A Case for McCain

I took a second and third look at John McCain. If I had to vote in the NY Primary today, I would vote for him.

McCain is not without his detriments. My most serious concerns are with the McCain-Feingold Campaign Finance Act and with his seemed antagonism of every republican offensive initiative (He calls it being a maverick). In 2006 and 2007, he has taken some questionable positions regarding immigration - though he has backed off of them some as he takes to the campaign trail. These are serious and important concerns.

As serious as they are, McCain has been a loyal Republican and conservative as long as I can remember. A good friend to Ronald Reagan and to the movement that Reagan launched. He has been pro-life and a strong supporter of the judicial nominees of Reagan, Bush and Bush. He believes firmly in the conservative principle that lower taxes and smaller government is the best way to job growth and prosperity.

In addition, he has been a staunch defender of and an excellent communicator on the war on terror. He was an early advocate for the troop surge in Iraq (when the media was carping so aggressively against it) and one of two candidates that truly understands the nature of this battle. Let us not forget his outstanding speech nominating President Bush at the 2004 Republican Convention.

McCain is the most experienced of all the front-runners in both parties. He has been a U.S. Senator since 1983.

He is a veteran and a retired naval aviator...to say the least. He was shot down during his twenty-third bombing mission over Vietnam. He spent five and a half years as a Prisoner of War in the Hanoi Hilton, even being subjected to periods of isolation and torture. McCain even refused special treatment, as his father was an Admiral, and stayed with 'his men' until all were freed. He was released under the Paris Peace Accord in 1973 and retired from the U.S. Navy in 1981.

Most recently, John has been given the endorsement of U.S. Senator Joe Lieberman (Independent, Democrat) and The Boston Globe (sic).

All of this should compel the Republican primary and caucus goers one more look at John McCain and one more listen to the 'Straight Talk Express.'

As always, I maintain that every Republican running is 'head and shoulders' more qualified and more committed to the security and prosperity of America than any of the Democratic front-runners.

In the mean-time...if McCain wins N.H. - and it is starting to look like he might - we will have a horse race. And McCain will win it !!


Submitted by D.B. Jackson

Huck's Mucked

Bob Novak, Ann Coulter, Mike Gallagher and Lorie Byrd have all chosen to dedicate their weekly column to Huckabee and his inexplicable rise in popularity (and it is inexplicable to me because I don't know a single Republican that likes him).

The gist of the columns:

1. Conservatives don't like him, the liberal media likes him. His willingness to compromise key conservative planks with the smallest prodding from Larry King or the NY Times has the liberals loving this former Baptist preacher.

2. He is not a conservative. His record in Arkansas was one of high taxes and big government. His only durable conservative principle appears to Pro-life, but his need to be liked by the N.Y. Times will surely cause this pillar to fall as well.

3. The liberal media likes him because he will be so easy to beat in the general election. His past positions on AIDS, AIDS treatment and homosexuality will be the lead stories in a general election, not his recent Larry King interview positions of 'tolerance.' (Plus, his name is Huckabee).

He appears to have some star appeal. Warm smile, soft spoken, self-deprecating...but he would be fish food in the general election.

My assessment: A vote for Huck is a vote for Hillary.


Submitted by D. B. Jackson

It's all in the O

http://www.wmur.com/politics/14826607/detail.html

Hillary is in a dead heat in NH...and losing Iowa. It is not even Dec 25th and all my hopes and dreams are coming true. Can Hillary really lose both? Can she bounce back? Sure, but not without a heavy dose of SPENDING and NEGATIVE CAMPAIGNING. Bring it !!

I would also expect to see more shake up and back stabbing in the Clinton campaign. My ultimate dream is a Hillary tirade...complete with F-bombs...while some young staffer has his iPod on Record. These tirades are colorful, crass and legendary.

Go Oprah !!!

Submitted by D.B. Jackson

Sunday Iowa Poll: Hillary #2 (but she still wins nom.)

Hillary is tanking...according to everything I hear and read.

It seems Obama has latched on to a new message, let me paraphrase..."No one likes her, she can't win a general election and even if she wins, she is too polarizing to get anything done."

Her missteps haven't helped: Audience Plants, Fundraising Ethics, More victimhood stuff, Bill's whining, Obama's Kindergartern papers. Oh, The Clintons; not an ethical thread between the two of the them.

Historically, Iowa is important for Democrats (meaningless for Republicans). Democrats really like this electability thing (not your classic principled voters) and if they sense she can lose Iowa, well, she can lose it all.

She will still be hard to beat. She has big bucks and a big 50 state organization in place. She will pick up governors endorsements along the way...in the end, Hillary will prevail. Her money and her org...but mostly because of the Marx Brothers running against her. John 'Two Americas' Edwards and Barack 'Oprah likes me' Obama are just plain hard to vote for.

The good news...Hillary will have to expend that warchest.

If I can use a monopoly example....she has landed on Baltic Ave In Iowa...with a hotel. It will cost her, but in the end, she has two hotels on Boardwalk and Park Place. Jon and Barack can't go around the board too many more times.


http://www.townhall.com/columnists/DonaldLambro/2007/12/06/hillary_is_losing_it

Submitted by D. B. Jackson