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The funniest thing about the New Hampshire primary was Bill Clinton whining about the media. With signature Clinton audacity, Bill had the stones to complain that the media has not provided the needed scrutiny of Barack Obama. Then Hillary Rodham Clinton tries the tears angle. And considering the many reports indicating a substantial number of voters did not make up their mind more than a few days or even hours before the polls opened, it is not unreasonable to think the polls were not wrong but that NH voters changed their minds in the hours before the vote.

If the polls were right on Obama leading by at least 5 points in NH after a victory in Iowa and he takes second place in NH behind by 3%, again, it is reasonable to conclude with the women’s numbers in NH that the ‘tiny tears’ or mix and match Barbie routine of HRC turned the vote for a narrow Clinton victory. And as for the slick Willie media scrutiny complaint, where are those First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton docs Bill?

The questions and scrutiny of Obama or any other candidate pale in comparison to the scrutiny required of the Clinton scandals, from Whitewater and Vince Foster through TravelGate, the impeachment of the former President, Lewinsky and Norman Hsu as well as the locked up First Lady documents . The Clinton transgressions are getting a walk in another Presidential election. But commenting earlier this month on this blog that Karl Rove was right and HIllary Rodham Clinton is the GOP’s easiest target in a general election gets a boost in NH this week.

With the possible exception of Biden and Dodd dropping out of the race, nothing has really been decided yet. On the Dems side it’s one for Obama and one for Clinton with Edwards edging 2nd in Iowa and third in NH. For the GOP it’s one for Huckabee, one for McCain and one for Romney. That’s right, Romney won the GOP caucus in WY. In the big picture NH may be a psychological and traditional statistical measure for candidates but WY’s 3 electoral votes are nearly as important as NH’s 4 at this point in the campaign. Besides the one quiet state victory for Romney is the 2nd place finish in Iowa and NH although it should be noted that fact alone makes the nomination a tougher objective.

What will make this even more interesting on the GOP side is if Romney takes Michigan, Thompson takes SC and Giuliani takes Florida with his big electoral state strategy. The funny part for the Dems is Clinton has to win Michigan since Obama and Edwards are not on the ballot with the controversy over moving up the date. It is fair to say that for this blog’s candidate, Mitt Romney, the Michigan primary is serious. Here’s a little review from USA Today on the Michigan story.

Next stop on primary schedule: Michigan
By Erin Kelly, Gannett News Service
WASHINGTON — For the presidential candidates who survive New Hampshire, the next stop of the grueling primary season is Jan. 15 in Michigan.

The national committees of both parties are not happy with Michigan’s decision to move the voting date. While rules and regs are important it may illuminate a concern about how much control party politics has over elections that should be decided by citizens, one vote at a time. But then we all know that is not exactly how it works. For all the outrage expressed over questionable elections in other countries there appears to be little effective scrutiny over the way we do such business in this country. But that’s another story for another time.

While it is easy to respect Senator John McCain for his service to country it is not so easy to respect his politics. While he staunchly supports the troops and that is admirable and understandable, his actions like the one referenced below from the 2004 Presidential campaigns raises some real questions. It is one thing to call for ‘civility in debate’ which he has done on a number of occasions but to express any kind of support for a Presidential candidate who supports surrender in Iraq and always has is not acceptable. Whereas McCain’s service during the Viet Nam War raises no questions, the same cannot be said of Senator John Kerry.

McCain Defends Kerry’s Record on National Security
Ariz. Senator Calls for More Civility in Debate

By Charles Babington
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, March 19, 2004; Page A01

Republican Sen. John McCain yesterday defended Sen. John F. Kerry’s record on national security, undercutting the Bush-Cheney campaign’s latest attacks on the Democratic presidential challenger and frustrating conservatives hoping for a unified front against the Massachusetts senator.

“I do not believe that he is, quote, ‘weak on defense,’ ” McCain (Ariz.) said on NBC’s “Today” show.

Asked on the CBS “Early Show” whether he agreed with Vice President Cheney’s assertion that Kerry is a threat to national security, McCain said: “I don’t think that. I think that John Kerry is a good and decent man. . . . I think he has different points of view on different issues, and he will have to explain his voting record. But this kind of rhetoric, I think, is not helpful in educating and helping the American people make a choice.”

