Update on GOP Senate Fight - Nevada

In my earlier column, Republicans Will Take Senate?, I laid out the logistics behind a senate upset by the GOP, namely in two western states: Washington and Nevada. As of the latest CNN/Time poll, Real Clear Politics shows a tie in the state on average and has moved it into the Republican Victory column in their "No Toss Up" calculations. This means that Real Clear Politics, as of October 6th, does not project Harry Reid as being able to win re-election in Nevada.

Harry Reid is plagued with problems. In the Senate, in Nevada, even in his own home. The man's falling numbers are a direct sign of those troubles. Sharon Angle, Tea Party candidate (and one of the first big wins nationwide in the primaries), is currently tied with Reid at 43.5%, but she has all the momentum heading into October, and she is gaining traction in the polls where Reid is losing everything.

In line with my earlier predictions, I believe Nevada is accurately placed into the (R) column, and will be party to the movement aimed at correcting the focus and reach of our government.

Go Sharon Go!

Tea Partiers are More Educated and Angrier than the Average American

The New York Times, as reported by MSNBC, has let the cat out of the bag about the redneck racist revolutionaries running and supporting the tea party: "Tea party supporters are wealthier and more well-educated than the general public, tend to be Republican, white, male, and married, and their strong opposition to the Obama administration is more rooted in political ideology than anxiety about their personal economic situation"

Does this mean that the liberal left is going to stop pushing the 'Racist Tea Party' talking points, or the 'uneducated gun toting redneck' talking points? Most likely not.

Though they, being the left, fail to see the irony in the educated leaders of this country revolting in general angst over the direction of the federal government, they can no longer ignore us!

Recent polling indicates that more people identify with the tea party movement than with the direction Obama is taking the country. More people align with the policies of the Tea Partiers, the policies of liberty, than with the leftist agenda in D.C. And the liberal left is grudgingly reporting these as "surprising results" - surprising because we have been ridiculed as racist idiotic rednecks for over a year now... The truth shall set you free!

I proudly identify with the liberty movement in America. I am a proud advocate for limited government and responsible local government. I think that a great political awakening is beginning to take place, and that folks are starting to see that the change for change's sake is bad, simply supporting the lesser of two evils is worse, and politics as usual is simply no longer acceptable.

Vive La Liberte!

Obama's Opinion Polling Survey Czar

A little Tuesday Humor

Obama Polls indicate ~5% less popular than Bush

The great Savior and Messiah is in a bit of a pickle. RCP Poll averages for this week have Obama's approval ratings at an all time low, and dropping fast! His current average is 51.8% Approval, with 42% disapproval.

During the period of Aug 24 - Aug 26th of Bush's first term, he ranked as 55% approval with only 36% disapproval.

Obama, in late August of his first term is LESS POPULAR than George W Bush, and MORE PEOPLE DISAPPROVE with his job as President.

Obama's poll numbers place him behind Jimmy Carter, Reagan, Bush Sr., and GW Bush at this same time in August of their first term (Ford excluded because he replaced Nixon mid-term). Obama is only slightly more popular than Clinton, with disapproval numbers about the same.

What this means for Obama is that, barring some national crisis that bumps his numbers, he is on pace to be the worst president in recent history.

Way to go there, Slugger!

I bet you HOPE public opinion could be CHANGEd... not with the crap you're ramming down our throats. More likely you will have to assume dictatorial powers to crush opposition to your pathetic government.

If the "go-it-alone" approach in Iraq was such a bad idea for Bush, what makes you think it will work in America on Health Care or any other bill?

You would be better off setting the cruise control and waiting for 2010 and 2012 to come and wipe your mistakes away.

GOP Ahead in Polls, but...

Real Clear Politics latest generic congressional poll shows that the Republican Party holds a 5 point lead over the Democrats, and that on average, the two parties are neck in neck... a far cry from a year ago when Democrats were enjoying a nearly 20 point advantage...

However, headlines such as "Harry Reid may lose seat to Republican Challenger" are meaningless when a vote for Republicans is nothing more than an opposition vote! The GOP has done little to resolve the issues with its leadership since the major whooping it was given in November of 2008. There has been much wound licking, but little actual realization at the top of the party ticket, leading me to believe that, should there be another Presidential election tomorrow, the GOP would still be inclined to run a horrible McCain style candidate and campaign.

