McCain the flip-flopper accuses Romney of flip-flopping!

McCain's supporters are going hard trying to convince New Hampshire that Mitt Romney is a flip-flopper. Obviously this dead horse has not only been beaten multiple times, but has started to decompose! The funny part about it is that McCain is just as much, if not more of a flip-flopper as Romney. The man wants to be president so bad that he just jumps on whatever bandwagon is going by, only to hop onto a bigger one a mile down the road that is going the other way. His views have changed so much that at one point the democrats encouraged him to run for them. Granted, Mitt has changed his opinion on some issues, but his ACTIONS, not WORDS, have demonstrated the sincerity of his change. In any case, whether you believe Mitt is sincere or not, McCain's record of flip-flopping puts neither him nor his supporters in any position to criticize Romney.

The National Review Online released a powerful article in rebuttal to the wave of attacks on Mitt from McCain disciples. The article is called Misled in New Hampshire.

Here is a poignant quote from the article:

There is a lot to like about Senator McCain, and we do not fault the Union Leader for endorsing him. We do fault its double standards. The newspaper counts it as a damnable “flip-flop” every time Romney has changed his position or even his emphasis. McCain can switch his views on the very same issues without a disparaging word from the Union Leader.

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mccain, yer that guy, we hate that guy.

So as the proverbial poop hits the proverbial fan with Iowa just around the corner, I need to address the eyesore that is Senator McCain. Like I said in an earlier writeup John-o is a strong candidate but nobody wants him. He keeps coming around thinking that even though no one chose him before, either he's changed or the candidates are weaker and perhaps he stands a chance. He doesn't. Why not? Well, let’s talk.


McCain is a strong candidate because he packs a powerful personal story, POW for 5 years, bombing missions galore in "nam" and voted as one of the most influential people by Time magazine. He bucks the system, fights the status quo, and is really brave, and stuff, lots of stuff. Why then can the guy not buy his way into people hearts? Well, first there's the issues. Johnny has had a political career determined by his vision of the Whitehouse. The man wants in there so bad, but its just not to be. From structuring his vote to make him more appealing as a presidential candidate to his episode of being the Bush fanboi when he thought that's what people wanted to hear, to jumping on the bandwagon of Bush haters as soon as he got wind that the popular opinion had shifted. He's the geek at school desperately trying to gain popular approval, but always just behind the trend. He's the guy showing up with new kids on the block gear in a milli vannilli world. But does the fact that he's trying to hard to be someone he's not make him a bad candidate? Not necessarily, just a really big goof. Well what is the big deal with the boy? I think part of the problem is he seems to have this huge chip on his shoulder all the time, and feels validated in this because of his life history. Seriously, you ever hear the guy talk about any issue, he hates any opinion besides his own. The man gets so frustrated with candidates who see another side of a coin. He then tries to soften his image by going on shows like The Daily Show and SNL and looks like the biggest nerd, because then he's still angry at the world, but trying to show his appealing side and it ends up looking like Rudy Giuliani in drag, it's just wrong. Vomit in a corner, why do I have to watch this... wrong.

So what's my quip with John-o, he's a ralph nader in an election where votes matter. You can like him all you want, but his corruption accusations, his angry approach to politics, his "do whatever it takes to stand out even if I don't know why anyone in their right mind would do it" approach to voting, will all combine against him when he stands up in a head to head election. The man looks good from far, but is far from good. Unfortunately so are the women I date, but that's neither here nor there.

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Huckabee - The Comedian and Chief

Mike Huckabee is using his same lame old tactics in attempt to try to convince the American people, specifically voters in Iowa, that he is the man for the job. Recently, he brought reporters with him on a pheasant hunt (it's good to know that he 's spending his time so wisely right before the Iowa primaries) with the intent to take subtle shots at Mitt Romney. The Chicago Tribute released an article about his hunting-trip encounter with the media. Here are a few highlights with commentary added.

"Republican front-runner Huckabee took veiled jabs at his chief rival, Mitt Romney, while bringing reporters along on a pheasant hunt on a snowy, wind-swept Iowa plain. A regular hunter, Huckabee then shot a pheasant. "Don't get in my way," the former Arkansas governor joked. "This is what happens."