Although McCain restated his support of Bush’s reelection bid, Democrats welcomed his remarks

Some were surprised that McCain put up little resistance to the attacks from candidate George Bush during the 2000 Presidential primary. The article referenced below again mentions a perception about McCain that raises questions. His choices of what to angrily defend or support in his ‘maverick’ style may be more of an indication of what he is about. Defending Senator John Kerry as a rival Presidential candidate to your party’s choice and not defending yourself against an attack from then candidate George Bush simply don’t indicate intelligent choices. It is as if after getting bitch slapped by George Bush in the 2000 primary, McCain and his maverick reputation were silenced by party pressure or some other effective force. These are the troubling matters about Senator John McCain. Being publicly on board with President Bush and Senators Kyl and Kennedy last summer with the amnesty plan and skipping some votes in the process raise a question of his own defense that he does not support amnesty.

John McCain Comes In From the Cold

By Mark Leibovich
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, August 30, 2004; Page C01

NEW YORK, Aug. 29 — He turned 68 Sunday. He will be 72 on Election Day 2008, if anyone’s keeping track.

Anyway, McCain’s on his best behavior today. He is doing his best imitation of an on-message, on-the-reservation, smartly saluting Republican.

Asked about the bitter primary campaign against George W. Bush in 2000 — Also counterproductive would be any perception that he doesn’t support the president and that he secretly — or not — is rooting for his Senate friend, John Kerry.

For those who may still believe the so-called immigration reform bill from last summer was not amnesty, here is an explanation from Senator Sessions.
So under the AgJOBS portion that was adopted in committee without debate, agricultural workers who have worked 150 workdays–that is not a full day–over the last 2 years, less than half time, will receive a blue card, and that will allow them to live and work permanently in the United States. However, because current law defines an agricultural workday as 1 hour of work per day–that definition is reinstated in the bill on page 397–an alien who has worked for as little as 150 hours in agriculture over the last 2 years will qualify for a blue card.

Loophole No. 13: Once an illegal alien worker receives a blue card, the blue card never expires. Blue cards, the new category of cards given to aliens who are amnestied under the AgJOBS provision of this bill,

[Page: S4514] GPO’s PDF

never expire. The blue card holder can choose to pursue a green card, legal permanent resident status, by working for more hours in agriculture, but that is not a requirement to stay in the United States.

Page 399 specifically states:

An alien in blue card status shall be provided an employment authorized endorsement or other appropriate work permit, in the same manner as an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence.
These are just a few of the items that raise questions of Senator John McCain’s performance and the wisdom of selecting him as a choice for President in 2008. That said, if he was the last man standing of the GOP candidates, this blog would support him fully as the choices on the left side are no choice at all. But it is strongly suggested you consider voting for Mitt Romney. As one person said in a TV interview from New Hampshire, he has a proven record of accomplishment, knows how to get things done, surrounds himself with the people needed to reach the objective and apart from criticism of position changes, understands what people want and knows how to deliver.

Romney was a Republican governor in a Democratic party state and was successful. McCain has been in Congress for a long time and may have trouble with his ‘maverick’ rep as President. Huckabee raises taxes and pays for illegals to go to college and only won Iowa based on religious right support. They were willing to abandon another candidate with equally religious values just because he follows a faith different from their’s. How’s that for American? Again, as stated many times before this blog supports Mitt Romney for President. Currently as of this writing the only thing to get excited about in the 2008 race is that HRC is dropping fast.

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The statistical tie in Iowa among Clinton, Obama and Edwards finds Obama on top with Edwards edging out Clinton for second. The statistical tie between Romney and Huckabee has Huckabee taking first in Iowa with an 8 point lead. New Hampshire is just days away which is probably good for the winners and not so good for the rest of the pack.

Some reports have Thompson bowing out if he did not have a minimum of 15% for third place. Oops. Other reports figure Romney can’t recover by NH with McCain moving up. But if Clinton doesn’t strike gold in NH her campaign may be in for a rough (short) ride. But for those who do not favor a Clinton candidate that would be a little too much optimism this early in the voting. Or is it?

Some said that if Huckabee could win Iowa, make a decent showing in the next couple of states he could be a contender when the votes move to the South. But they said that is where Thompson would do well. And Giuliani apparently is getting what he planned for in states with few electoral votes….. nothing. Coming out of Iowa, Thompson and Ciuliani are not as strong as there national poll numbers were and Romney had a disappointing finish based on money spent but the negative campaign constant commentary in the media may have hurt his chances in Iowa.

