said about some of his fellow candidate and many did not approve of his campaigns attack phone calls to voters regarding Mitt Romney.9. Tommy Thompson
Mr. Wisconsin is the only man who has remained in his post from the last ranking. Tommy has impressed many people on Health Care, if he would make that the main topic of his campaign he would probably be a lot higher in this ranking, but he has not played his card correctly and here he is, a spot away from dead last and only above Ron Paul.Thompson has been performing better in the debates, but he still isn't "clicking" with voters and it shows. In most polls he is barely registering and in the ones he has he is no higher than 2%, with the exception of a few where voters mistake him for Fred Thompson.
Tommy's campaign will likely be over a week or two after the Straw Poll.
10. Ron Paul
Well I guess we'll see how many Ron Paul cronies read Republican Race '08! Dr. Paul has lost just about all credibility by resorting to the "neo-conservative" movement and take over of the Republican Party. That phase will end any chance he ever had of pulling an upset. It has been a phrase that has ended many "true conservatives" campaigns all across the nation in many republican states. Fact being you don't call your potential voters a name just about all of them hate to be called. You can not alienate voters and expect to win and Ron Paul has done just that. Alienated Republican voters. You would think a man as educated as Dr. Paul would know how to speak to voters, but yet he doesn't and that lands him in dead-last.We will update the rankings after the Ames Straw Poll this Saturday. Please check back within the next day or two or subscribe by email (just put your email in the box above to the right and click submit) We will have new articles coming regularly.
To those of you who want to know... I have been moving to my new apartment, in a new state and that has consumed a lot of my time the last month and a half and I have not had a chance to hit the blog on a regular basis.
But Good News... I'M BACK and Republican Race '08 is back to being a regularly updated web site.
Stay tuned for the best coverage on the 2008 Republican Race for the White House!
Huckabee's Message is Right for South Carolina, Iowa, New Hampshire, and America
To contact us Click HERE
That quote came from former Governor of South Carolina David Beasley in today's Conference Call with Bloggers with Gov. Mike Huckabee.
We got a chance to actually get in two questions today...
Our first question was... Gov. Huckabee, Sam Brownback has recently launched an aggressive attack campaign on both Mitt Romney and yourself, to a lesser degree. And the Club for Growth has a distorted smear ad out against you. How do you feel about attacking other candidates in politics and what’s your personal opinion on the ad’s out against yourself and Gov. Romney? And do you think running your campaign with more integrity, on a positive message focusing on yourself rather than someone else, is why you have passed Senator Brownback and are doing so well in Iowa?
- Gov. Huckabee said "(Iowan voters) want to hear what’s great about America, not what's bad about another candidate." He said that it's important not to go out against another candidate in your party because “you have to eat your words months down the road if that person gets the nomination and then you have to act like that person is better than toothpaste". He said the he thinks a large part of the reason he has done so well in Iowa, is that Iowans like his positive message that focuses on him and not against another candidate.
Gov. Huckabee also said the attack ads just give further validation that his campaign his gaining huge momentum and that Washington and other candidates are trying to slow him down, but it is not working.
-Gov. Beasley also gave his opinions on the Club for Growths smear ad against Huckabee. "He’s Not a inside the beltway person and that's what they are against him(Huckabee)… that’s why we need a guy like Mike Huckabee" He also said, "Washington is trying to put out a message that America does not want to hear, but Gov. Huckabee is talking about what Americans think is important. The Club for Growth in Washington is not putting out a message like many of the Club for Growth members I know around the country, who have the same message as Gov. Huckabee."
And the second question was a lighter topic...
Gov. Huckabee, after seeing yourself in third in the ABC News/Washington Post poll and winning the debate and blowing away voters according to Dr. Frank Luntz, and even having Speaker Gingrich who is one of the most respected people in the party say everything he said. Have you gotten a chance to take a step back and actually think that you have a good shot of being on that stage in Saint Paul in September accepting the GOP nomination and if so how does that feel?
-He said that he hadn't had time to really think about and the campaign has been so focused at getting every possible vote on Saturday it has been a full steam ahead type deal. He did say that he knows he has to remember it's a long way until next September and he does have to remember that, but he seemed pretty excited about the idea of being on the stage in St. Paul accepting his parties nomination, but hey, who wouldn't?