What has not been realized is the one thing that is going to be overshadowed by the sudden popularity of the GOP - Consistent Message about Small Government.

The formula is simple: When Democrats act like Republicans they win, when Republicans act like Democrats they lose. Simpler yet, when either party stands against the growth of government, they are the victor - and it usually happens when they are in the minority.

Yes - if we sweep out the new Democrats and replace them with a Republican majority, there would be no change... NO CHANGE.

Sure, the topic of discussion may vary a little, however, the substance would remain the same... "How can we grow government to control one or more aspects of your life in order to obtain our objective?"

Where the GOP stands to make gains is to openly and honestly declare that THEY are the prescription for the ailment that is overbearing government. The GOP MUST make measurable steps in reducing the size of the government, returning it to a subordinate to the people.

The GOP leadership, in order to maintain a permanent majority, must set out a road map to liberty - a plan to return the country to the free men. They must sell this plan to the public, and follow through on every word. What would such a plan look like?

There must be a solid plan to eliminate government programs and agencies which are cancerous, including the Federal Reserve, the Department of Education, and other such money pits.

There must be an increased awareness of the role of the states and the people, stressing the importance of state governments to take the responsibilities to support programs which are needed/wanted by their residents.

There must be a clear message that "Compassionate Conservatism", or forced neoconservatism is over. We must be the party of liberty, not a forced social agenda. We need to draw the line in the sand on forced lifestyles! If we can differentiate ourselves here, we pick up a permanent majority.

As I have said in previous posts, the era of thinking that "our worst is still better than their best" is done. We need to define our message, stay on message, and support leaders for their ability to lead on that message - not merely because there is an R or a D after their name... We must break this style of thinking, and in doing so, we must show competency in our own ability to hold the public trust in a manner that leads to liberty.

Anything less is criminal. Anything less is merely more of the same.

DEWEY DEFEATS TRUMAN - The Problem with Polling

To understand why Obama is leading in the polls, read through the polling numbers, all the way to the bottom - there is a disclaimer: "For polling data released during the week of October 19-25, 2008, the partisan weighting targets used by Rasmussen Reports will be 39.7% Democratic, 33.0% Republican, and 27.3% unaffiliated."

In this Rasmussen poll, Obama has a +4% lead over John McCain - but the poll would indicate that Democrats were polled at a higher rate of 40% to Republican's 33% - a 7% advantage.

Is there any wonder why Obama is ahead in the polls?

And what is NOT being reported by the polls - IBD polling reports Obama up by 5% nationally... which is what the headline would read across the nation - but what the headline SHOULD read is that 12% of Americans are UNDECIDED two weeks before the vote!

This is not the first time that polling has given false results. Consider the following historical image:

In 1948, polls showed Dewey as the favorite in all polls - unfortunately, the polls were conducted by telephone, and at that time, not every household had telephones. It was an historical fudge on the order of the 2000 call of Florida for Gore before voting was even finished in the panhandle!

These polls are a farce, being used to undermine a clear victory by John McCain by convincing the consumers of the nation that Obama had won, and that McCain must have stolen the election. The attempts by the media are clear, and disturbing. Confuse the people into anger - then send the angry people into the streets to protest our form of government - perhaps an attempt to kill the electoral college system in favor of a populist vote - which the founders where clearly against! Populism is the killer of freedom!

Swing States: Swinging for McCain/Palin!

Rasmussen/Fox polls in key swing states shows the change in momentum between the two presidential campaigns. The poll indicated that McCain closed the gap on 3 point Obama Lead, to come out ahead by 2% - a 5 point swing toward the McCain campaign in the state of Colorado.

Real Clear Politics also shows that the PPP (D) poll, favoring Obama by 4 points now favors Obama by only 1 point in Colorado - well within the margin of error of that poll.

Obama's campaign is losing steam in many key swing states - most notably Pennsylvania, with 21 electoral votes. If McCain can swing Pennsylvania, Obama will be unable to catch him in the electoral count. Taking a look at the breakdown in Pennsylvania, Obama is holding the core Democrat vote, but losing with unaffiliated voters by 23 points (55% - 32%). What is most notable in this state is that McCain is making his gains while Obama is holding steady, indicating (as noted above) that unaffiliated voters are swinging for John McCain and Sarah Palin in the Keystone State.