Other reports suggest Edwards may not get much further than Iowa if he did not take first. Well, second is in the middle. Not too hot, not to cold, maybe it is just right. If 2nd is not good enough for Edwards to continue what does that say about Clinton’s chances? Her campaign is viewed as doing better in Iowa than whom? Obama may get a momentum win in NH and if Edwards could take another second…..hmmm.

If Huckabee takes NH he would be in the driver’s seat probably until Super Tuesday. After reviewing Iowa and considering what it may mean to each candidate and what it says, if anything about the rest of the race really shows we don’t know much more than we did yesterday. The people with Excedrin headaches tonite are Clinton and Romney. There surprises were the most noticeable. McCain is keeping a steady strength while on the other side Obama and Edwards are chipping away at the experience and inevitability factors. Basically, still even across the board.

According to the Rasmussen report Giuliani and Thompson lead the national polls for the GOP at 23 and 25% respectively near the beginning of October 2007 while McCain and Romney essentially shared second at 10 and 13% and Huckabee was not a factor in mid-single digits. For the Democrats, Clinton held a whopping 44 or 45% with Obama trailing in the 20’s and Edwards in the teens.

What a difference a couple of months can make. Currently, at Rasmussen Reports, Huckabee has nearly the first place numbers held by Giuliani and Thompson earlier at 22%. Giuliani and Romney are in second with mid teens as McCain and Thompson follow in third in the lower teens. While McCain has been mentioned in news reports as gaining some strength of late, for example, the Peter King endorsement, his 13% is representative of the last months. Giuliani and Thompson have slipped while Huckabee and Romney have gained. The Dems, nationally have not changed, but Clinton is faltering in the early state polls while Obama continues to climb and Edwards appears the same and steady. For the GOP, Huckabee and Romney lead Iowa.

With the religious questions still lingering in the campaign a recent poll indicated eight out of ten likely Republican voters said religion was not a factor in their vote. Of those voters the support for each candidate may be reflected in the other polls. For the twenty percent who say religion is a factor most suggest support for Huckabee. A related story suggest Romney has much ’silent’ support in addition to what the other poll numbers show in Iowa. Huckabee is thought to have much support in Iowa but that has not translated to strength in other early states. A first for Huckabee in Iowa may give him competing strength in subsequent early state contests while less than second may see his recent surge fade. For the Dems, less than first in Iowa may signal the beginning of the end for Clinton while a first for Obama could build a breakout leading into the New Hampshire and other states.

At USA Election Polls one could say Iowa is a statistical tie for each party. As most people know, Huckabee and Romney are a tie as well as Clinton and Obama are tied. Several delegate count listings have what one would expect based on national polls through the campaign to date. But when averages or proportional distribution of state delegates are considered the game changes dramatically.

In New Hampshire it is Romney and McCain or Romney, McCain and Giuliani for the GOP. At one time Giuliani was stronger but his strategy of focus on the ‘big’ states has seen the numbers change. Clinton and Obama for the Dems mirrors Iowa. With the NY connections for Giuliani and a NY Senate seat for Clinton, they were much stronger in the Northeast early on but things are changing.

But all this is just a snapshot in time and too much should not be read into it. Just like Huckabee’s recent rise, two months ago, who’d a thunk it? The view from this blog sees Giuliani conceding early states. The Huckabee surge is only a factor in one state thus far. Clinton continues to decline. Obama continues to climb. Edwards in holding steady and leads in at least one poll in Iowa for the Dems. Thompson has slid some while McCain and Romney have maintained or increased strength, the exception has been the tie for Romney and Huckabee in Iowa.

If forced to pick only from the Democratic party offerings this blog would recommend Obama or Edwards. Only because they are not Clinton and are the only other Dems candidates with a chance to win. But then Biden, Dodd or Kucinich would not be selected here, under the conditions mentioned, or under any other circumstance. That would be why this blog would not vote for a Democrat in 2008. Oh, did Richardson get overlooked? Yes.

On the GOP side, this blog has always supported Mitt Romney for President and will continue to do so. Based on some of the positions of Giuliani and Huckabee, this blog could only support them if they were the last ones standing. While some concerns remain about an outstanding American named Senator John McCain, primarily due to his support of amnesty last summer, if he was nominated he would get this blog’s full support. Nearly the same can be said for Fred Thompson. While some of the early criticism appears to have been a lame attempt to discredit him, since entering the campaign, his performance is a bit puzzling and an aura of almost hesitation causes some questions. But again, if he was the nominee for the GOP he would get this blog’s support.