Gov. Huckabee had stressed early in the debate about how much the people of Iowa like his message saying “We’ve used minimal resources to pass those who are using millions of dollars” and seemed very please with the status of his campaign.
Gov. Beasley said that Mike has out ran the big money candidates by "pounding the pavement in Iowa" and getting his message into every home in Iowa. Not through their TV, but through their door. "He takes the time to give his consistent message and consistent record to all the people in Iowa".
Gov. Huckabee seems very excited about this Saturday and think that "history will be made there". The Huckabee campaign will have a action packed day including two scheduled performances of Capitol Offense "the best band in politics" and also Watermelon for everyone from Mike's hometown of Hope, Arkansas. They will also be giving away a 100+ pound watermelon.
The candidate who currently holds the number two spot in the Republican Race '08 Rankings is looking to have a big day on Saturday.
Stay Tuned for more coverage all week long on the 2007 Ames Iowa Straw Poll.
That quote came from former Governor of South Carolina David Beasley in today's Conference Call with Bloggers with Gov. Mike Huckabee.We got a chance to actually get in two questions today...
Our first question was... Gov. Huckabee, Sam Brownback has recently launched an aggressive attack campaign on both Mitt Romney and yourself, to a lesser degree. And the Club for Growth has a distorted smear ad out against you. How do you feel about attacking other candidates in politics and what’s your personal opinion on the ad’s out against yourself and Gov. Romney? And do you think running your campaign with more integrity, on a positive message focusing on yourself rather than someone else, is why you have passed Senator Brownback and are doing so well in Iowa?
- Gov. Huckabee said "(Iowan voters) want to hear what’s great about America, not what's bad about another candidate." He said that it's important not to go out against another candidate in your party because “you have to eat your words months down the road if that person gets the nomination and then you have to act like that person is better than toothpaste". He said the he thinks a large part of the reason he has done so well in Iowa, is that Iowans like his positive message that focuses on him and not against another candidate.
Gov. Huckabee also said the attack ads just give further validation that his campaign his gaining huge momentum and that Washington and other candidates are trying to slow him down, but it is not working.
-Gov. Beasley also gave his opinions on the Club for Growths smear ad against Huckabee. "He’s Not a inside the beltway person and that's what they are against him(Huckabee)… that’s why we need a guy like Mike Huckabee" He also said, "Washington is trying to put out a message that America does not want to hear, but Gov. Huckabee is talking about what Americans think is important. The Club for Growth in Washington is not putting out a message like many of the Club for Growth members I know around the country, who have the same message as Gov. Huckabee."
And the second question was a lighter topic...
Gov. Huckabee, after seeing yourself in third in the ABC News/Washington Post poll and winning the debate and blowing away voters according to Dr. Frank Luntz, and even having Speaker Gingrich who is one of the most respected people in the party say everything he said. Have you gotten a chance to take a step back and actually think that you have a good shot of being on that stage in Saint Paul in September accepting the GOP nomination and if so how does that feel?
-He said that he hadn't had time to really think about and the campaign has been so focused at getting every possible vote on Saturday it has been a full steam ahead type deal. He did say that he knows he has to remember it's a long way until next September and he does have to remember that, but he seemed pretty excited about the idea of being on the stage in St. Paul accepting his parties nomination, but hey, who wouldn't?
Gov. Huckabee had stressed early in the debate about how much the people of Iowa like his message saying “We’ve used minimal resources to pass those who are using millions of dollars” and seemed very please with the status of his campaign.
Gov. Beasley said that Mike has out ran the big money candidates by "pounding the pavement in Iowa" and getting his message into every home in Iowa. Not through their TV, but through their door. "He takes the time to give his consistent message and consistent record to all the people in Iowa".
Gov. Huckabee seems very excited about this Saturday and think that "history will be made there". The Huckabee campaign will have a action packed day including two scheduled performances of Capitol Offense "the best band in politics" and also Watermelon for everyone from Mike's hometown of Hope, Arkansas. They will also be giving away a 100+ pound watermelon.