Another key state in this race, Florida, has moved from the "toss up" category, to the "Leaning McCain" category, indicating a favor for McCain of more than 5% on the average - a great number for McCain!

A look at other swing states shows a trend that should have the Obama campaign moving into crisis mode.

Minnesota (10) - Obama's 12 point lead dwindles to a tie in the latest polls - Obama lead by 1% on average.

New Mexico (5) - CNN poll indicated Obama's lead post Palin was 13%, now Rasmussen indicates a McCain 2% lead in the state. Unable to determine the average in that state.

Michigan (17) - An Obama 5 point spread has been cut to a 2 point spread for Obama - indicating a McCain surge in that state.

Missouri (11) - The "Show Me" State is showing a liking for McCain/Palin, moving from the toss-up category into McCain's category, indicating 11 electoral votes for the Big Mac and the Cuda.

Washington (11) - Though Obama is still leading this state, McCain is showing a surge in the Evergreen state, while Obama is showing slipping poll numbers. Is Washington going to end up in play in 2008?

The fact of the matter is that, even with the media squarely supporting Obama - and making no secret of it - the Obama campaign is in disarray. The LA Times' Jonah Goldberg suggests that Obama's inexperience is beginning to show, indicating that Obama has never run a successful campaign against a Republican opponent. He also reports that the Obama camp has vowed 4 other times to face off and fight dirty against McCain, but come up short and with the same message that is not working: McCain is too close to Bush - making him McSame. This message is a good talking point for Democrat Core voters, but it is not catching on with Independent and unaffiliated voters. Why?

Lieberman's endorsement indicates that McCain is appealing to independent voters, and continually stumps that McCain stood up against Bush on issues, like the surge.

The Palin pick indicates that McCain is ready to embark on a reform conquest in Washington, picking the most popular Governor in the US, who is a known outsider and reformer. The attacks on Palin by the media and the left (I repeat myself) have backfired, showing significant support for the Alaskan Governor - indicating that the media is not only in Obama's camp, but out of touch with the voters.

If the 2008 Republican Primary taught us anything, it is that McCain is a strong finisher, bringing out the big guns when it matters. He has done that with the Palin pick, and he is doing that with the direct push towards Obama's inexperience.

If the McCain Palin bump is over, like the MSM reported yesterday, it is definitely not a burst bubble, but a new plateau. The Obama campaign, however, continues to plummet in national and state polls. With 49 days left to go, anything can happen - but the outlook is not so good for Obama.

McCain in the Polls - the Palin Bump is Killing Obama

Barack Obama's moment in the limelight may quickly be coming to an end. 30+ Million viewers watched his historic acceptance speech in his extravagantly constructed Greek Theatre on Thursday August 28th.

But then came August 29th - what will likely be known as Obama's Black Friday.

McCain made an announcement that would send shock waves through the political world - He named a little known, but highly effective reform Governor from the "tiny" state of Alaska as his running mate.

Instead of replaying the Obama speech on a loop all day Friday, Obama's speech was nowhere to be found. Instead, the news media was frantically trying to cover a HUGE story about someone they knew NOTHING about. They were left grasping at straws, trying to make a story - any story... and they ended up feeling the big hurt because of it. Their anointed one was no longer the story.

Sarah Palin, the first woman on the GOP ticket, gave her acceptance speech after 5 days of constant press coverage - to an audience of 30+ Million... even though she was covered by four less networks.

It would appear that McCain chose correctly.

And McCain's acceptance speech - one week after Obama's visual and oratory dream - received more viewership than Obama.

The game had clearly been changed - and all of Obama's attacks about making a poor choice for VP, and a week of comparing his record to that of the GOP VP nominee eliminated a commanding lead in the polls and in the headlines of all the major news outlets.

Obama's choice of Biden was intended to show strength through experience - but it showed a poor choice in planning for the future of the Democratic Party.

McCain's choice of Palin was intended to show reform through ethics and values - and hit the nail on the head.

Obama's failure to foresee McCain's strategy, and his clamoring in the week and a half since Palin was named as the VP have weakened his standing with the independents, the youth, the experienced - pretty much anyone outside of the "tow-the-line" Democratic Party.

