Iowa, Can We Talk?

Iowa, can we talk?

What happens there on January 3rd has huge ramifications on the Republican party, the nomination, the election. New Hampshire is watching, the country is watching, and the world is watching.

This is WAY too important to vote based on anything less than “Who is the best candidate to do the job, taking into consideration his qualifications, experience, and record”

The choice you make tomorrow could start a chain of events that could lead America (and ultimately the world) down two very different paths; one towards positive change and a promising future and one with very negative implications.

The Republican party has stood for life, traditional marriage and strong families. These are among many important values that hangs in the balance.

If Huckabee cons enough voters and wins, or even pulls off a close second, his victory could seal the deal for a Giuliani nomination, which means that the morality issues that mean so much to Republicans will be forgotten and a pro-choice candidate will represent the GOP!

To the point … Am I the only one who has had just about enough of Huckabee’s crap! (*Note - The following rant is in no particular order and does not include all the points I had wished to make).

I am sick of Huckabee whining about the money Romney has spent in Iowa. MIKE, call it what you want, but the rest of us call it a strategy, spreading the good news, and just plain common sense. This is an election, and a candidate’s ability to raise money shows, in part, how well he will do in the nationals. He was pretty much unknown and needed to get his message out. Just because you can throw out the “Christian leader” image and expect every Evangelical to line up and support you regardless of your actual performance and political ability, doesn’t mean that others have such luxuries. Because of much religious bigotry, Mitt has to work many times harder than the rest and spend more money to help others see past his religion (which should never be an issue in the first place) and view him for the quality leader his is.

I am tired of hearing people say that Huckabee is so likeable. His likeability is in the eye of the beholder. It seems that every single day we are introduced to some other controversy that involved him in his service Arkansas governor. It seems as if there is going to be more skeletons found in his closet than were found in the Cambodian Killing Fields. Questionable state appointments, pardons/clemency based on donations, cover-ups while his son was investigated for brutally murdering an innocent dog, receiving lavish gifts by taking advantage of his title and authority, and destroying hard drives when leaving office that documented his incompetence are just a few of the stunts that Huckabee has pulled.

Governor Huckabee claims to be a unifier but, he is quite the opposite. He states openly that Evangelicals should support him whether or not he is the best candidate. His “Don’t Mormons believe that Jesus and Satan are brothers” stunt with a reporter while claiming to know nothing about Mormonism is pure garbage! What does this say about his character if he expects us to believe that he knows nothing about Mormonism, yet he was the keynote speaker at a Baptist Convention in Salt Lake City back in 1998. Who is he fooling, the American voter now, or all the Baptists that attended the convention then? Was he just making stuff up or did he indeed know? Either way Mike, it doesn’t come off as honest. He claims that he is the victim of negative ad campaigns, which Romney states are accurate (not trying to hide what he’s doing), yet he’s been trying so hard to take negative shots at Romney but still look like he’s the good guy. Was his comment in the ad he decided not to run about Mitt’s dishonesty really just describing himself?! Dividing the party along religious lines is dangerous.

And about that press conference, he must feel that voters severely lack intelligence. I find it insulting that he thinks people are stupid enough not to see that the whole thing was a sad attempt to get the media to do his dirty work, while he looks like the nice guy. If Huck gains the world and loses his soul, he profiteth not voters and the respect of intelligent people everywhere. It’s one thing to pull a stunt like that, but it’s another to do it and then act as God’s political protégé. I bet God is shaking his head at Huck’s desperate antics.

Huck’s apparent grasp of foreign policy is a complete façade. His constant charade demonstrates his mastery of the art that the Iranian government perfected, namely fanning the fire behind the scenes and yet claiming to the world that they are trying to help.

Perhaps next time an opponent states a difference in policy or practice, or Huck is asked a searching question about an important issue, maybe he should actually state his stance and plans for action, instead of a semi-funny one-liners or stupid comments. It might help for people understand his positions, not just that he is capable of evading them through humour. Maybe he should change his name to Duckabee (as in ‘duck’ the issues).

It seems fitting that Huck is going on Jay Leno tonight so he can joke around and have a few laughs. His rise in the polls is anything but laughable though.

I just saw him talking to a crowd in Iowa saying something to the effect “if you will vote for me and I win, it will go down in history as a huge shock”. In other words, vote for him because, well, wouldn’t it be cool to make history. Ironically, his words are, in a way, an ad against him. Why would it be such a shock if Huck won - BECAUSE HE SHOULDN’T EVEN BE CLOSE TO THE TOP! Even he seems shocked. Hello!!! If the candidate is shocked that he won, shouldn’t that tell you something right there.