The candidate who currently holds the number two spot in the Republican Race '08 Rankings is looking to have a big day on Saturday.
Stay Tuned for more coverage all week long on the 2007 Ames Iowa Straw Poll.
7 Temmuz 2012 Cumartesi
Ron Paul continues to gain in New Hampshire
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Fresh off his victory in last week's debate, followed by his strong second place performance in the Iowa Straw Poll, Congressman Ron Paul's standing in the latest New Hampshrie poll has improved and he is now well into double digits. Mitt Romney still leads by a healthy margin, at 36 percent, followed by the newest media sensation, Governor Gardasil....I mean Perry (Gardasil is the drug that Perry tried to force teenage girls across Texas to take, a dangerous drug that has killed many who have taken it, and the legislature refused to go along with the Governor, thus saving the lives of many innocent girls that would've been lost to Perry's shilling for Big Pharma) stands at 18 percent, followed by Paul at 14, and Bachmann at 10. This is the highest I can recall ever seeing Ron in a New Hampshire poll, which is ironic considering you would think that he would be doing much better in a libertarian state like New Hampshire than a state like Iowa, but Ron is at 16 percent in Iowa right now, higher than his new and improved New Hampshire number. Hopefully as the campaign progresses each number will continue to rise, as they have been doing.
One important ingredient in Ron's steady rise in the polls has been his fantastic ad campaign, for those of you who have seen the ads you know how incredibly well done they are, very professional and imperssive. Of course it takes money to keep them on the air, and he just put a new TV ad up this week in Iowa and New Hampshire. The campaign is having a 'Money Bomb' on Saturday, the 20th of August, which coincides with Ron Paul's Birthday! This will be a very important day for the campaign, as it will help determine how long Ron will be able to keep his ads on the air, and of course the longer they're up, the stronger his campaign gets. Ron is in a solid 3rd place in both Iowa and New Hampshire, and in each state he's only a few points back from second place (in fact only six points behind the Leader in Iowa). A successful Money Bomb on Saturday could very well result in Ron moving into second in New Hampshire, and the lead in Iowa! Let's all help make it a big success!
One important ingredient in Ron's steady rise in the polls has been his fantastic ad campaign, for those of you who have seen the ads you know how incredibly well done they are, very professional and imperssive. Of course it takes money to keep them on the air, and he just put a new TV ad up this week in Iowa and New Hampshire. The campaign is having a 'Money Bomb' on Saturday, the 20th of August, which coincides with Ron Paul's Birthday! This will be a very important day for the campaign, as it will help determine how long Ron will be able to keep his ads on the air, and of course the longer they're up, the stronger his campaign gets. Ron is in a solid 3rd place in both Iowa and New Hampshire, and in each state he's only a few points back from second place (in fact only six points behind the Leader in Iowa). A successful Money Bomb on Saturday could very well result in Ron moving into second in New Hampshire, and the lead in Iowa! Let's all help make it a big success!
Poll Watch: Field Research California 2012 Presidential Survey
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Field Research California 2012 Presidential Poll
Among Likely Voters
Among Likely Voters
Among Registered Voters
Among Likely Voters
- Barack Obama 55% {48%} [55%] (50%) {51%}
- Mitt Romney 37% {32%} [35%] (40%) {38%}
- For Obama 79%
- Against Romney 20%
- For Romney 36%
- Against Obama 60%
Among Likely Voters
- Barack Obama 58% {53%} {55%} / 39% {38%} {41%} {+19%}
- Mitt Romney 36% {40%} (38%) {34%} [38%] / 55% {44%} (39%) {40%} [34%] {-19%}
Among Registered Voters
- Approve 55% {53%} [53%] (48%) {46%} [54%] (54%)
- Disapprove 39% {39%} [39%] (44%) {44%} [37%] (37%)
Peaceful Occupier Charged in $10M Blaze
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Let's look at the bright side. At least this arson was peaceful.
Police have arrested an Occupy Fort Collins protester in connection with a $10 million arson fire that damaged dozens of condominiums and businesses in Fort Collins.It's times like these when organizers like to steer clear of the mess they've created. Sorry, too late.
