State of the Union

Maybe I'm crazy, but I don't think Bush is that bad.

Not that he's good.

Republicans Debate

A very interesting debate. I think Romney won; he's leading in the Florida polls and I suppose he'll win there. Just like with the Dems Super Tuesday is huge. They seemed to agree that Hillary will be the Democratic nominee; I don't think they mentioned Obama's name once. They also played nicer than the Democrats; they didn't attack each other nearly as much. Tim Russert blasted the Bush administration, citing rises in unemployment, the deficit, debt, and gas prices. Some of the statistics were quite remarkable; I think he said gas was $1.47 in 2001. That might not be right, but I think it's close. Anyways, my thoughts about each candidate.

Mitt Romney:
Romney looked and sounded sharp. He articulated his positions well and came out looking really strong economically. It appeared that he's the most economically savvy. He defended himself well from questions about his campaign spending and his Mormon faith. He didn't appear as strong as the others on foreign policy though. He wanted people to focus on his record as Massachusetts governor and as him being a Washington outsider.

John McCain:
I remember an SNL skit from the 2004 campaign where John Kerry listed all the people he knew. McCain did that tonight. He knows a lot of people. I didn't know any of them, and I'm guessing a lot of Floridian Republicans don't either. Opposite to Romney, he looked strong on foreign policy and weak on the economy. He forcefully confirmed his views on Iraq, saying that if we "surrendered," as in Hillary's plan, then al-Qaeda would win. A little bit of demagoguery.

Rudy Giuliani:
Giuliani wandered a lot and I don't think he really helped his chances. The thing I felt that set him apart was how he felt on environmental innovation. He wanted to improve technology rather than set emissions caps. And he took a larger world view of the problem of global warming, which I think is essential.

Ron Paul:
He got asked about 3 or 4 questions, but did his best. He continues to get marginalized. He is the only Republican against the war, which drew strong applause from the audience. His big thing is his difference from the others. Also he wore an '80s style tie which looked goofy. At the end he criticized the Republican Party for losing their Republican values.

Mike Huckabee:
He was also marginalized. I think people believe he'll get out of the race soon; he needs a big Super Tuesday. Losing South Carolina hurt him. He wandered on a lot of questions too. He wants to add to the highways to invigorate the economy. Hm. His Fair Tax plan is garbage, and unrealistic, as Russert pointed out. He did, however, have the best jokes.

This looks to be shaping up to be a Romney-McCain race. That would be the best ticket for the Republicans, regardless of which one they pick as President. It combines the economic expert and the foreign policy expert. They spent a lot of time blasting Hillary. I admit myself very surprised at the lack of an Obama mention. I predict Romney wins the nomination.

Down Goes Frazier

Not actually a boxing match, but certainly they went to the debate "looking for a fight." The problem is that slinging mud at each other helps no one but yourself and doesn't foster party unity, which is an essential aspect of political success. I support Clinton, but I like Obama too!!! If I could sit down with the both of them I'd tell them to lay off each other. But of course they wouldn't listen to me.

Edwards struggled to get into the banter last night, complaining that there was a third person in the debate. Hey, what about our friend Congressman Kucinich? I bet he'd love to be there too. Not only was his invitation to the last debate rescinded, but when he sued to be included, the network appealed and had the decision overturned. How long can Edwards maintain he is right up there in the race when he gets 4% in Nevada and is far behind in his home state? He'll probably be gone after Feb. 5.

Speaking of candidates leaving the race, Fred Thompson ended his bid today. My friend Mr Vargas pointed this out in his blog on Sunday.

Twirling Towards Freedom

Three different winners today. Romney won Nevada, as expected, and McCain edged out Huckabee in South Carolina. Sure looks like McCain has the most momentum right now. But Romney and Huckabee are still right there. Thompson is far out, but there's still a chance he makes a comeback, and Giuliani has always been banking on Florida. Hillary won for the Democrats, which was huge. Obama will probably win South Carolina, so preventing him from getting back-to-back wins was important. Still either candidates' race. Edwards didn't do too well, I think he'll be done after Super Tuesday.

Conference championship games tomorrow. The Predictions:
New England 20, San Diego 17
Green Bay 20, New York 17

My Endorsement

Well, I'm going to endorse a candidate. And I'm then going to vote in the Feb. 5 primary.

As you probably now, I'm very liberal. So to me, the only real options are the Democrats, although I admit I would not be devastated if McCain became our next President. The other Republicans are, unfortunately, unacceptable to me. As much as I do like Mike Huckabee, his positions are just too repulsive.

Anyways, looking at the Demos gives three real options. Kucinich is very interesting and has some very good ideas, but he has no chance at the nomination, and probably wouldn't make an effective President. So, the problem with the other three (Clinton, Obama, and Edwards) is that they are all very, very similar. There is no humongous difference between their positions. So I looked at the other aspects of a candidate.

John Edwards has a fair amount of support, but I don't believe that he can come back. He certainly has the ability, but is still relatively inexperienced, and he's been out of office the last few years.

Barack Obama is certainly a fantastic orator and motivator. He's very bright, but again, is not as experienced as the other candidates. It's a neck and neck race between him and Hillary for the nomination.

Hillary Clinton is my choice for the next President of the United States. She has far and away the most experience, having spent years in the Senate and two terms as First Lady before that. She too is exceptionally smart, and has forged the political connections that are so necessary. Her experience has taught her what it takes to get things done. She can also easily call on the advice of her husband Bill, a luxury not seen before. She may not be the person that "changes" how things are done in Washington, but she is the best choice for the most effective progressive candidate. Last night I bought some stickers from her online store, and on Feb 5 I'm going to punch and/or check the box next to the name Hillary Clinton.

Leadup to Super Tuesday

There's a very interesting Democratic debate coming up tonight. Not the least interesting parts being to see whether Obama and Clinton make up and kiss or go back on the assault. It seems that they have a "truce," which is probably a good thing. The problem with attacking members of your own party is that it doesn't lead to anything productive, only the possibility of yourself getting elected. Unfortunately they're both so into this race that it can still go either way, and "attacking" the other may be the best way to help get themselves elected.

Again unfortunately, MSNBC has just excluded Dennis Kucinich from tonight's debate. I don't see the reasoning behind this, unless it's a very cynical one. I find it disappointing.

At the same time, the Michigan Republican primary goes on. I guess it'll be McCain, but we'll see. Another strong finish for Mike Huckabee would be very interesting for his chances, but I don't see him competing. There just aren't enough evangelicals to carry him. It also appears that the biggest issue of today is not Iraq, illegal immigration, or abortion, but the economy. It will be interesting to see who Michigan voters have decided can best help the economy.