Gallup reported yesterday on the swing heard around the world - a 9 point gain for McCain and a 4 point drop for Obama in two weeks - that is a 13 point swing in McCain's favor since the conventions kicked off. Gallup is not alone. As you can see in the attached graphic, McCain is tied or leading Obama in the selection of polls making up the RCP average, giving McCain a 1.2 point national advantage over Obama, representing an average swing of 8 points nationally in McCain's favor.

Sarah Palin represents a few things -

1. The strength of the "Every Woman" movement. This is different than the other wing of the feminist movement, where-in women have to become men to compete with them. The 'Every Woman' feminist is one who represents strength AND femininity. This is the Hockey Mom/Soccer Mom crowd.

2. Vitality. Her youth and endurance represent the future of a party - one who is capable of growth and leadership over a lengthy term of service.

3. Reform. When McCain picked Palin, he made the message loud and clear - The Republican Ticket was a reform ticket! Palin has cut the throats of corrupt Republicans with the ease of a warm knife in butter, and with a smile on her face. It is this same drive for a clean government that invigorates the voters who are desperate for a different kind of politician. They feel that they have that more with Palin on the GOP ticket than the duo of Obama/Biden.

For the time being, the Underdog campaign of John McCain has been boosted with the strength of Wonder-Woman. Scoring 54% in the USA/Gallup poll indicates that the independent voter may be willing to make a bet on the future by way of a reformed conservative movement, rather than a party representing the changing style of our society.

The Palin Bump has hit the polls - and even though she is number two on the ticket, there are many voters now decidedly supporting a "Palin/McCain" White House.

OBAMA a FLOP: Say Anything to Get Elected

In yet another dramatic flip-flop on his original policy, Barack Hussein Obama now says he is in favor of fully funding the space program – a program which was to be on the chopping block for his proposed budget so as to support his socialized federal education plan.

This is another prime example of why Obama is unfit to lead this country – he is so unsure as to his own beliefs and his own direction, that he is constantly changing policy at the whims of the masses. This is a guy willing to say anything to get an applause… which further begs the Question: Who the Hell is this guy, anyway?

This is another story that is not going to get picked up by the MSM… another flop that will be ignored… and ultimately Obama’s plan for space will be heralded by the MSM as innovative and forward thinking… Never mind that his core belief is that the US does not need a space program as much as it needs federalized education! In fact, as we speak the records of Obama’s plans for space and education are being scrubbed from all websites and news reports… typical of Orwellian tyrants – changing history to always appear on the right.

Unfortunately for the power hungry elites, such as Obama, the masses have the resolve to educate and communicate. We will work at our level to ensure the truth is never erased.

Let’s take a closer look at Obama’s notable flops:

The Washington Post reported on Feb 25th, 2008 their top 5 flops from Obama –
1. Special Interests – regarding donations accepted from Unions (a point he used to tople John Edwards’ campaign)
2. Public Financing – which he has now completely flopped on, taking millions in untracked small donations (less than $20 does not need to be tracked – a loophole that can allow a single entity to untrack multiple $20 donations to the sums of millions – which technically is very illegal)
3. The Cuba embargo – in 2004 he declared that it was a failed policy, but in 2007 talking to voters in Miami he declared that it was an effective tool – to the cheers of the masses.
4. Illegal immigration – he was first opposed to going after employers, then in a 2008 debate he was for going after employers, a complete reversal
5. Decriminalization of Marijuana – while speaking to college students he opposed laws making pot illegal, but flopped during his presidential bid stating that he supported laws making pot illegal.

Since that article, Obama has begun flip-flopping on so many issues it is hard to keep track of. Three major flops that represent a sprint to the middle:

Offshore Drilling – since Pelosi turned out the lights on Republicans, and polls began to show that the GOP was in the right to get the vote on exploratory drilling, Obama has now changed his position to line up with the polls, supporting the Republican mantra of “Drill here, drill now”.

Iraq/Afghanistan – vehemently opposed to the war, Obama now is stating that he will take the advice of the generals on the ground to ensure victory in Iraq, and he is calling for a massive troop build-up in Afghanistan to end the violence in that country (so much for being the anti-war candidate)

Space Exploration – while addressing voters in the space state, Florida, Obama made his most recent flop stating that he will now fully fund NASA, and will not push to mothball the Constellation Moon program of Bush.