Benjamin David Gilmore, 29, was arrested on Thursday night on suspicion of arson, burglary and criminal mischief.
On Oct. 24, a fire started at 3:30 a.m. in a four-story apartment complex under construction. The fire spread to the occupied Penny Flats condominium and retail building next door.
The fire at Penny Flats caused heavy fire damage to the fourth floor and roof, and heavy smoke and water damage to the first, second and third floors, according to Poudre Fire Authority spokesman Patrick Love.
Damage was estimated at $10 million.
After the hearing, several Occupy Fort Collins protesters distanced the movement from Gilmore.
"He may have stopped by the protest, but he is in no way a direct relation to our movement," said protester Julia Crisafi. "We are peaceful protesters."
"One person's actions do not represent this group as a whole," said protester Andrew Stover. "Non-violence is the way to change."
Gilmore joined the Occupy Fort Collins movement in mid-October.
“He showed up on the 3rd or 4th day,” said Rich Crisler, who identified himself as the media coordinator for Occupy Fort Collins.
Crisler said he doesn't believe Gilmore started the fire.
“He had no reason to do this,” Crisler said. “They’re [investigators] just looking for a scapegoat.”
Crisler said Gilmore owns a honey business. Crisler said Gilmore is very kind, soft-spoken and wants to help people.
“He’s not an arsonist. I’ve dealt with people like this,” said Crisler, who said he was trained as a psychologist. “Nothing would make me think of him doing something like this.”
'If This Had Completely Gone South, He Was in a Position to Disavow'
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Isn't it great being able to have it both ways?
More here.
Maybe it’s the fog of war.Just imagine how quickly he'd have thrown these guys under the bus. Instead he goes around using bin Laden's death as a campaign tool.
Chuck Pfarrer, a former SEAL Team Six assault-element commander, raises serious questions about the official story of Osama bin Laden’s takedown in his new book, “Seal Target Geronimo.”
“The further I got away from the Beltway, the more accurate information I got,” he said.
Pfarrer says it only took the SEALs 90 to 120 seconds -- from landing to the firing the final shot -- to take out bin Laden, far shorter than other accounts have claimed.
He says the forces entered the compound on the third floor via the roof, not from the ground as the official version has said.
And the SEALs never said, “For God and country,” when they shot bin Laden dead.
President Obama’s role, too, was largely inflated.
He was out playing golf only 20 minutes before the raid began.
“If this had completely gone south, he was in a position to disavow,” Pfarrer claimed.
More here.
New York Democrat Yanks Nude Photos Off His Website: 'How Do You Trust Someone Who Posts Naked Pictures of Himself on the Internet?'
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What's the deal with these weirdo Democrats who feel they need to post lewd photos of themselves? OK, this guy says they're art photos, but really, who wants to look at this stuff? Didn't he at least pause to think after the Anthony Weiner fiasco?
Update: Also posted at the new and improved JWF.
Monroe County Legislator Stephen Eckel abruptly removed two nude photos of himself from a personal website on Friday after being questioned about them by a television reporter.The New York Post has one of the shots here.
Eckel, 46, a Democrat from Rochester in the midst of a re-election campaign, said in a phone interview that he took the photos of himself in 2000 as a student at the Visual Studies Workshop while working on a master of fine arts degree at The College at Brockport. He received the degree a year later.
The sepia-toned photos, taken with a wide lens at an elevated angle, were full frontal nude shots of Eckel, but were not sexual in nature. He described them as art.
They were part of a portfolio of Eckel's from that time that he said he showcased on the Internet to find photography work and jobs teaching photography. He has periodically taught photography at local colleges since then.
Eckel said he had never been questioned about the appropriateness of the photos until today, when he was contacted by a reporter from 13WHAM-TV, who had learned of the photos from the Monroe County Republican Committee.
"This is nothing more than a Republican stooping to a new low in order to distract the public from the real issues facing Monroe County taxpayers," Eckel said. "These were taken 10 years ago as part of a portfolio that helped me earn a master's of fine arts. Clearly, they have nothing to do with my service in my district."