Iowa, you know who the real conservative is. The candidate who should come away from Iowa with the win is the same and only runner in the race that can take the fight to the Democrats in the general election. He is the only one who can unite all types of conservatives together. Face it, the Mitt fits.

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on the ground, romneying like we do

So we got together and decided that what good was a canadian supporting mitt romney site if we didn't win the Iowa caucus, the proverbial catalyst for the Romney strategy. So we pooled our resources and had enough to buy me hitchhikers pass all the way to Iowa. I sit here in my plush condo (ummm) after a day of working out of Romney HQ Iowa, making phone calls, knocking doors, eating lunch, making more phone calls, etc. Let me tell you, it doesn't get any better than this.

The great thing about being here is the urgency in the air. Working side by side with some of these people who have been here for weeks and knowing that the big dance is in less than 24 hours, it's pretty exciting.

So I phone called and worked the beat, seeking out all republicans worth their american flag patch that should be sewn on a backpack to try and convince them of the joys that are Mitt Romney. His wife Ann came in about midway through the day to buoy up the supporters which had grown about 250 strong.

But then things got good, when we hit the jackpot, a Romney Rally right here in Des Moines. We got the hoopla from all the intro folks, some guy talked about how he changed his life, delivered his baby, and cured cancer, or something along those lines, and then the big boy himself, the genesis of hope this side of the border, the breast milk of politics, Mitt Romney comes out. It was pretty great, I mean politics and speeches mixing normally makes for mediocre fun, or in the case of Huckabee, hilarity ensues, but dang diggity, this guy secured every vote in the room all over again. Made us all proud to be supporting a candidate that we can trust to actually fix some washington blunders and put ole USA back on track.



All was not well however, we found some trouble in the crowd, but he was quickly dealt with.


Can you blame him though, I mean someone had to keep an eye on things while Huckabee was playing hollywood wannabe (see leno?)

Anyway, that's the update for now, 2am, Des Moines, working straight through till the Iowa Caucus tomorrow at 7. Next post will be during the victory party tomorrow night. Ahhh yeah.

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because I'm a big man I won't, but cause you'd wonder, I will, but still won't?

sometimes life throws you fast balls, and then sometimes it throws you a curve ball, but then there are times when you get a nice slow pitch softball lob, a pitch that just hangs there and doesn't seem to go anywhere and begs you to hit it. Enter Mike Huckabee.

So we've bagged on the guy and frankly the horse is dead, so why beat it? Well cause the moment is priceless.

Yesterday Mike calls a press conference to address both an ad he'd made and the general disgust with mud slinging politics. So it begins, Huckabee brings in all the reporters, talks about taking the noble approach to politics with all the inuendo of a banana stand advertising their banana that WON'T poison and kill you, of course implying that their competitors banana will. Huckabee notes that he has taken a hit from Romney's direct attacks in his advertising campaign and lets us all in on the fact that he almost went that route... he EVEN went so far as to make an ad against Romney, but because he is so full of integrity and so full of....it (whatever it may be), he has chosen not to air it. Pausing for cheers and realizing he was being received like the Dixie Chicks in the Bush family home, he quickly proceeds and then tells us that even though he's not going to show it, he will show the press gathered because... well since he told them they would be curious and demand to see it anyway. At which point the room erupts in laughter, laughing at him, loudly at him, and over him as he tried to regain control. He never really does.

So the moral of the story, the high road only works when you stay on it.

You shouldn't be surprised though, it isn't easy to play the two faced with a face like that. I mean, the fox news guy was even making fun of him.

As a professional journalist though, I did do some investigating and you will all be happy to know his mother still loves him. Not only that, his mom thinks he'd be a dandy president, though she wished he had clinton's foreign 'expertise'.

Huckabee, we were hoping for a supernova, but a fizzle of a campaign is equally entertaining. Thanks for the fish big fella.

Video of the event in question after the jump -

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The Calm Before the Storm

With the Iowa primary tomorrow there will be a storm of last minute decisions regarding who to vote for. Voters will come by the thousands to choose their favourite candidates. Many voters will change their minds at the last second and the pre-polls will likely be proven to be 7-10% off on average. Delegates will be sent to conventions and ultimately one candidate will prevail. Unlike the Democrats' complex primary voting system, the Republican primary is very straight forward and performed by a secret ballot. When it comes to Republicans, the winner of the most votes in a state receives all the Republican party's delegates for that state to represent him in the national convention.