That brings it back to Mitt Romney. Romney possesses the attributes required to be successful. The criticism voiced about Romney may be more a matter of political gamesmanship and the strategy of rivals. Questions about his faith are a distraction. Questions about his positions may reflect a willingness to respond to the will of the electorate or the strength to do what is right on behalf of them. People do change their minds for good reason although it is popular in politics to highlight that fact as a flaw.

On the practical side, Mitt Romney is credited even by some of his critics for successfully correcting a massive budget shortfall in Massachusetts. He successfully repaired a failing Olympic organization. He has successfully rebuilt million or billion dollar companies. He can do the same for a debt ridden nation. He has the knowledge to surround himself with a team to produce results and strengthen this country. With the economy taking over first place as the most important issue for the 2008 election, Mitt Romney is the one superior choice for President. Not only can he deliver leadership to our economic troubles but the remainder of policy matters are well within his grasp. His faith and family values can also restore some of the traditional concepts that have made this country great. These are not campaign tricks. The man has demonstrated throughout his life that intelligence, discipline, hard work and values have driven his success. He can apply those attributes and principles to leading this nation and getting it done.

Trackposted to Outside the Beltway, third world county, Faultline USA, Pirate’s Cove, Blue Star Chronicles, The Pink Flamingo, Leaning Straight Up, Big Dog’s Weblog, Cao’s Blog, Wolf Pangloss, Conservative Cat, and Right Voices, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe.

In an earlier post on this blog Barack Obama was criticized for among other things pandering to the NEA for votes with the promise of money.

source: Barack Obama’s speech to the annual NEA meeting in PA (2007)
In the coming weeks, I’ll be laying out the specific details of my plan to invest billions of new dollars into the teaching profession and recruit an army of well-trained, well-qualified teachers who are willing to stand at the front of any classroom and give every student the chance to succeed.

Other reports indicate him mentioning the idea of merit pay and a criticism of those who view low-income or minority students with disdain. The NEA must be convinced they can still get the bucks from any Democratic party candidate or GOP candidate Mike Huckabee. If a candidate has the nerve to point out failings of teachers or measuring their pay based on merit no offer of money will overcome the NEA’s fear of having to produce results for the out of control spending on education. The costs continue to rise while the student achievement continues to decline or remain flat.

NH NEA to endorse Clinton, Huckabee
Posted: Wednesday, December 05, 2007 10:37 AM by Mark Murray
Filed Under: 2008, Clinton, Huckabee

From NBC/NJ’s Tricia Miller
The 16,000-member New Hampshire affiliate of the National Education Association has chosen to recommend to its members Hillary Clinton in the Democratic primary and Mike Huckabee in the Republican primary, according to a source within the state NEA.This is the first time the state affiliate has picked a candidate in the GOP primary, and it follows Huckabee’s showing as the only Republican who spoke to the NEA convention in July.

The state chapter’s membership is more than 25% Republican, said the source, and the committee didn’t want those members to be ignored. When Huckabee spoke at the convention and participated in an interview with the state affiliate, deciding members felt it would be right to point that out to members. Only education and related positions were considered, and the board appreciated Huckabee’s “strong views on public education,” especially supporting the arts and music. The board might have felt differently if it had considered the former Arkansas governor’s opinions on “social values issues” and “war issues,” the source said.

The excerpt above demonstrates the validity of the criticism that the NEA, aka the National Extortion Association, places the continuation of spending increases for education without conditions as their only goal. They abandon consideration of any other issue and even select political candidates across party lines as long as they are viewed as willing to spend what the teahcer’s union demands. No performance measures, no conditions, no limitations on funding just keep spending to maintain their lifestyle and let the students fall where they may.

If any teachers wish to share anecdotes on this blog as to their own personal efforts and crticize this post as unfair it is suggested that you do something about your unions. While there may be fine teachers out there who perform admirably it is obvious the vast majority are doing nothing to change the unions sole focus of directing more public funds to education while student performance continues to suffer.

related post at Michelle Malkin’s blog 

David Broder suggests a GOP ticket and expresses a compelling topic that is often lost in politics. Principles that may include integrity, honesty, character and compassion are laudable attributes to demonstrate to the voting public. But for Broder to suggest that a McCain/Huckabee ticket contains those attributes and what sets the two apart from the remainder of the GOP field is at least an insult to the others and a conclusion that may not survive scrutiny. This is not to say that McCain and Huckabee are without principles but that others may have them as well while Broder’s basis for his conclusion may be in error.