Eckel said he removed the photos because they would "deflect attention from the true issues of the campaign." Asked if he would post them again after the campaign, he said that would be something he would have to consider.
Tony Micciche, who is challenging Eckel for the seat in the 26th District — which covers parts of Rochester, Gates and Greece — said such photos, even as artistic works, show poor judgment.
"How do you trust someone who posts naked pictures of himself on the Internet?" Micciche asked. "He's an elected official. He should be held to a higher standard."
Update: Also posted at the new and improved JWF.
5 Temmuz 2012 Perşembe
Poll Watch: CNN/ORC 2012 Presidential Survey
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CNN/ORC 2012 Presidential Poll
I'm going to mention a few issues and for each one, please tell me if you think Barack Obama or Mitt Romney would better handle that issue if they were elected President.
THE ECONOMY
I'm going to mention a few issues and for each one, please tell me if you think Barack Obama or Mitt Romney would better handle that issue if they were elected President.
THE ECONOMY
- Mitt Romney 48%
- Barack Obama 47%
- Mitt Romney 52%
- Barack Obama 41%
- Mitt Romney 50%
- Barack Obama 45%
- Barack Obama 50%
- Mitt Romney 45%
- Barack Obama 53%
- Mitt Romney 41%
- Mitt Romney 54%
- Barack Obama 38%
- Barack Obama 52%
- Mitt Romney 42%
- Barack Obama 57%
- Mitt Romney 38%
- Barack Obama 51%
- Mitt Romney 44%
- Mitt Romney 49%
- Barack Obama 43%
- Barack Obama 48%
- Mitt Romney 47%
- Barack Obama 53%
- Mitt Romney 43%
- Mitt Romney 52%
- Barack Obama 42%
- Mitt Romney 55%
- Barack Obama 36%
- Mitt Romney 56%
- Barack Obama 38%
- Barack Obama 49%
- Mitt Romney 46%
- Mitt Romney 49%
- Barack Obama 46%
- Mitt Romney 49%
- Barack Obama 43%
- Mitt Romney 52%
- Barack Obama 44%
- Barack Obama 51%
- Mitt Romney 43%
Mitt Romney Contradicts Own Campaign, Acknowledges Individual Mandate "Is a Tax"
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Romney: Individual mandate "is a tax"
Related: The Daily Rundown: Interview with Romney Senior Adviser Eric Fehrnstrom
Politico's Maggie Haberman ( @maggiepolitico ) tweets:
Politico's Alex Burns ( @aburnspolitico ) observes:
Neil King of the Wall Street Journal tweets:
The Boston Globe's Matt Viser: WSJ hits Romneys “insular staff” & “lame jujitsu spin.” Adds it “looks confused in addition to being politically dumb”
WSJ: “For the sake of not abandoning his faulty healthcare legacy in MA, Romney is jeopardizing chance @ becoming Pres”
Politico's Ben White: Wow. WSJ edit page rips Romney over shifting stance on Obamacare tax/non-tax
WSJ: "tragedy is that for .. sake of not abandoning his faulty health-care legacy in Mass ... Romney is jeopardizing .. chance at [winning]
More from WSJ bazooka editorial: "[T]he [Romney] campaign looks confused in addition to being politically dumb."
beating the horse here, but that WSJ edit is a ballistic missile aimed right at boston and it captures lot of c-suite anger
Roger Simon: Romney shakes the Etch A Sketch and decides health care mandate is a tax.
First Murdoch attacks Mitt & then the WSJ attacks him. Next: Somebody will bug his jet ski.
Jim Manley: As a general rule, The wsj editorial writers are unusually skilled prevaricators, but damn, the piece on the romney campaign is BRUTAL
Zeke Miller: WSJ ed: " the rich man obliged by vacationing this week at his lake-side home with a jet-ski cameo."
WSJ: Romney promised Republicans he was the best man to make the case against President Obama...So far Mr. Romney is letting them down.
OUCH: WSJ on Romney: " the campaign looks confused in addition to being politically dumb."
WSJ ed board says @ericfehrn's MSNBC interview may be a turning point in this campaign. I think this editorial might be a bigger one...