Yes, Huckabee "joked", just like he alway does. The irony is that he IS a joke, and that his tactic of taking serious issues lightly to get a laugh shows that he doesn't actually care about America, but rather just about winning. He is known for making unbelievably stupid comments. The problem with Huckabee is that he's missing that part of his brain that prevents him from making ridiculous comments and saves him from having a cloud of idiotness hang over him.



On the Republican side,

"Huckabee remains locked in a tight struggle with Romney. He brought reporters out to a frozen field outside of Osceola to discuss his campaign and, as a subtext, illustrate his support for gun rights. (A local official of the National Rifle Association accompanied him on the hunt.) Huckabee, wearing full hunting regalia, complete with an orange-accented jacket and cap, appeared more than ready for the cold conditions. He also had a Benelli Super Black Eagle 12-gauge camouflage shotgun in hand. "I'm just talking about taking care of business," Huckabee announced, before locking and loading."

Yep, he's sure taking care of business alright. I mean, if I were a few days away from the most important primary of the election, I would be hunting too. Taking care of business also means being completely unaware of details about world events such as what is going on in Pakistan. Huck obviously thinks that killing birds is more important than foreign affairs.

"The business, of course, was Romney. Without mentioning the former Massachusetts governor by name, it's clear who Huckabee's real target was, with the unlucky pheasants along to serve only as metaphors (and, eventually, dinner). In a direct shot at Romney before the hunt, Huckabee said he brings "authenticity and credibility to the campaign."

Ya, he sure is credible. I mean, he only took bribes as governor, went against voters wishes by funding illegal alien's education, and had absolutely no idea that Pakistan took away martial law two weeks ago (click here for article). If all those things don't make him credible, then I don't know what will.

Romney, Huckabee, said, "is focused on telling people why I shouldn't be president. I've been here focused on telling people why I should be."

A convenient statement as he blatantly takes a shot at Romney as he does the interview. How do you spell hypocrite?

Bottom line: Huckabee is obtuse, and runs his campaign on cheap jokes and one-liners. He's got about as much quality and character as a cubic zirconia; he appears authentic at first, but upon closer examination his ideas and track record are virtually worthless.

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dear obama, what are you doing?

In all honesty, as much of a republican as I see myself being, I’m not blind to other candidates if they would offer a better representation of what I think America needs. I recently had a conversation with a friend who is all about Obama, and naturally as politics came up we were pitted against each other, but I was interested in why she was such a fan of the Barack camp (and she was a fan, if Apple were a candidate, that’s how ridiculous his following is – they love him and don’t care what anyone says they love him and yer a hoser if you don’t love him too… just cause). She went on to explain her position and left me wondering "whah?"

Barack supporters, PLEASE correct me if I'm wrong, because admittedly my following of the liberal candidates hasn't been perfect. So here's how I understand the Obama way... after the jump.

His history, as taken from his wiki says that he "worked as a community organizer, university lecturer, and civil rights lawyer before running for public office. He served in the Illinois Senate from 1997 to 2004, launching his campaign for U.S. Senate in 2003." He's been in the US Senate since 2004, so three years.

This broken down says he got in the Illinois State Senate in 1996, got tired of it, ran for the US HoR in 2000, lost, stayed in the State Senate, in 1998, 2002, then resigned in 2004 when he ran for the US Senate. Less than two years later he began courting presidential aspirations (before that I'm sure). My problem with this is that Obama is on a mission to the Whitehouse. He has it in his sights, and see's each office as a stepping stone. I mean an appointment to the US Senate is nothing small or insignificant, but Obama's focus is beyond the difference he can make, he's looking for the house.

Inherent to such aspirations is that Obama talks a lot, and only after that he then does whatever he finds time for between campaigning for the next office and speaking. He speaks a lot. You look at his record, it's a lot of speeches. He's addressed the issues ... in dazzling speeches. In fairness, he's supported many bills that have been favorable, and even introduced a few, but none have been able to debunk his beacon accomplishment of ... speaking at the 2004 DNC.

I mean, I don't really have anything bad to say about Obama, I'm sure he'd be a great presidential candidate in about 10 years when he's used his offices to accomplish something. When he's come into his own and defined his views a bit more. Recently he was quoted as saying he's a "political agnostic" (digg it) and he's willing to take any good idea from anybody. Well of course he is, he's still learning what he actually believes. He's consistently been on bandwagons that have taken him to good places, but as a leader, particularly a leader in national politics, he has proven nothing. Obama, you've got a cute campaign and I wish you all the best, but will look at you seriously in about two elections. In the meantime, quit power mongering and actually make something of your office, use what you've got to make a difference and show us that you have real potential. thx.

