I’m just a person typing on a computer just like everybody else on this forum so here is my quick take on the race.
I’m glad to be a Democrat, I’d hate to be a Republican for a whole host of reasons but a small reason is how fluid their race is. The race in a nutshell:
Rudy Giuliani is the national frontrunner, but wait the polls don’t mean anything now with weeks to go before the early contest. He is behind in the early states but ahead in the Feb. 5th primaries. Problem: Waiting until the 4th or 5th primary state to start winning has been a winning strategy since.......never. Solution: Hope for Armageddon in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina. But he has ex-wives, 9/11 issues, misusing city funds, shady business connections and Bernard Kerik to deal with first.
I’m just a person typing on a computer just like everybody else on this forum so here is my quick take on the race.
I’m glad to be a Democrat, I’d hate to be a Republican for a whole host of reasons but a small reason is how fluid their race is. The race in a nutshell:
Rudy Giuliani is the national frontrunner, but wait the polls don’t mean anything now with weeks to go before the early contest. He is behind in the early states but ahead in the Feb. 5th primaries. Problem: Waiting until the 4th or 5th primary state to start winning has been a winning strategy since.......never. Solution: Hope for Armageddon in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina. But he has ex-wives, 9/11 issues, misusing city funds, shady business connections and Bernard Kerik to deal with first.
Mitt Romney is the clear leader.....no I mean leader.......no I mean ahead......... in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina. On MTP this morning they were saying the current leader in Iowa has spent $300K state wide, that wasn’t Mitt and his tab for Iowa so far $7 Mil. That’s money well spent on flip-flopping.
John McCain, for the Iraq war and the surge, anti-abortion, for Bush tax cuts (Now), for Pat Robertson & Jerry Falwall (Now). John has moved to Neo-con view of the world but it’s not enough. You already have to be a Nut....I mean Neo-con to have a chance.
Fred Thompson is ready to be President because he has played one (At least I think, let me know if I’m wrong. Would playing Defense Secretary be close enough?). I saw Fred on Larry King Live last week, he was asked about the Economy he said it was doing well (He’s got those Republican taking points down) except it took him several minutes to say the economy is doing well.
Ron Paul is raising a lot of money. He says the US should leave Iraq now, he says there is too much wasteful spending in Washington (That argument is not left or right, both sides do it. Especially when it comes to pork and who is the biggest porker in Washington?......The Administration. I don’t have stats on it but I’m assuming that is both Democratic and Republican Admins), the Federal Government has taken Americans rights away. He’s on the right side on some things but he still a Republican.
Mike Huckabee the man from the same town as Bill Clinton. He seems to be the nice guy on the Republican side except for his stupid Hillary jokes. He has helped out children of Illegal Immigrants, raised taxes, and increased government spending in the Arkansas. At lease him being a governor required him to work in the real world (In Republican world you can cut taxes, cut government (didn’t happen), take away people’s rights, start wars based on lies and the people will give you a 70% approval rating).
Tom Tancredo and Duncan Hunter are fraternal twins separated at birth. If either gets the nomination they will name the other Vice-nominee. To state where they are in the race can be summed up in a five words "Republicans love to bash Hispanics". If you base the Republican race on that alone Tom and Duncan have one the most so far in the Republican race.
Now on our (Democratic) side looks like a typical nomination fight:
Barak Obama picked the right time to run for President. He has successfully made the argument for hope. He has a lead in Iowa thanks to John Edwards and Hillary Clinton. John made the arguments and Hillary did the stumble. Barak when he talks you just listen. I think his big problem is he has trouble putting his arguments into the 1 minute debate answer but he is getting better. If he wins Iowa he may have enough momentum to win the nomination. Since he has over taken Hillary in Iowa they daily have been going at each other. Barak has had some good comebacks on Clinton’s campaign. He goes for the suttle attack. He just like Clinton has the chance to change history being the first Black President. We saw what Republicans did to Harold Ford, I just have this feeling he want fall for what they did to Ford.
John Edwards from the beginning of this race has had the most detailed ideas of what he wants to do outside of Kucinich. Earlier in the race he carried the other contenders: The first to boycott Fox News debates, first with a Universal Healthcare plan, focus on poverty. He also has been the most aggressive Democrat going after Hillary Clinton. It finally paid off and now there is real race going on, it just benefits Obama for now. But it could pay off considering the daily battle between Obama and Hillary who knows it could be 2004 all over again with him in the lead. I think his only real problem this time has been that he has ran before in 2004 and in 2004 he was the nice candidate this time he has been the aggressor but will it pay off.