The Associated Press adds to the list:

On Iraq, Obama said Thursday that his upcoming trip there might lead him to refine his promise to quickly remove U.S. troops from the war.

He now supports broader authority for the government's eavesdropping program and legal immunity for telecommunications companies that participated in it, after opposing a similar bill last year.

After the Supreme Court overturned the District of Columbia's gun ban, the handgun-control proponent said he favors both an individual's right to own a gun as well as government's right to regulate ownership.

Obama became the first major-party candidate to reject public financing for the general election after earlier promises to accept it.

He not only embraced but promised to expand Bush's program to give more anti-poverty grants to religious groups, a split with Democratic orthodoxy.

He objected to the Supreme Court's decision outlawing the death penalty for child rapists, even though he has been anti-capital punishment.

Obama also said "mental distress" should not count as a health exception that would permit a late-term abortion, saying "it has to be a serious physical issue," addressing a matter considered crucial to abortion rights activists.

Campaign promises that are in direct conflict with his core beliefs… Obama is on a series stumps where he is going on the record, publicly flip-flopping… where John Kerry was labelled a flip-flop for the smallest changes, Obama takes the game to a whole new level.

The carelessness and ease in these policy changes should be a warning flag to anyone considering voting in the 2008 presidential election. A candidate with no strong core beliefs, with no values, with nothing more than popular polls guiding his every decision is a candidate who will do nothing to bring change to the nation.

Barack Obama is a sham candidate – completely unprepared to take an executive post – completely unprepared to take a stand and defend it on principle. He has no principles, he stands for nothing.

Colorado: Obama or McCain?

The Quinnipiac University polls shows McCain, the presumptive Republican nominee, the top choice among 46 percent of likely Colorado voters. Democrat Barack Obama is the top choice among 44 percent of likely voters. A month ago, Obama had an easy 5 point lead over McCain.

This is at the same time when Democratic candidate for Senate in Colorado blew a 10 point lead in the polls to Republican Bob Schaffer, now polling within the margin of error of Udall.

"Not surprisingly, Obama's strength is in the Denver/Boulder precincts where he leads almost two-to-one, while he trails everywhere else in the state. As the presidential race has tilted a bit toward McCain, GOP Senate candidate Bob Schaffer has moved into a dead heat after trailing Democrat Mark Udall by 10 points a month ago," Brown said. "

The poll shows that Democrats are taking hits because of the price of gasoline... This may or may not be the case (see my previous post on "who is to blame"), but the continuous Democratic talking points stating that high gas prices are good for us because it is demanding alternative means of energy production does not sit well with the voters - however true that statement is. The Democrats are coming out as "out-of-touch" with the reality of the voters, that it is impossible for us to maintain this gas spending even after we have cut back to driving to work only... it hurt at $2.00 a gallon - it kills at $4.00 a gallon... and when some are saying that they wish the prices would continue to increase (droping consumption, and stopping Global Warming). Meanwhile, the price of oil has dropped $20 a barrell since President Bush announced the repeal of the Executive Order banning deep sea offshore drilling. If Congress followed suit, I could foresee oil futures dropping well below $80 a barrel within weeks of such an announcement. Current oil prices are a result of lack of exploration, and the fact that all known sources of oil are going to be depleted within 40-60 years...

But this is not just a Colorado trend. Across the nation, Democrats are taking big hits in these early polls, which they usually do well in up to about November 3rd... Other swing state results in which McCain is closing the gap are:

• Colorado: McCain is up by a nose 46 - 44 percent, compared to a 49 - 44 percent Obama lead June 26;
  
• Michigan: Obama tops McCain 46 - 42 percent, compared to a 48 - 42 percent lead last time;
  
• Minnesota: Obama edges ahead 46 - 44 percent, compared to a 54 - 37 percent Obama lead;
  
• Wisconsin: Obama leads McCain 50 - 39 percent, compared to 52 - 39 percent.

Democrats were winning on the energy issue as recently as April -- convincing voters that their recipe for alternative fuels, wind and solar energy, was the best solution for America's future, public opinion guru Floyd Ciruli said this morning.

"Then it shifted in April, when gasoline hit $4 a gallon," said Ciruli, who heads Ciruli & Associates of Denver.

Suddenly, the pain at the gas pump was so acute that most voters moved away from the idealistic view of an American energy diet and looked for who to blame for the high prices, he said.