The result in Iowa is probably the most important of all the states for Mitt Romney. If he wins, he will almost surely go on to take New Hampshire and possibly South Carolina. If he loses, he will have a much tougher road ahead of him. The bottom line is that Mitt Romney needs every vote possible in Iowa.

Fortunately, Mitt Romney has a disciplined campaign strategy and an efficient and large ground team in Iowa. Even his son Josh and his family visited all 99 Iowa counties (an impressive feat). Still, Mitt needs as much help as he can get. So if you are from Iowa, or know someone to whom your can e-mail or send this link in Iowa, consider this:

Mitt Romney is the ONLY candidate who represents the three types of conservatives, namely social, economic, and defense conservatives. Furthermore, not only does he represent these three groups, but he is the best man for the job in each of these three areas.

Economic - Mitt has turned many companies around including Staples. He saved the Salt Lake Olympics and left them with an impressive surplus. He turned debt-ridden Massachusetts into a state with a multi-billion dollar surplus and provided more social programs without raising taxes. He supported the Bush tax cuts. Furthermore, the US economy is in massive debt and is experiencing its first major rival in years (China). What other candidate out there has even half the economic experience that Mitt does? Not one.

Defense - Mitt Romney wants to spend more on military (around 4% of the GDP). He wants to do this without raising taxes. He wants to finish what was started in Iraq and believes strongly in the war against terror. He wants to make safer borders and beef up security against illegal immigration. He wants to keep a close eye on Iran and other threats to peace in the world.

Social - Mitt is against abortion and gay-marriage. Some say that he flip-flopped on these issues but they need to get their facts straight. For example, Mitt was for gay-rights, but not gay-marriage (two TOTALLY different issues). Mitt is for strong families and is a living example of what he believes. He boasts a large family with a beautiful wife (never divorced), five upstanding sons and daughters-in-law, and a troop of grandchildren. Mitt's family is a shining example of strong families and Mitt wishes the same family ties that he enjoys for all Americans.

Make your vote count. Remember, the Iowa Republican primary is a secret ballot. If you vote for one of the candidates who has little support (Thompson, McCain, Giuliani), you are basically wasting your vote, as the winner of Iowa takes ALL its delegates. If you vote Huckabee, you are only doing one of two things. You are either handing the nomination over to Rudy Giuliani, or you are ensuring a democratic victory (as Huckabee would lose big in the national election). If either of these things happen, the issues that Republicans hold dear will not be represented. Mitt is the only candidate who provides the full-package and who has the broad appeal and funding to beat the Democrats.

Vote Mitt Romney for a better America (and in my case, a better Canada, as we are greatly affected by what goes on south of the border).

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God Loves Romney More than He Does Huckabee

Yes, the title is a pretty bold statement. You might be thinking to yourself "well gee, that's a pretty strong/quasi-sac religious statement....who would be POMPOUS enough to say that?" Well actually, Mike Huckabee would be 'that guy'.

During this election, Huck has eluded many times to the fact that he is God's "chosen" candidate and attributes his recent surge in Iowa and in other states to God's pure love for him and dislike for the other candidates who aren't worthy enough to unloose the latchet of Huck's shoes (Luke 3:16). Here are just a FEW quotes chosen from MANY that Huck has said:

When Liberty University Chancellor Jerry Falwell Jr. introduced Republican presidential candidate Gov. Mike Huckabee at Wednesday’s convocation, he said Huckabee told university leaders during a visit here last year that “if this candidacy really took off it would have to be a God thing.”