Romney: Individual mandate "is a tax"
Related: The Daily Rundown: Interview with Romney Senior Adviser Eric Fehrnstrom
Politico's Maggie Haberman ( @maggiepolitico ) tweets:
Romney cleanup on Fehrnstrom reiterates Boston concern about the base, will raise q's about why Obamacare diff than Masscare, and...BuzzFeed's Andrew Kaczynski ( @BuzzFeedAndrew ) notes:
...is unusual departure from where his longtime senior adviser was on something publicly
In admitting the individual mandate is a tax, Romney admits he raised taxes in Massachusetts.Caroline Horn of CBS News tweets:
Obama spox on Romney saying "it's a tax": "He threw his top aide Eric Fehrnstrom under the bus by changing his campaign's position."UPDATE: Wall Street Journal reporter Sara Murray tweets:
"Of course, if that's what they say it is." Romney's ropeline response when @DanaBashCNN asks if health care penalty is a tax per SCOTUS.
Politico's Alex Burns ( @aburnspolitico ) observes:
Romney's position would be tougher to sustain if the WH weren't engaged in its own set of acrobatics on whether the mandate's a taxAP: 'Obamacare's a tax,' Romney says, while maintaining the health care mandate he established in Mass. is not: http://apne.ws/NA7gsm
Or if, say, the president were delivering a detailed, consistent message on health care that would engage Romney in a fact-based debate
Neil King of the Wall Street Journal tweets:
So if it's a tax, can Romney still say he didn't raise taxes as Mass governor? Romneycare garnered $20 million in taxes last year.Wall Street Journal: Romney's Tax Confusion: The candidate's response on the ObamaCare mandate reveals larger campaign problems.
The Boston Globe's Matt Viser: WSJ hits Romneys “insular staff” & “lame jujitsu spin.” Adds it “looks confused in addition to being politically dumb”
WSJ: “For the sake of not abandoning his faulty healthcare legacy in MA, Romney is jeopardizing chance @ becoming Pres”
Politico's Ben White: Wow. WSJ edit page rips Romney over shifting stance on Obamacare tax/non-tax
WSJ: "tragedy is that for .. sake of not abandoning his faulty health-care legacy in Mass ... Romney is jeopardizing .. chance at [winning]
More from WSJ bazooka editorial: "[T]he [Romney] campaign looks confused in addition to being politically dumb."
beating the horse here, but that WSJ edit is a ballistic missile aimed right at boston and it captures lot of c-suite anger
Roger Simon: Romney shakes the Etch A Sketch and decides health care mandate is a tax.
First Murdoch attacks Mitt & then the WSJ attacks him. Next: Somebody will bug his jet ski.
Jim Manley: As a general rule, The wsj editorial writers are unusually skilled prevaricators, but damn, the piece on the romney campaign is BRUTAL
Zeke Miller: WSJ ed: " the rich man obliged by vacationing this week at his lake-side home with a jet-ski cameo."
WSJ: Romney promised Republicans he was the best man to make the case against President Obama...So far Mr. Romney is letting them down.
OUCH: WSJ on Romney: " the campaign looks confused in addition to being politically dumb."
WSJ ed board says @ericfehrn's MSNBC interview may be a turning point in this campaign. I think this editorial might be a bigger one...
Poll Watch: Rasmussen (R) National Survey on American Pride
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Rasmussen (R) National Poll on American Pride
Are you proud to be an American?
Generally speaking, should Americans be proud or ashamed of the history of the United States?
National survey of 1,000 adults was conducted June 30 - July 1, 2012. The margin of error is +/- 3 percentage points.
Are you proud to be an American?
- Yes 84%
- No 7%
- Not sure 9%
Generally speaking, should Americans be proud or ashamed of the history of the United States?
- Proud 79%
- Ashamed 9%
- Undecided 12%
National survey of 1,000 adults was conducted June 30 - July 1, 2012. The margin of error is +/- 3 percentage points.
Poll Watch: PPP (D) Oregon Survey on Same-Sex Marriage
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PPP (D) Oregon Gay Marriage PollDo you think same-sex marriage should be legal or illegal?