Principles Amid the GOP Pack
By David S. Broder
Sunday, December 2, 2007; Page B07

If the Republican Party really wanted to hold on to the White House in 2009, it’s pretty clear what it would do. It would grit its teeth, swallow its doubts and nominate a ticket of John McCain for president and Mike Huckabee for vice president — and president-in-waiting.

Those two are far from front-runners. They trail Mitt Romney in Iowa and New Hampshire and lag behind Rudy Giuliani in national surveys of Republican voters. But, in a series of debates, including last week’s CNN-YouTube extravaganza, McCain and Huckabee have been notable for their clarity, character and, yes, simple humanity.

While John McCain’s history of service in uniform cannot be matched by his opponents, some of his actions or inactions while serving in the Senate may not reflect principle. While his military service demonstrates the will to battle against tremendous obstacles that same fire was not present against attacks from then candidate George Bush in a previous Presidential bid. Likewise the measure of principle present in his support of amnesty last summer runs contrary to the rule of law and more closely compares to the support those with a financial interest in illegal immigration demonstrate.

The same can be said of Broder’s VP choice for a ticket. The explanation of Huckabee’s history in a piece from Jennifer Rubin at the National Review Online provides some insight:

Taxing Claims
Is Mike Huckabee an “authentic conservative?”
By Jennifer Rubin
February 12, 2007

However, with the passage of time, Governor Huckabee’s star dimmed considerably with economic conservatives. By the end of his second term he had raised sales taxes 37 percent, fuel taxes 16 percent, and cigarettes taxes 103 percent, leading to a jump in total tax revenues from $3.9 billion to $6.8 billion. The Cato Institute gave him a failing grade of “F” on its fiscal report card for 2006 and an only marginally better but still embarrassing “D” for his entire term. Both as a governor and now as a presidential candidate Huckabee has declined to sign a “no tax” pledge. Recalling that Huckabee has said that he would only raise taxes if his arm were twisted, Grover Norquist of ATR responded: “He has a history of allowing his arm to be twisted and twisting other’s arms.”

He was not the poster child for smaller government. During his tenure, the number of state government workers in Arkansas increased over 20 percent. Under Governor Huckabee’s watch, state spending increased a whopping 65.3 percent from 1996 to 2004, three times the rate of inflation, and the state’s general obligation debt shot up by almost $1 billion.

Are John McCain and Mike Huckabee honorable men? There is no reason to think that they are not. There are also no reasons to think that the remainder of the GOP field are without honor. The real question is not who is the most principled but who will protect and sustain the principles that have served this country well. To defend this nation against all foes and continue to offer the American dream not through appeasement and surrender but the rule of law with practical and responsible social and economic policies is the key. The Constitution of the United States and all the rights and responsibilities it represents must be preserved if freedom and democracy are to be afforded to all. To allow the wholesale and careless disregard for the law demonstrated by those entering this country illegally is merely one example of abandoning this country’s principles. And coloring the acceptance of this behavior as compassionate or humanitarian is an invalid emotional appeal. There are many other excuses for actions counter to law that are equally invalid and need to be resolved.

For David Broder to suggest that McCain and Huckabee are the most principled and therefore worthy candidates for a GOP ticket falls flat here. To criticize Giuliani and Romney for a typical battle among leading candidates and ignore Hunter, Paul and Tancredo as too far back to matter seems an odd way to measure principle. Especially when he suggests two candidates whose chances should not reflect principle and performance in one debate may indicate reluctance to enter the fray. As for compassion and humanity, supporting amnesty on any level may have nothing to do with principle.

If being the front runner of a campaign includes being the primary target of every other candidate then while the national polls do not suggest Romney as a front runner his opponents in the campaign do. In early states, the LA Times only mentions Iowa and New Hampshire. Depending on the poll you read, Romney is essentially sharing the top with Fred Thompson in South Carolina. A state the pundits said earlier was one where he would not do well. In Florida, Romney is in 2nd or 3rd depending on the poll you read. And other states like Nevada and California also depict a strong showing for Mitt Romney.

As the debate continued over two hours, the most frequent target was former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who has been a leader in the two states that loom largest in the early voting — Iowa and New Hampshire.

Romney was attacked from all sides, on multiple issues. Former New York Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani accused him of employing illegal immigrants, while former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee suggested that he was heartless for opposing college scholarships for immigrants. Sen. John McCain of Arizona faulted Romney for refusing to concede that an interrogation practice called waterboarding amounts to torture. And former Sen. Fred Thompson of Tennessee — via a campaign video — chided the former governor for changing his position on abortion.