In a brief question-and-answer period after his talk, one student asked Huckabee what he can attribute the surge in success to. Huckabee replied: “There’s only one explanation for it and it’s not a human one. It’s the same power that felt that … two fish and five loaves could feed a crowd of 5,000 people. … There literally are thousands of people across this country who are praying that little would become much and it has.” Here is the video after the jump:



So now that Romney has vaulted past Huck in the polls, by Huck's own logic, God must love the Mormon Mitt more than him. I wonder what Mikey did to lose all his Luckabee? The point is that Mike Huckabee never gives us a reason to vote for him. The crux of his whole campaign is that he is God's candidate, supported by arguably funny one-liners, meaningless ads with no substance (just jokes), and dodging the discussion of almost any important issue that he's asked about. Mike Huckabee is NOT God's candidate. God does not bow to the will of the Great Huck. If this guy hasn't yet scared off the majority of genuine God fearing and loving people, there is a disturbing level of religious bias and bigotry in America and the constitution and very foundation of why America was created is being completely mocked. The site Red State put it best when they said:

"If God is helping and has chosen Huckabee, does that mean by supporting another candidate I am fighting against God? And what if Huckabee loses to Romney, does that mean God changed his mind and now supports Mormon candidates over Baptist ones? Or does it mean that whoever outperforms Huckabee is actually stronger than God?"

Honestly, I don't believe that God loves any one candidate more than the other. We are all his children and he loves us all. It just never ceases to amaze me that Mike Huckabee will say ANYTHING to get a vote.

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Huckabee, time to pull out the checkbook and pay gramma for the rubdown

Marketwatch did a write up this morning entitled "Romney vaults Huckabee in Iowa polls" which made me chuckle a bit. The reason this is so fantastic is not only because Mitt is finally getting his moment in the sun (well snow if I know Iowa) but it's more Huckabee's reaction that I love.

What would you do if the person you'd been leading all of the sudden is in front of you? Do you step up your campaigning, do you try to highlight the topics that you feel are your strong points and his weak points, do you out smart your opponent with cunning strategies of the likes Iowa ain't nevah seen? Nope, not if your Huckabee, you just call your opponent dumb and tell him he can't read good. Well, so to speak.

Huckabee has blamed his falling on Romney being "dishonest" and "desperate", also popular is the if I was rich as you, then this would be different plea that we all know and love from the days of poor hockey performance being blamed on the rental skates and not the fact that the guy doesn't have a wristshot.

So "Huckabee, who claims Romney is outspending him 20-1 in Iowa, is relying on an informal network of evangelicals, home-schoolers, hunters and economic conservatives who, like him, want to replace the income tax with a national sales tax." Now a few things stand out to me. First, there's an underground network of home-schoolers!? That's amazing in its own right but the idea that they, along with the underground hunter scene will sway the election is something I hadn't anticipated.

Pretty much, if Huckabee's reaction to the poll changes doesn't save him, his only chance is to signal the Chuck Norris..../cue the bat-esque sign Ed, it's time for a roundhouse kick in the 8th dimension. Huckabee's is probably ahead in that dimension.


Quotes from -
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/nation/politics/bal-te.iowa31dec31,0,5847918.story
http://www.theage.com.au/news/world/romney-too-rich-for-me-huckabee-wails/2007/12/31/1198949742016.html
http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-campaign31dec31,1,5301685.story?coll=la-politics-campaign

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Mitt Romney - The Comeback Kid

Just a few short weeks ago, Mike Huckabee came out of nowhere and rocketed to the top of the polls in Iowa. He implied on many occasions that the reason for his success is that God wanted him to win. He kept this lead for a while, until now, when the latest polls are showing Mitt Romney with as much as a 9 point lead in Iowa (but an overall average of a 0.6% lead).

Poll	Date	Romney	Huckabee	McCain	Thompson	Giuliani	Paul	Spread
RCP Average	12/26 - 12/29	28.2	27.6	11.4	11.0	6.2	6.2	Romney +0.6
Zogby	12/26 - 12/29	28	29	11	8	8	8	Huckabee +1.0
American Res. Group	12/26 - 12/28	32	23	11	7	6	6	Romney +9.0
Mason-Dixon	12/26 - 12/28	27	23	13	14	5	5	Romney +4.0
Strategic Vision (R)	12/26 - 12/27	27	29	14	15	4	4	Huckabee +2.0
Quad City Times	12/26 - 12/27	27	34	8	11	8	8	Huckabee +7.0

Well Mikey boy, as the Lord giveth He taketh away thy lead (not that God would ever support a religious bigot who has a tainted past full of deceit anyway). Mitt has not only closed up the gap, but has even surpassed Huckabee (I guess by Huckabee's logic that means that God loves Romney more. It's about time that people realized that voting for Huckabee is the surest and fastest way to give Rudolph Giuliani the nomination. Listen to the following quotes from Huck's campaign manager regarding the fact that Huck and his team think that Reagan's conservative coalition is dead (taken from an article written by Elect Romney in 2008) after the jump:


Campaign Chairman Says Reagan Legacy “Doesn’t Mean A Whole Lot” “All along, Mitt Romney has wisely run as the only candidate who represents all three legs of the ‘three legged stool’ that is the Republican coalition. For those of us who believe it is imperative to preserve the Reagan coalition, Rollins’ pronouncement is almost an argument to vote for Mitt Romney.” – Townhall’s Matt Lewis (Matt Lewis, “Rollins: Reagan Coalition Is Done,” Townhall, Posted 12/29/07)

Gov. Huckabee’s Campaign Chairman Declared The Reagan Coalition Dead: Gov. Huckabee’s Campaign Chair Ed Rollins: The Reagan Coalition Of Social, Fiscal, And Defense Conservatives “Doesn’t Mean A Whole Lot To People Anymore.” Huckabee Campaign Chairman Ed Rollins: “The breakup of what was the Reagan coalition — social conservatives, defense conservatives, anti-tax conservatives — it doesn’t mean a whole lot to people anymore.” (David Kirkpatrick, “Shake, Rattle And Roil The Grand Ol’ Coalition,” The New York Times, 12/30/07)

Rollins On The Reagan Coalition: “It’s Gone.” “[Huckabee’s] success is setting off a debate in his party over whether his success marks the fading of the old Reaganite conservative coalition — social conservatives, anti-tax activists and advocates of a muscular defense — or, rather, offers a chance for its rejuvenation. ‘It’s gone,’ said Ed Rollins, who once worked as President Reagan’s political director and recently became Mr. Huckabee’s national campaign chairman.” (David Kirkpatrick, “Shake, Rattle And Roil The Grand Ol’ Coalition,” The New York Times, 12/30/07)

Rollins: Some Parts Of Reagan Coalition May “Go By The Wayside.” “‘It is a time for a whole new coalition — that is the key,’ he said, adding that some part of the original triad might ‘go by the wayside.’” (David Kirkpatrick, “Shake, Rattle And Roil The Grand Ol’ Coalition,” The New York Times, 12/30/07)

Huckabee is trying to destroy the most powerful coalition created by Republicans, which Ronald Reagan himself claimed would win time and time again against the Democrats. Notice the the democrats basically leave Huckabee alone, instead targeting Mitt Romney in their criticism? Hmmmmm....could they be trying to leave themselves low hanging fruit (Huck) to pick during the national election? They know as well as the rest of us that the conservative coalition is the only thing that can beat them and that Mitt Romney not only has the potential to unite it (because of his policies) but also has the desire to do so. The following quotes from the same site mentioned above support the fact that Mitt Romney not only believes in, but is trying to unite the three legged conservative stool together:

Gov. Romney Aims To Keep The Reagan Coalition United:
Townhall’s Matt Lewis: “Rollins’ Pronouncement Is Almost An Argument To Vote For Mitt Romney.” “All along, Mitt Romney has wisely run as the only candidate who represents all three legs of the ‘three legged stool’ that is the Republican coalition. For those of us who believe it is imperative to preserve the Reagan coalition, Rollins’ pronouncement is almost an argument to vote for Mitt Romney.” (Matt Lewis, “Rollins: Reagan Coalition Is Done,” Townhall, Posted 12/29/07)

National Review:
“Romney Is A Full-Spectrum Conservative.” “Our guiding principle has always been to select the most conservative viable candidate. In our judgment, that candidate is Mitt Romney, the former governor of Massachusetts. Unlike some other candidates in the race, Romney is a full-spectrum conservative: a supporter of free-market economics and limited government, moral causes such as the right to life and the preservation of marriage, and a foreign policy based on the national interest.” (Editorial, “Romney For President,” National Review, 12/11/07)

Gov. Mitt Romney:
We Need To Unite “Social Conservatives, Economic Conservatives And Defense Conservatives.”

GOV. ROMNEY: “I believe that to win the White House that our candidate has to be somebody who can represent and speak for all three legs of the conservative stool or conservative coalition that Ronald Reagan put together – social conservatives, economic conservatives and defense conservatives.” (Gov. Mitt Romney, Press Availability, Grand Rapids, MI, 10/13/07)

As the Iowa primary rapidly approaches, many are realizing that Mitt is the only man who can win for the Republicans and save us all from higher taxes, inefficiency of government programs, weak border control and military against the war on terror, and an economy slipping into recession. Vote Mitt in 2008!

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