- Legal 46% (48%)
- Illegal 45% (42%)
- Legal 74% (68%)
- Illegal 20% (19%)
- Legal 11% (15%)
- Illegal 80% (78%)
- Legal 38% (53%)
- Illegal 48% (35%)
- Legal 51% (53%)
- Illegal 35% (30%)
- Legal 45% (46%)
- Illegal 48% (44%)
- Legal 48% (49%)
- Illegal 42% (40%)
- Gay couples should be allowed to legally marry 44% (43%)
- Gay couples should be allowed to form civil unions but not marry 30% (33%)
- There should be no legal recognition of a gay couple's relationship 23% (22%)
- Gay couples should be allowed to legally marry 69% (65%)
- Gay couples should be allowed to form civil unions but not marry 19% (23%)
- There should be no legal recognition of a gay couple's relationship 11% (11%)
- Gay couples should be allowed to legally marry 9% (12%)
- Gay couples should be allowed to form civil unions but not marry 44% (45%)
- There should be no legal recognition of a gay couple's relationship 43% (42%)
- Gay couples should be allowed to legally marry 38% (45%)
- Gay couples should be allowed to form civil unions but not marry 35% (38%)
- There should be no legal recognition of a gay couple's relationship 22% (16%)
- Gay couples should be allowed to legally marry 47% (47%)
- Gay couples should be allowed to form civil unions but not marry 35% (36%)
- There should be no legal recognition of a gay couple's relationship 13% (16%)
- Gay couples should be allowed to legally marry 40% (42%)
- Gay couples should be allowed to form civil unions but not marry 30% (35%)
- There should be no legal recognition of a gay couple's relationship 28% (21%)
- Gay couples should be allowed to legally marry 47% (44%)
- Gay couples should be allowed to form civil unions but not marry 31% (32%)
- There should be no legal recognition of a gay couple's relationship 19% (23%)
Poll Watch: PPP (D) Oregon Survey on Marijuana Legalization
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PPP (D) Oregon Poll on Pot Legalization
In general, do you think marijuana usage should be legal or illegal?
In general, do you think marijuana usage should be legal or illegal?
- Legal 43%
- Illegal 46%
- Not sure 11%
- Legal 56%
- Illegal 30%
- Not sure 14%
- Legal 19%
- Illegal 75%
- Not sure 5%
- Legal 47%
- Illegal 38%
- Not sure 15%
- Legal 51%
- Illegal 40%
- Not sure 9%
- Legal 47%
- Illegal 46%
- Not sure 7%
- Legal 39%
- Illegal 45%
- Not sure 15%
4 Temmuz 2012 Çarşamba
More on the Obama Photo Affair
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It's all at Sweetness and Light.
Apparently, there's controversy over whether the picture of Barack Obama in Somali (Sunni Muslim) garb is genuine or a fake. Why doesn't a hardworking member of the press just ask him whether he ever donned the clothes -- that is, if s/he can get access to him to ask a question at all (see immediately below)?
Here's the nub of the issue: There's nothing wrong with dressing like the locals when one travels. The reason the Obama people are so incensed at the picture, however, is because they fear that Barack Obama looks more "authentic" in the garb than an older white male (like George Bush, Dick Cheney or, say, John McCain) would.
That's true, it's a downside, and it's unfair. But then again, the fact that Barack Obama isn't your typical older white male presidential candidate has also helped him plenty (it's hard to believe that an ordinary-looking, older white male with a resume as thin as Obama's -- even if an inspirational speaker -- would be beating Hillary at this point and causing voters literally to swoon). So, like so much else, there's an upside, and there's a downside.
Apparently, there's controversy over whether the picture of Barack Obama in Somali (Sunni Muslim) garb is genuine or a fake. Why doesn't a hardworking member of the press just ask him whether he ever donned the clothes -- that is, if s/he can get access to him to ask a question at all (see immediately below)?
Here's the nub of the issue: There's nothing wrong with dressing like the locals when one travels. The reason the Obama people are so incensed at the picture, however, is because they fear that Barack Obama looks more "authentic" in the garb than an older white male (like George Bush, Dick Cheney or, say, John McCain) would.