The most liberal GOP candidate, Giuliani, unable to defend his ’sanctuary city’ position selects illegal immigration as a topic to challenge Romney. Besides Tom Tancredo, Romney may be the only other candidate focusing on solving illegal immigration. Since John McCain sided with the amnesty bill last summer until it became obvious to him he needed to change his position, his choice for harassing a fellow Republican was what constitutes torture. With the trend in the media and elsewhere to discuss way too much about national security matters publicly, Romney’s suggestion that it should not be a topic for candidates was refreshing. Huckabee just tipped his hand that reinforces his leaning toward amnesty and spending public funds on illegals. A recent surge in the polls for him only reflects the evangelicals. Apparently they’re okay with amnesty. Slow on the trigger the Thompson overused the abortion card as most religious and pro-life groups have accepted Romney’s stand on abortion.

One last note on the sanctuary city label that Giulianis failed to defend. Even the notorious NYT, that’s right, the New York Times, conceded the sanctuary city status of New York.

The Congressional Research Service, a nonpartisan agency that provides support to members of Congress, issued a report in 2005 that described localities with sanctuary policies as those that have adopted “don’t ask, don’t tell” policies in which city employees, including the police, are not required to report illegal immigrants to the federal authorities.

It listed 32 cities or counties with sanctuary policies, including New York.

Mr. Giuliani had inherited an executive order from previous mayoral administrations that protected illegal immigrants from being reported to federal immigration authorities when using city services. During the presidential campaign, he has repeatedly insisted that the policy was necessary for public health and safety.

The only question that remains is why Giuliani did not reverse the previous executive order claimed to be the beginning of New York City’s official sanctuary city status?

This particular topic shows the other candidates targeting Romney view him as the leader he is for not taking the obvious opportunity to hammer Giuliani on his position which is obviously leaning toward amnesty like Huckabee. If illegal immigration is an important to you, the candidate, Mitt Romney, places a high priority on eliminating illegal immigration. That cannot be said for Giuliani, Huckabee or McCain for sure. Thompson remains a question mark on this issue. And Tancredo is not likely to move to the top tier nor is Ron Paul. Reasons that continue to reinforce this blog’s support for Mitt Romney for President in 2008. There are many more reasons for maintaining that support.

Obama stuck in a narrative not his own
August 18, 2007

Hillary Rodham Clinton is rigid, cautious and steely. Barack Obama is dangerously inexperienced. John Edwards is a narcissistic hypocrite. Joseph R. Biden Jr. can’t express a thought in less than 25 minutes. Christopher J. Dodd is making sense but nobody’s paying attention.

But, then again, Rudolph W. Giuliani is hot-tempered and not particularly solicitous of civil liberties. Mitt Romney is a flip-flopping opportunist. John McCain is a doomed defender of the Iraq war. Sam Brownback is a hopeless religious conservative. Mike Huckabee is too, except that he’s lost a lot of weight, has a wicked sense of humor and, because of his second-place finish in last week’s (utterly meaningless) Iowa straw poll, might not be the dead-man-walking everyone thought he was.

David Shribman is executive editor of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

David Shribman has it all figured out. All the candidates are worthless. At first glance it may appear that way. But his initial observations, while entertaining, have a tendency to lean one way…..left.

The first candidate described by Shribman is Hillary Rodham Clinton, the Democratic poll leader who receives his least critical if not highest praise of all the candidates listed. Rigid, cautious and steely may be somewhat vague but not critical. Obama is dangerous, Edwards a hypocrite with Biden and Dodd shown as generally inept. Any guess on who Shribman favors but is concealing in ambiguous adjectives? Nice try on an attempt to appear objective….NOT.

Every description of the GOP field is derogatory with the possible exception of Huckabee. He is called a hopeless religious conservative and given a backhanded compliment on his performance in the Iowa Straw Poll. Less that 2nd place finish in a contest panned by many, Shribman calls him a ‘dead-man-walking.’

Shribman tries to be stealthy with his appraisal of Clinton to hide the favoritism. He bashes the remainder of the Democratic field and the entire GOP field focusing the remainder of the piece on what Barack Obama should do. All that from the Executive Editor of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette showing a left-leaning bias and not so cleverly hidden endorsement of Hillary Rodham Clinton. Who says the press is biased?