Bill Richardson has been everything in the government. I liked those early ads he had; yes Bill has done every job in government just about. And we also know that North Korea will only talk to him (Seems that way). In the last debate the Las Vegas debate I liked his answer about the illegal driver’s licenses. "I’ve already done it in my state" answer was perfect but sometimes he is just too long winded in his answers but I will say in this last debate he needed to tell Wolf Blitzer to "Wolf shut the hell up! I’m going to finish my answer!" Every time he spoke Wolf tried to hurry him along, very annoying. Anyway Bill has the resume a mile long is it enough to get the job.
Joe Biden with the hair plugs has had the best one-liners in a number of debates. Forget the fact that he has been in the Senate forever and has the most definite plan for the Iraqi government (His plan is better than the Bush Administration’s plan, umm let me know what that plan is, I know it might take some years for somebody to tell me). No his one-liners are his real charm. The work will well in debates but so far they aren’t working for him in the polls.
Chris Dodd has probably been in the Senate as long or nearly as long as Joe Biden. He has a lot of experience on his resume. What I like about him is so far is how he uses his current title as a Senator to get attention running for President. Such as the renewal of the FISA act that would allow the Bush Administration to spy without a court ordered warrant. He is opposing any changes that would allow the Bush Administration to do that without court order even so far as introducing a filibuster to stop it. Some in the media are critical of him for using his Senate acts to help his Presidential bid. To which I say Chris if you’re doing it because you are running for President (Which I don’t think he is) or on a matter on conviction keep it up. The democrats need all the leaders they can get.
Dennis Kucinich has introduced bills and has proposals on a lot of things. A lot of his ideas make sense it’s a shame that in the media as a whole it’s hard to get those ideas out there. He gets little time in debates, and when he does they ask him if he has seen a real UFO. When they interview him and his wife they ask and are more interested in her tongue piercing than in his positions (Maybe not the interviewer but the only thing the media was interested when I saw the clip on Morning Joe on MSNBC was the her tongue.....Now that is what you call morning news). Dennis is a victim of the media. If I can remember it right Dennis is the Chairman of a House subcommittee and was thinking of bringing back the fairness doctrine please do.
Hillary Clinton was First Lady and has six years of experience. She is now running for President and was steamrolling to the nomination until October 30th, 2007 when she hit a loose spike in the road. She doesn’t lead Iowa any more; New Hampshire and South Carolina are a lot closer. For months she didn’t respond to attacks (Played it safe), then after that October debate she started responding (Tightening polls will do that to you). What is good now about this race is she has to engage her rivals. In other words if she wants the nomination she has to earn it. Can Hillary get back on her horse after falling off? Will her daily spats with Obama doom her? Will she tell Bill to shut up about Iraq? We’ll find out.......
Now I’ll admit I’m a supporter of Clinton. Call me what you want but I’ll take that cackle of Clinton any day over that damn smirking chimp. But I’ll definitely vote for Obama, Edwards, Richardson, Biden, Kucinich, Dodd, anybody with a brain (None of the current Republicans have that). As it stands now it looks like Giuliani will be the Republican nominee simply for two reasons. For all the scandals Rudy has he will say it’s the past (The media of course like they always do will look heavily into the scandals and then just move on or they will say despite the scandals he is still the national leader on the Republican side). Teflon Rudy is what they will call him. Which leads to my second point Rudy is the most corrupt Republican running this time. This is the party of Nixon, Bush Sr & Bush Jr going with corrupt people is what Republicans do he is a natural fit.
But I like our candidates against theirs I think our side has learned this time not to take it (Swift boat). We have the best ideas and I think the electorate at large come next November the message will be "Here Democrats here are the keys to the car now turn this car around and take the detour exit before we plunge off that cliff ahead."
A campaign is a campaign, politicians are supposed to go after each other. Compare and contrast each other. Hillary didn't have to respond to those behind her because she was the frontrunner, but like every frontrunner she has stumbled. And like every frontrunner the stumble reinforced what people don't like about the person (Also known as the Perceived Narrative). Edwards and more so Obama have capitalized and the attacks are sticking like they weren't before.