Mitt and Mormonism

Romney is finally going to deliver his JFK-like speech addressing his religion on Thursday... He has been working on this for some time, and it will make or break his campaign (even though he will argue that Americans are smart enough to not let it).

Will Huckabee surge last?

Will Huckabee's strong showing in Iowa and South Carolina polls continue for 34 more days? While he is undoubtedly making a strong case, he hasn't strongly stated his foreign policy and military positions, and still has a huge fundraising disadvantage. He's darn likable, though.

Ethics problems for Huckabee

Let's see if WD-40 and duct tape can solve these accusations.

Giuliani lures young voters

While Ron Paul has gotten many young voters to volunteer for his campaign, Rudy has consistently outperformed other Republicans among voters ages 18 to 29. But will this translate into votes? No. It never has, but I hope to be proven wrong.

Romney rises in New Hampshire

A new poll shows Mitt Romney ahead by 15% over John McCain in the Granite State.

But does the Michigan-native also have to win that state as well to get rid of the opposition early?

Is Ron Paul for real?

No. While he may be a great case study for grassroots campaigning in a new era and how to raise large amounts of money with little chance of winning the nomination, he doesn't have much of a shot in the primary.

Dems block Colbert

Stephen Colbert's Presidential campaign has been stopped short. I still think he should fork up the $35k to get on the Republican ballot.

McCain defeats Clinton

Very weird.

Do American politics lack substance?

Why aren't people in America engaged in politics? Many say that it is a flawed system or that there are poor candidates (quality-wise). Or is it because the media focuses too much attention on polls and tactics instead of the real issues?

Republicans lacking money?

As the Democrats essentially have a 2-person field in terms of fundraising and big business has abandoned the GOP, do Republicans have the slightest chance in raising enough money in the general election to compete?

An unstoppable machine

Hillary has now reached 50% in the democratic polls, according to the latest FOX News poll. Is she unstoppable? Yes. She can continue giving watered down and safe responses (note how I didn't use the word "answers") to important questions from the American people, and still continue to build her lead in polls (and fundraising) amongst Democratic opponents.

Hillary's husband

What will Hillary do in regards to Bill's accomplishments?

a) Mention them as if they were her own
b) Completely detach herself from them
c) both

It seems the most likely scenario is that she will detach herself from them, in both the primary and the general elections, both to appeal to Democrats as an independent woman candidate and to Republicans, who often cringe at hearing the name. (She'll still let him help with fundraising).

Can Romney hit the trifecta?

The latest polls from the American Research Group show Mitt Romney ahead in primary polls for Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina. If he carried these states (and there's a long way to go), would everyone drop out except Giuliani? I don't think any of the other candidates could financially support themselves after such a blow.

Gingrich won't run

After flirting with the idea for some time, Newt Gingrich has decided not to join a crowded Republican field running for the presidency. (He will still be a vocal leader of the party).

Quote of the day

"I wish I'd get to talk about something I know about like foreign policy..." -- Sen. Joe Biden, after being asked if he would allow sanctuary cities to continue to ignore federal laws in regards to illegal immigration.

Bayh endorses Clinton

Democratic Senator Evan Bayh endorsed Hillary today. Is he thinking of that VP position? Of course he is. This would be a rather formidable duo against Republicans in the general, as Hillary obviously needs a more conservative male counterpart to win over Republicans throughout the country.

When unions divide

The UAW strike could make things interesting on the democratic side. John Edwards rushed to make his statement... Smart move?

Fred slips and soars

Fred Thompson seems to be making mistakes, but the polls show him climbing fast.
Are:
a) the pundits wrong?
b) the polls wrong?
c) American citizens ambivalent?
d) all of the above?

Dobson to support Romney?

I never thought I'd see the day where Dr. James Dobson put his personal and financial support (along with those of millions of loyal followers and listeners) behind a Mormon candidate, but that day might be rapidly approaching. Since he has now acknowledged that he will not support Fred Thompson's campaign for President (and already refusing to back McCain or Giuliani), who's left? With an early election cycle, this is about the time when Dobson ought to endorse a candidate... and he has said some favorable things about Mitt.

GOP has "scheduling conflicts"

What debates should Republicans participate in? If the GOP keeps ignoring important outlets such as Univision, it can kiss its chances of winning the general goodbye (if they haven't already blown it already). It will already be difficult for any '08 nominee to carry New Mexico and Arizona the way Bush did in '04.

Romney reaches out to evangelicals

Mitt Romney is launching a new radio ad in Iowa that defends marriage being between a man and a woman. Romney already looks good in Iowa (mostly do to a massive "grassroots" campaign with funding large enough for most nations' militaries). Will Iowans buy it, will it hurt him, or is this more of a push for conservative stance outside of Iowa?

Hillary's health care

Health care is going to be a huge issue in '08, but someone better have a plan to deal with the dozen or so million illegal immigrants first.

Rudy surviving second wave

Giuliani is not just treading water, he's making it rain. So far, he's openly stated his somewhat-liberal social views, performed surprisingly well in televised debates and survived two extended announcements from Fred Thompson (these days you have to announce seventeen times to get "enough" media attention). It's not time to start chanting "Rudy" yet, but the way he looks in California, New York, Florida (and of course New Jersey), he is poised to create some major waves of his own on primary days. Oh yeah, and he's also going on the offensive against Hillary (a must in contemporary Republican politics).

Has democracy betrayed us?

If the New York Times is still the standard of American journalism after today, I will further consider moving back to Australia, Carlton Cold in hand, to read the Sunshine Coast Daily news.