Stanford Matthews
MoreWhat.com

By Michael Bowman
Washington
15 August 2007

Bowman report (mp3) - Download 776k audio clip
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A new poll of likely U.S. voters shows New York Senator Hillary Clinton maintaining her frontrunner status among Democratic voters in next year’s presidential race, with former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani leading the Republican field. VOA’s Michael Bowman reports from Washington.

The Quinnipiac University poll shows Senator Clinton with 36 percent backing among Democrats, up one percent from a survey in June, with strong support among women and working class voters. Illinois Senator Barack Obama is holding steady in second place, at 21 percent, and is favored among Democrats with college degrees.

Former Vice President Al Gore, who has stated he has no intention of running for office, polled third with 15 percent support, ahead of former North Carolina Senator John Edwards at nine percent.

Mrs. Clinton may lead the Democratic field, but the news is not all positive for the one-time first lady, according to the head of the Quinnipiac Polling Institute, Maurice Carroll.

“Trailing her is a big ‘Hillary hostility’ factor which does raise questions, feeds those doubts about [whether she] can win in November [in next year’s election],” he said. “Forty-eight to 43 percent, Americans tell the poll they have a favorable impression of her. But 43 is a big number, the negative side, and that is the highest of any of the candidates.”

Months ago, some analysts predicted that Senator Obama, whose father was Kenyan, would eventually receive overwhelming backing from black and other minority voters. But the Quinnipiac poll shows no such trend to date, with Senator Clinton doing well among all racial and ethnic groups within the Democratic Party.

Among Republicans, Rudy Giuliani leads with 28 percent support, up one percent from June. Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney comes in second with 15 percent, followed by actor and former Tennessee Senator Fred Thompson with 12 percent and Arizona Senator John McCain with 11 percent. Mr. Thompson has yet to formally announce his candidacy.

Carroll notes that Giuliani is pro-choice on abortion and favors legal rights for homosexual couples - positions that do not endear him with the socially-conservative base of the Republican Party. But he says the former mayor has one great strength that propels him to the top of the Republican field:

“It’s 9/11. Rudy Giuliani was mayor of New York City when the terrorists attacked and destroyed the World Trade Center. His performance then in rallying the city, reassuring the city - and to an extent the nation, earned him all sorts of plaudits and that is his big pitch. Of those who are for him, more than a third cited his performance after 9/11, his anti-terrorist credentials,” he said.

How would top Democratic and Republican contenders fare if the presidential election were held today? The Quinnipiac poll shows Hillary Clinton edging Rudy Giuliani 46 to 43 percent, and a draw between Giuliani and Barack Obama at 42 percent each. The poll did not pose a hypothetical match-up of Mitt Romney against a Democratic challenger.

Such polls provide only a snapshot of public opinion at the time they are conducted. The first contest of the presidential primary season is still months away, in January, and the general election is more than a year off.

crossposted at:
Maggie’s Notebook | Conservative Blog

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Conservative Thoughts

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Rasmussen Reports for August 14th has the Dems with Clinton 40%, Obama 24%, Edwards 16% and Richardson at 4%. The GOP side is Giuliani 25%, Thompson 21%, Romney 15%, McCain 10% and Huckabee 4%.

With the GOP it was not that long ago that Fred Thompson’s numbers were several points higher, McCain was in third and Giuliani was about the same as now. While Huckabee has received a boost at the Iowa Straw Poll, Romney has been in double digits nationally for some time and has settled in the mid-teens even before Iowa. It looks like Giuliani is holding, Thompson and McCain have lost some strength and Romney plus Huckabee have enjoyed the most improvement from their work. You can still look at polls and scratch your head due to the occasional crazy variations between pollsters or inexplicable changes over short periods of time.

The Dems have the Queen of Cringe not ready to give up much of her lead. Over the past month with the three events attended by Democratic party candidates, Hillary Rodham Clinton received more criticism than one would expect from a liberal leader. Her fondness of lobbyist money and characterizing the practice as acceptable when challenged at the last YearlyKos drew a negative vocal response from the crowd. Locking up her White House docs this week until after the 2008 contest was met with suspicion as well. The upside to a long campaign season is voters may have enough time to view all the baggage she would bring to America’s top job. Her numbers may in fact be slightly lower than in the past.

Obama has fallen in recent weeks while peacenik, poverty tour, let my wife do the work, multimillionaire Edwards seems to be enjoying a bit of an upward bump. He may in fact be taking numbers from Clinton and Obama. The only noticeable change is less John and more Elizabeth. But these are only poll numbers with limited value in analyzing the 2008 race.

