Saturday, February 16, 2008

McCain, George H. Bush, Obama - The Assumption (Arrogance) of Presumptive (Assumed)

The first weeks of February, 2008, allowed for some rather interesting speculation by John Q. Public. When it was recently announced that the former (or elder) President Bush was throwing his endorsement to McCain in this 08 election – party leaders were exuberant while John Q. Public reacted differently. Those on the “blue” side of the aisle were jubilant, as they understand that the public in general have no love for any Bush, and this endorsement was exactly what was needed to propel the Democrat’s nominee to the white house in 08. McCain, for his part, has been challenging Obama left and right, and vice versa, as the two presumptive (one has to love that word), nominees an early start to the “us vs. them” mentality of debate that has just sickened the country.


What seems to have been forgotten by the media is that there are still two other candidates (or three, my apologies to Ron Paul) in the race, and that there is a convention to be held, and that convention is held in July. Should anyone care to check a calendar, there is a difference of 5 months between February and June. The last of the primary states to weigh in, goes to the polls in June. The regular voter, not the administration or any party, is aware of the following:



There are still 5 candidates in the field.

  • Presumptive:
  • Main Entry: pre•sump•tive
  • Function: adjective
  • Date: 15th century
  • 1 : based on probability or presumption 2 : giving grounds for reasonable opinion.



  • Note: presumption: assumed, and one knows what happens when one assumes anything.


    So, for the record:

    McCain: Senator from Arizona, consistently votes on social issues moderately, and has done so since he took the seat. One can assume this presumptive nominee is conservative, or one can check the record.
    U.S. Senate Vote Record One can also access the exact voting record for the Senators campaigning this cycle through their individual pages on this web site.


    Clinton: Senator from New York, and the only candidate with experience in the White House. The First Lady’s position, it should be noted, is not a fluff job, but involves actual management of staff. Using the link to the US Senate given above, one can find that Senator Clinton is possibly more moderate in votes than McCain.


    Obama: Senator from Illinois. Voting record for Senator Obama is not particularly clear, given his short time in the position. (2006), however, one understands his position is to the left of both Clinton and McCain.


    Mike Huckabee: Governor of Arkansas: 10 years as governor. Improved schools, improved conservation, cut taxes (unless federally mandated programs caught the state short budgeted, and then only when the electorate voted yeah or nay to raise taxes), etc. (etc., because, accomplishments to the positive would require a book)
    Finding non-partisan records is almost impossible. Every single Republican special interest group has an article decrying his record as one of little note. That said, one can find unbiased reporting on the Governor, if one goes back 20 pages in Google: For a snapshot: Governing 2005
    There are more such articles, as ten years is a long-time to govern, but more to the point.


    Mike Huckabee and Hillary Clinton are the only two candidates with any management and or governing experience.


    Both Senators McCain and Obama have experience legislating and they hire people to manage their staff.


    Voting records show that both Clinton and Huckabee would be kind to the American people, not necessarily the party or the press.


    In the interest of full disclosure, (although glaringly apparent), I am 100% behind Mike Huckabee’s efforts to bring the final vote for and by the people to the Republican convention. The systematic destruction of two political candidates by their own parties and the media has not gone unnoticed. No matter the outcome in this election, for the first time in a long time, people of opposing political viewpoints are reaching across the aisle and agreeing on one point. Neither the media nor the party has the right to choose the nominee.


    Addendum: Club for Growth: Backers- Bush Administration

    Friday, February 15, 2008

    Conventional Wisdom: One Last Twist

    Could not have said it better myself.

    Wednesday, February 13, 2008

    Mike Huckabee Continues?
    Why Would Mike Huckabee Continue His Campaign Against All Odds?



    Why Not? The simple fact remains that it is his right as a citizen and as a member of the Republican Party to bring his campaign forward. In fact, he may be the only one on the campaign trail for the RNC that actually understands what is at stake in this general election cycle. The Party has rallied around McCain with vigor. McCain has gained the endorsement of every prominent politico including Jeb Bush (can George be far behind?), which sounds good – maybe. The problem is this rush to choose a candidate so that the RNC can start setting in motion the machine it will need to "beat the democrats", is somewhat reminiscent of all the other really bad ideas that have come out of the present administration that were considered as a "rush to judgment". Not for nothing, but the press is enamored of McCain. From a conservative point of view – this just does not add up.


    Other things that don't add up: Delegate tallies: When you look at the delegate tallies from both parties, the source cited is the Associated Press.


    Need anyone question their accuracy?


    Since when do Karl Rove and other pundits from Fox News and the hard right consider this to be a trustworthy source? They consider the AP, the New York Times and anyone who stumps for their agenda when it suits their purpose and/or agenda.


    When looking at the delegate count it is clear that Mike Huckabee cannot pull enough delegates with the remaining states to win the nomination. What he can do, even after the Potomac Primary's, is prevent McCain from gaining the necessary delegates to win the nomination. Huckabee has strength in states, similar in make-up to Kansas that would lead to this scenario.


    It is possible, and it is probable.


    Otherwise, the campaign under Ed Rollins would not be going forward.


    What happens when they get to the convention? They vote. If McCain doesn't have enough delegates to get the nomination the first round, they vote again.

    Those candidates who have not released their delegates, (Mitt Romney, Ron Paul) now have the option of releasing them at anytime in the process (including during the final primaries). There are also a good percentage of uncommitted delegates in the mix.


    The second round is where the nominee would be chosen. It is a brokered convention and it is the way the party had done business in the past.


    At one particular brokered convention, similar to this, Ronald Reagan assumed the role of the outsider, the result: he lost at the convention, and the party lost the White House that November as well: to Jimmy Carter.


    Reagan then went on to take the presidency in the following election after the fiasco of the Carter administration. Do we really want another fiasco? Obama and Carter, both decent men, have about the same ideology. (Both of these men also had/have comparable experience).


    One can not help but draw comparisons.


    I, for one, applaud Mike Huckabee for his unwavering faith in the public and his respect for the process.


    Predictions: Mitt Romney meets with Mike Huckabee to discuss how they might work together. Releasing his delegates to Huckabee, if Huckabee can prevent McCain from gaining the necessary delegates, gives Mike the advantage at the convention, allowing him to broker enough delegates to win the nomination. Mike with a running mate like Mitt Romney would be able to win the general election (granted it would be a hard task but doable). (Something that despite the wishes of the RNC, Bush Dynasty and hanger's on, McCain won't be able to accomplish).


    (Reasoning: Rumor has it (or fact) that the two met earlier is this week. Romney's conservatism is aligned with Mike Huckabee not John McCain)


    Mike Huckabee loses the election, conservatives don't vote, Obama or Hillary Clinton win the white house, the country suffers, Mike runs again in 2012.


    In any event, Mike Huckabee is allowing people to have their votes count. To call for McCain so early in the game, leaves the remaining states with no choice, they might as well stay home. The same could be said of the Democrats. I'm rooting for Hillary; she has more experience and would make a better president, (my opinion). The media pushing Obama (again not something I'd be thrilled about if I were the public), has made me look at her a bit differently.


    Texas: It can make the difference. March is the point in this process where both Clinton and Huckabee will have the opportunity to change the direction of country. Huckabee gains delegates and pushes McCain back, while Clinton receives the delegates she needs to put a safe delegate distance between Obama and herself.


    Let the games continue!

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