They chose the Democrats, who've opposed drilling off shore and in the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge, in the name of environmental sustainability.

Voters in each of the four battleground states support off-shore drilling and drilling in the Alaskan National Wildlife Refuge — activities that McCain supports but Obama opposes. In Colorado, the margin is 52 percent to 44 percent.

This is great news for Republicans, and shows a trend that favors economics and energy issues beginning to dominate the political spectrum - namely because of the successes in Iraq. If the GOP can put a stamp on the success in Iraq, claim it as their own, put the emphasis back on Osama Bin Laden and Afghanistan with a security policy in that region - the Democrats will surely lose. Their success since 2006 has been based on a referendum on Iraq... With Iraq off the table, the GOP stands to bounce back - for the following reasons:

- We have the best policy for plausible energy alternatives, and ending the immediate energy crisis
- We have the best economic recovery plan, one that does NOT include raising taxes (Mr Obama)
- We have the best plan for active conservation of our national parks, as opposed to the radical policy that has lead to the death of large percentages of forests, etc
- We have the best plan for foreign policy - Peace through strength
- We have the best plan for education

Applying small government solutions to these problems is the best way to solve problems.

Rudy, Huckabee beat Clinton; Romeny loses to Clinton in Colorado

Rasmussen Reports conducted a survey in Colorado at the end of November, gathering data on head to head match-ups. The match-ups were related to the Senate race between Schaffer and Udall, as well as head to head presidential preferences in a Rudy/Clinton, Huckabee/Clinton, Romney/Clinton, McCain Clinton match-up.

The results:

Schaffer leads Udall in the senate race, 42% to 41%.

Rudy Beats Hillary: 44% - 40%
McCain Beats Clinton: 44% - 40%
Huckabee Beats Clinton: 42% - 41%
Romney Loses to Clinton: 40% - 43%

Remember, it all comes down to picking up electoral votes in the general election. Who is REALLY electable? Look at which states they stand to lose or gain from the 2004 electoral map.

From Colorado's standpoint, Rudy, McCain, and Huckabee stand to hold Colorado, while Romney would deliver Colorado to Clinton.

If there are any more state head-to-heads, please let me know. I would like to build an electoral map based off these head to head match-ups.

Cheers!

Straw Poll Results, and the new field of GOP candidates

For starters, congratulations to Mike Huckabee and Tom Tancredo for incredible finishes in the Iowa Straw Poll! Mike's 2nd place finishing was needed to give his candidacy the legitimacy it deserves in the main stream... of course the contest is being downplayed because Rudy-the-Elite and Sinking-Ship-McCain were not participating.

What this does show is that of the "other" candidates, who spent about 1/10th of what Mitt Romney spent, we could bring in very strong support.

The results are as follows:
1. Mitt Romney –32 percent
2. Mike Huckabee – 18 percent
3. Sam Brownback – 15 percent
4. Tom Tancredo – 14 percent
5. Ron Paul – 9 percent
6. Tommy Thompson — 7 percent
7. Fred Thompson – 1 percent
8. Rudolph W. Giuliani – 1 percent
9. Duncan Hunter – 1 percent
10. John McCain (less than 1 percent)
11. John Cox (less than 1 percent)
The vote totals for the top three:
Mr. Romney — 4,516 votes;
Mr. Huckabee — 2,587;
Mr. Brownback – 2,192

What does this mean to the field of GOP candidates?

As I predicted after the Iowa Debates one week ago, Tommy Thompson was one of the first to take the fall and withdraw from the race. His campaign was convinced that they would have a strong second place finish in Ames... but after a poor 6th place showing he made good on his promise to leave the race - leaving us with his blunt candor: "I'm outta the race"

Of course my prediction was that Duncan Hunter would be the first to go, and with a 9th place finish tallying less votes than Rudy and Fred Thompson (about 150 total votes), I am sure that it was a waiting game to see how the other less than favorable candidates reacted. Within the next few days, I would expect to see Mr. Hunter also withdraw.

Mike Huckabee's stellar 2nd place finish has motivated his base to move forward and continue to push past the other candidates, joining the front-runners.

What is troubling is that the numbers that Brownback was able to muster have done more to motivate his base as well... so the "Holy Warrior" will most likely fight on, bringing his bag of dirty tricks along with him.