That's true, it's a downside, and it's unfair. But then again, the fact that Barack Obama isn't your typical older white male presidential candidate has also helped him plenty (it's hard to believe that an ordinary-looking, older white male with a resume as thin as Obama's -- even if an inspirational speaker -- would be beating Hillary at this point and causing voters literally to swoon). So, like so much else, there's an upside, and there's a downside.
The Final Showdown
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No doubt understanding that it's tonight or never, Hillary Clinton has apparently gotten over the "honor" of debating Barack Obama, and decided instead to rough him up -- with limited success.
Having nothing to lose, she has clearly decided she's got to play tough . . . worrying about her likability hasn't gotten her too far against Obama, so the tough-as-nails version of Hillary Clinton has re-emerged. The problem for her, of course, is that her grievance mentality has, too.
What, after all, was that strange allusion to Saturday Night Live and getting Barack a pillow? Does she understand how profoundly uninterested most people are in whether the press has been asking Hillary the first question in the debates? (Apparently not -- never underestimate the self-absorption of a Clinton).
Most of the debate was just a spicier stew of accusations and counter-accusations -- edging further and further to the left. Things got interesting when Russert started asking Barack some tough questions about his pastor, Jeremiah Wright, and Louis Farrakhan. Too bad he didn't bother to press Barack on Wright, and even let him practically rework the question before answering it.
If I were a Democrat primary voter hearing all this for the first time, I'd maybe start to get a leeetle nervous. Makes you wonder what other shoes might drop for Barack Obama if the press ever got aggressive, doesn't it?
But what's remarkable is that -- showing the keen political savvy that's lost her her frontrunner status -- Hillary couldn't let it go. She had to jump in to try to get a cheap advantage, and ended up looking foolish when Barack simply went along and acceded to her request to "reject" as well as "denounce" Farrakhan's support.
In fairness to Hillary, it does seem as though she gets the grilling first. Wouldn't you have liked to know if Barack knew about Putin's successor? And isn't Russert seeming to get just a bit more in her face than Barack's?
Having nothing to lose, she has clearly decided she's got to play tough . . . worrying about her likability hasn't gotten her too far against Obama, so the tough-as-nails version of Hillary Clinton has re-emerged. The problem for her, of course, is that her grievance mentality has, too.
What, after all, was that strange allusion to Saturday Night Live and getting Barack a pillow? Does she understand how profoundly uninterested most people are in whether the press has been asking Hillary the first question in the debates? (Apparently not -- never underestimate the self-absorption of a Clinton).
Most of the debate was just a spicier stew of accusations and counter-accusations -- edging further and further to the left. Things got interesting when Russert started asking Barack some tough questions about his pastor, Jeremiah Wright, and Louis Farrakhan. Too bad he didn't bother to press Barack on Wright, and even let him practically rework the question before answering it.
If I were a Democrat primary voter hearing all this for the first time, I'd maybe start to get a leeetle nervous. Makes you wonder what other shoes might drop for Barack Obama if the press ever got aggressive, doesn't it?
But what's remarkable is that -- showing the keen political savvy that's lost her her frontrunner status -- Hillary couldn't let it go. She had to jump in to try to get a cheap advantage, and ended up looking foolish when Barack simply went along and acceded to her request to "reject" as well as "denounce" Farrakhan's support.
In fairness to Hillary, it does seem as though she gets the grilling first. Wouldn't you have liked to know if Barack knew about Putin's successor? And isn't Russert seeming to get just a bit more in her face than Barack's?
RIP WFB
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William F. Buckley has died.
He was the quintessential man of ideas, whose brilliance and vision helped establish the modern conservative movement. His obvious intellect put the many radicals he debated over the years to shame and his work had the kind of influence of which most writers can only dream.
He was also a gentleman and a person of deep and abiding religious faith.
May he rest in peace. God bless -- and thank you.
He was the quintessential man of ideas, whose brilliance and vision helped establish the modern conservative movement. His obvious intellect put the many radicals he debated over the years to shame and his work had the kind of influence of which most writers can only dream.
He was also a gentleman and a person of deep and abiding religious faith.
May he rest in peace. God bless -- and thank you.
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