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Mitt is the Man to Beat

I am an avid Risk player and one of the best strategies is to quickly take out the opponent with the best positioning on the board before they get strong enough to dominate the game. This strategy reminds me of countless football movies that I can think of where the coach of the "enemy" team will send out one of his dirty players to purposely injure the "good-guy team's" star quarterback or receiver. Similarly, the same strategy of removing the candidate that is most likely to defeat you before he grows too popular is used in politics, specifically with regards to Mitt Romney, a popular target for most Republican and Democrat candidates. The fact that he is the object of so much attention and negativity sends out the clear message that he is the man to beat.

Today Race 4 2008 posted an excellent article which I thought was worthy of spreading to anyone who will read it. In a nutshell, it explains how Mitt Romney is one of the, if not the most feared candidates by both Republicans and Democrats. He leads a relentless, well funded, organized campaign that is building up a steady and loyal base. I won't tell too much more but I would highly recommend reading this article entitled "Mitt Will Win".

An excerpt from the article after the jump:

Romney is the man to beat. There is no denying it. He has the strongest position. As a matter of fact, if you offered Team Mitt the opportunity to trade strategic places with any candidate, I am positive they would decline. Really who’s spot would you want to be in? A guy who seems to be making a small resurgence in a state he won in 2000, yet has not taken the lead, has no money and is sputtering every where else? A guy who peaked 2 weeks ago and seems to be relying on a niche of the party to support him? A guy who peaked last summer and faded within a month? A guy who ran high in the national polls for a year, than dropped half the support and has no organization except in the state of Florida? None of those are welcoming options.

Like it or not Mitt has for the last 2 years methodically laid the ground work for the next month. He has put together the brightest minds in politics in all the key states, built the strongest organization, and frankly has the most impressive record of running organizations and achieving success.

There is no question the early entrants to the field recognized this. In May of 2006 when I opened my first blog, Illinoisans4Mitt, I quickly began to receive a steady stream of hate mail from anonymous Brownback supporters who worked with Mass Resistance. When John McCain started to build his organization in 06, it was no secret he was pining at Romney by pulling in the Governor of Utah, and the Attorney General- and it was no secret the governor of Utah is bitter at Romney that he was passed over to lead the Olympics.

As a matter of fact Mitt has been the constant object of derision from the competing campaigns since day 1. This is not only a testament to his shear leadership genius, but also to his positioning in the Race.

To read the full article click here.

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McCain vs. Romney - Why Have a Hamburger When You Can Have Steak?

Don't get me wrong, I like a nice juicy hamburger just as much as the next guy, as I'm sure you do. But when it is placed next to a succulent savory stake, I think I speak for most when I say that the choice is both obvious and easy. The hamburger is John McCain. He is a good guy in a lot of ways, with many good ideas, demonstrating persistence as an obvious trait (he has ran for the republican nomination multiple times). However, just because he tastes good (mmm...processed cheese), doesn't mean there isn't something else more enticing on the table. Enter Mitt Romney. Yes Mitt is the irresistible stake mentioned above which dwarfs the hamburger in taste and appearance, just as he dwarfs John McCain in leadership, talent and ambition. John McCain is a good guy, but he's not the leader that America needs. Unfortunately, due to his latest endorsements, he is rising in the polls, especially in New Hampshire where Mitt Romney once enjoyed a double digit lead. But voters should be careful. Even though John McCain has a lot of good things going for him (like four well done beef patties mingled with cheese - see picture above), he doesn't have the same ability to unite the conservative coalition as does Mitt, and more importantly won't do as much good for America if elected president. On that note, here are a list of things you may want to consider if you are thinking of voting McCain (taken from the Encyclopedia Mittanica):