And the biggest winner of the poll was Congressman Tom Tancredo, with a 4th place finish. I am on the Team Tancredo mailing list, and the campaign is buzzing with excitement over the finish... I don't blame them! I wonder how many more debates Tom will spend in the wings of the stage? Well, with the field dwindling before the next debate, maybe he will be put to the side... But his strong message on border security and ensuring that America is a safe, English speaking, American-first nationalist place to live will continue on.

The funny thing is that I think that McCain's finish about where it would have been in Iowa even if he HAD spent some of his blown $25 million there... with his constant snubbing of Iowa, I am confused as to why they even let him into the state!

As for the results, farewell Sir Thompson. Your candidness will be missed. And may I be the first to say to you, Sir Hunter, thank you for support of the military, and best of luck to you in your future endeavors.

Here is to the new, leaner list of GOP Candidates...

God Bless

Registered Republicans Undecided

The latest AP-Ipsos Poll shows that the New leader in the Republican Primary is:




NONE OF THE ABOVE



25% of the vote when asked which of the candidate (Rudy Giuliani, Fred Thompson, John McCain, Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich, Mike Huckabee, or Sam Brownback) went to the "Other, Not Sure, None" categories... which can only mean that the media's focus on candidates that are not electable must have some deeper meaning. (i.e. all the Rudy McRomney talk is not allowing other candidates to shine on their differing viewpoints)


The same poll shows that Clinton is clearly the front runner for the Democrats...

I feel like I am stuck in an old Richard Pryor movie, Brewster's Millions, where he is running a campaign NOT to elect a candidate... instead voting for "None of the Above"...

Of course the premise of that election is that the government officials on the ballot are corrupt, and would not do well in their elected position... Kind of like our current Liberal Media Anointed Republican Hoard... who's poor numbers come from the BASE of the party who realize that these media elite candidates are neither conservative NOR Republican (unless you consider RINO a wing of the Republican Party)

The article continues:

Such discontent with the top-tier could lead Republicans to reconsider
lesser-knowns such as former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee

Now we are getting somewhere... Though Huckabee pulled in 3% of the ~400 Republican votes, 15% were in the "Don't Know/Not Sure" category. This means that if Huckabee can come out as a sstrong conservative alternative to the liberal Media Anointed, then we have a chance... So with 15% unsure, there is plenty of room to break out!

Two months ago, the "Undecided Republican" was at less than 14%... Rudy was well ahead of the pack at around 37% nationwide... without much shift in support (except for the Fred Thompson "idea"), Rudy has (rightfully) fallen to 20%... making him a very vulnerable candidate.

This news is very promising... especially as poll after poll excludes the "other" candidates that have a broader appeal to the Conservative base of the Republican Party... so as long as the polls keep asking for you to select between the Media Elite candidates, and keep pushing them as "top tier", I invoke the spirit of Richard Pryor:

VOTE: NONE OF THE ABOVE!

Let's Talk Domestic Issues

Today's issue has to do with four domestic issues that are getting very little discussion time in the Presidential debates. So I did some research on the issues, and have graded 10 candidates, 5 Republicans, 5 Democratics based on my proposed solutions in each category. Please visit OnTheIssues.org for yourself to find more information.


TAXES:
Across the board, citizens believe that they are taxed too much with an often confusing set of tax laws, seemingly set up to confuse them into paying more than their necessary share. Even John Kerry has said, "[When citizens] have to hire another party to prepare their returns, something is not right". Poll after poll nationwide, over the last 4 years, have shown taht nearly all citizens agree that the legislators should focus on spending restraint rather than raising taxes to address budget shortages.

Solution: Presidential candidates should promise to reduce government spending across the board, eliminate dead federal programs, cut beauracracies in the federal government, and cut taxes or support a simpler tax structure for the citizen.

EDUCATION:
When asked about the key problems with the education system, most will repsond "Funding". But it can be shown that a large percent of each stat'es budget goes solely to education. (Federal funding is less tahn 5%, but currently state's are responsible for their own education funding). The problem with funding is NOT the amount, rather the USE of the money. When so much money stalls iat the administration level, never making it to the classroom or to special education programs, therein lies the problem. As well, there is a problem with the structure of authoritiy in schools. Once upon a time, the teacher ruled the classroom... but this is less and less acurate. Teachers are losing authority, and thusly respect, in the classroom which leads to an increase in classroom disruptions.