The left side of the spectrum appears to have been quiet or at least not as vocal on items related to Iraq. With the exception of the heat Obama took over his foreign policy statements, the surrender strategy has subsided somewhat. Another indication of improved conditions related to the war effort. No conclusions are being drawn here, it is just an observation.

Giuliani’s lead with Republicans has not been negatively affected by his stand on social issues. That may be explained by his ability thus far to avoid any significant discussion on the subjects. Leaning pro-choice, gay marriage and anti-gun has been softened by his campaign but may be seriously challenged later this fall. Thompson’s current plan to announce is for Nashville on or after Labor Day. Which direction his numbers will go when he actually does something is anyone’s guess. You might think Romney was leading the pack as one of his staffers suggested earlier with all the interrogations to which he has been subjected. It may be better to wear out the media on their assaults before the campaigns get serious. If Thompson actually enters the race in September the media focus will at least for a time be on him. That may be a benefit for the others since he will be under the microscope if and when he announces. The bet here is their will be one more delay and more reports that Gingrich is still thinking about it.

With Congress on vacation, candidates currently holding office are free to do more campaigning. Not like voting in the Senate has interfered with their plans before with all the ‘not voting’ tallies they generated. After the Iowa Straw Poll, those attending have stepped up work on the trail also. Interested voters can take a dog days of summer break until things heat up this fall or some candidates make headlines before then. Most likely any headlines would only reflect reports not flattering to any campaign.

Stanford Matthews
MoreWhat.com

Trackposted to Perri Nelson’s Website, Rosemary’s Thoughts, third world county, DeMediacratic Nation, Right Truth, The Pink Flamingo, The Bullwinkle Blog, The Amboy Times, and Pursuing Holiness, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe.

By Jim Malone
Washington
13 August 2007

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Republican presidential contenders Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee are hoping for a political boost after finishing first and second in a straw poll or test vote on Saturday in Iowa. But as national correspondent Jim Malone reports from Washington, the battle for the Republican Party’s presidential nomination remains wide open.

Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney was the big winner at the Iowa straw poll, capturing 31 percent of the vote and what he hopes will be political momentum for the next phase of the 2008 presidential campaign.

“Well, there is no question that it sends a message that America is ready for a change, and that change began in Iowa,” he said on NBC’s Today program. “I was delighted to do so well. I know everybody else is wishing they could be in my spot, but I am glad I have got it.”

Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee emerged from a crowded pack of Republican contenders to take second place in the Iowa event with 18 percent of the vote.

Huckabee told MSNBC television that his strong second place finish puts him in the top group of Republican candidates for the White House next year.

“You cannot win without middle America, which means that the Republicans have to keep shopping,” he said. “And that is why I think that my place [showing] there was such a significant one because it showed that there is really not only a hunger for a different candidate, but I think I am fitting the bill for those looking for an alternative.”

Romney and Huckabee benefited from the fact that some of their top rivals did not take part in the Iowa straw poll including former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Arizona Senator John McCain and former Senator Fred Thompson of Tennessee. Thompson is expected to formally join the race in September.

At the moment, Giuliani continues to lead among Republicans in most national polls, but Romney is doing well in Iowa and New Hampshire, the two states that begin the presidential nomination selection process for both major political parties in January.

National surveys have also indicated that many Republican voters are not satisfied with the current group of candidates, and that social conservative voters in particular are looking for a true conservative in the tradition of former President Ronald Reagan.

Political experts say both Romney and Huckabee may have won some converts with their strong showings in Iowa.

“Mitt Romney has been a conservative at times in his career, and not a conservative at other times,” said John Fortier, an expert on presidential politics at the American Enterprise Institute and a guest on VOA’s Encounter program. “That is the great charge against him. He is trying to be that conservative candidate.”

But another Encounter guest, political analyst Stuart Rothenberg, says it may be a while before a clear frontrunner emerges in the battle for the Republican Party’s presidential nomination.

“The Republican race is one that is looking for a frontrunner and no one can seem to find one,” he said. “The Republicans have a problem because they just do not have someone who can energize conservatives, appeal to Democrats and swing [independent] voters, and who has a campaign that is put together now in a way to win the nomination.”

The results of the Iowa straw poll have no official bearing on the 2008 presidential selection process, but they were definitive for at least one contender.

Former Wisconsin Governor Tommy Thompson pulled out of the Republican race shortly after his poor showing in the Iowa contest.