1. McCain is old, he would be 76 at the end of his 1st year in office.
2. McCain graduated 894th out of a class of 899.
3. McCain does not have the diplomacy skills necessary to be a president.
4. Mitt Romney is a Govenor, and John McCain is a Senator. It is harder for a Senator to become President than a Govenor.
5. McCain has an anger problem.
6. McCain has made a lot of enemies.
7. McCain is mean.
8. McCain has problems with self control.
9. He sought to author the end of political free speech with his unconstitutional campaign finance reform efforts. His most signature work in the U.S. Senate sought to undue guaranteed protections for free speech – particularly in an election cycle where free speech is of most importance.
10. In his own efforts to leverage power in Senate proceedings he purposefully disrupted the will of his own majority party and further slowed down the needed debate on judges. In helping to orchestrate the gang of 14, he stymied clear consensus candidates to the courts as appointed by the President.
11. McCain, though a champion on fighting the effective fight on Islamic fascists who seek to kill us, has seemed unplugged, uninterested, and yes hostile to voices who are calling for secure borders. He stood by as President Bush locked out John Kyl – his fellow senator from Arizona, and a true champion against illegal immigration – from proceedings that were designed to brainstorm solutions to the border dilemma.
12. He seems clueless when it comes to one of the issues that his base voters care about – the protection of marriage.
13. McCain flip-flops.
14. McCain will have a problem getting female voters, especially against Hillary.
15. John McCain thinks we spend too much money on politics. He is not very good at Math, or Economics. America spend more money on Gum than we do on the whole political election cycle, including every political commersial and yard sign.
16. Given his carefully cultivated reputation as a moderate willing to work closely with Democrats on campaign finance reform, a patient's bill of rights, global warming, immigration, and spending restraint, you'd think McCain would simply own voters looking to back "the party of performance." Yet it is increasingly clear that he has chosen the wrong issues on which to embrace a more moderate, results-oriented view, both in light of Republican biases and the likely general election landscape.
17. Campaign finance reform was never a burning issue for voters. Rather, it was an issue of totemic significance, particularly for journalists and a narrow slice of the upper-middle-class, that pitted McCain against much of the Republican base. Achieving a victory on this front certainly generated "good vibes," for a time, but it's left little in the way of lasting voter loyalty. Moreover, McCain's efforts set very high standards for ethical behavior that can and in fact have been used against him. Every time McCain raises funds for, say, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, he will be accused--fairly or unfairly--of rank hypocrisy. Worse yet, it is hard to argue that the McCain-Feingold legislation has been a success. McCain's conservative opponents feel vindicated--the legislation solved nothing, and may have made matters worse. His allies are dissatisfied. To say the very least, this doesn't bode well.
18. Following his release after 5-1/2 years as a Viet Nam POW, John McCain divorced his wife, who had raised their children alone during his confinement. The second (and current) Mrs. John McCain was embroiled in a huge controversy over an addiction to drugs illicitly obtained from her own non-profit medical relief organization.
19. Since 2000, a roller-coaster of controversial positions within his own party have unfortunately left this maverick Senator with the label “Republican in Name Only.”
20. Similarly, the patient's bill of rights appears--again, fairly or unfairly--to have solved nothing. It has not made insurance coverage more widespread, it has not reduced the number of medical bankruptcies, and it doesn't seem to have improved the quality of medical care for very many, if any, voters.
21. Global warming is a worthy cause, and yet the winners from any forward movement on the issue are a large, diffuse, mostly indifferent group. The losers are a small, focused, and intensely engaged group. That's never a good thing in an election.
22. Then there is immigration. Insofar as the desire for immigration reform stems from a general sense of unease about rapid demographic change, economic insecurity, and a strongly-held belief that law and order has broken down, it seems unlikely that any legislation that deemphasizes stemming the low-skill influx in favor of legalizing the existing illegal population and actually increasing the size of the low-skill influx will win McCain many friends among Republicans.
23. Finally, spending restraint, one area where McCain is very much in tune with the Republican intelligentsia, is not an obvious winner against the old Clinton battle-cry of "M2E2"--Medicare, Medicaid, Education, and the Environment. Root-canal economics was unpopular in the 1980s, and it remains unpopular today, elite opinion notwithstanding.
24. The Media loves John McCain. Republicans hate the media.

But, hey, if Mitt Romney dies of an accidental death (ie - freak gasoline accident) before the election, John McCain could deserve your vote!

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The Revolt Against Huckabee

The list of political experts who think Huckabee and politics don't mix keeps growing every day. It just goes to show that Huck has some real lemmings, when they steadfastly follow him against the sound advice of so many renowned conservative political aficionados.

Jeff Fuller of Elect Romney in 2008 has a list of over 30 of political thinkers that oppose Huckabee (probably just the tip of the iceberg) and a great article to go with it. Check it out!

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