Solution: Presidential candidates should have a solid track record on education, and the political will to enact sweeping education reform. They should support a financial restructure, as well as reforming the education system with a sweeping Educators Authority Reform.

HEALTHCARE:
Most concerns about healthcare come from high prices of basic care or lack of affordable insurance. Healthcare, I beleive, is a basic right...BUT I beleive that HEALTH is a personal responsibility. The US spends 17% of the GDP on healthcare, where the highest European country spends is no more than 11%. If we reduce our NEED for excessive healthcare, thus reducing the spending across the board to the European levels, the US could afford to pay off the entire national debt in less than 5 years. How do we accomplish this? By taking personal responsibility in your health.Lose the unhelathy weight, get regular exercise, eat healthier, and be healthier! As a society, we need to turn off the TV and turn on the walkman (or iPod), turn off the video games and pick up a frisbee... stop looking to the healthcare system as a reactive helath plan, rather start looking to yourself for a proactive helath plan.

Solution: A presidential candidate must recognize the need for better health across the board, not just reactive health care. They must support healthy living reforms that focus on personal health.

ENERGY:
Rising gas prices, electricity costs, pollution, war... it is all too much! Energy independence has been a talking point for over 30 years, yet no effective or drastic changes have been made. Great Job Lobbyists! You have one-upped us once again! And look where you have gotten us... cars are no more fuel efficient than my mid 80's Toyota (I get about 38mpg), and we are no closer to independence.

Solution: The presidential candidate MUST come out strong on energy independence! We need a sweeping and radical energy plan that will take the money out of the middle east, out of big oil, and clean up the mess the world has gotten itself into. Secondly, we need to take a more personal approach by changing our own habits...Flourescent bulbs, push mowers, adjusting the thermostat a bit...

And now, how do the candidates compare on these issues? You may be very surpised! Remember that I am grading based on these issues alone, with no prejudices based on political leanings or other involvements.

You will see that the positions of the main candidates serves to maintain the current condition, with very little drastic change.

To get anything ACTUALLY accomplished in the next 4-8 years, it is essential that we look to leaders who have sweeping reform plans, across the board. At this point we should be throwing our support behind candidates who have the big ideas, not the big names.

Remember, don't just for change, vote for positive change!

God Bless!

Polling and the 2008 Presidential Race

I would like to first thank my friends at the Huckabee '08 blog for alerting me to this article. Please check their blog for a complete Arkansas based analysis of the results and possible race.

The Rasmussen Reports polls have FINALLY conducted a Huckabee poll, pitting him against Clinton, Obama, and Edwards for 2008. The results? Clinton holds only a single digit lead (Clinton 48% / Huckabee 43%). What this means is that Clinton, who most likely holds the lead on name recognition alone, is within reach of this up and coming candidate. Obama and Edwards were polling higher than Clinton against all candidates in this 800 voter study, 47% of which declared that they definitely would not vote for Hillary. That leave a 10% undecided on the Clinton/Huckabee poll. How to get that 10%? Let Mike talk about education, arts in education, and taxes... and stop ONLY asking him about his religious views in the debates! Enough already - the man is a level headed Christian. Move On!

Regarding the Iowa Straw Polls - WOW... what a choice for the slipping top tier candidates!

Giuliani and McCain have both decided to not participate in the Ames Iowa Straw Poll, and for good reason: Romney is expected to beat them both. A Romney win in those polls would be a BIG hit to their campaign, and a trump for Romney. So what should we expect to see? With Fred Thompson also not participating, we should see a Romney lead with a great showing of support for the other candidates, namely Huckabee!

"No candidate has skipped the straw poll and gone on to win the caucuses in the past 30 years..."
The Ames poll is a huge benchmark test for the nomination, measuring the organization ability and strength of the campaigns, and the fact that two of the "top three" are declining to participate because of an expected poor showing is disappointing. I say, if you are in it to win it, let's see what the PEOPLE think! I mean, honestly, NYTimes polling can only get you so far... Leave it in the hands of the voters, and let's see what the NEW direction of the party is going to be.

One thing that I have been saying for some time now, the "Top Candidates" want nothing more than to maintain the status quo. We need to put some spin on this story and expose the "Top Candidates" for what they are... beatable!