Degree of Madness

Bill Clinton...purple rage boy

I don't think Hillary's campaign is going according to script.  Her husband's temper has gotten as much attention as her socialist plans for America:

IN full psychoanalytical mode, Bill Clinton once observed, "I was born at 16, and I'll always feel I'm 16."

In this, Bill Clinton displayed unusually acute self-awareness. After two terms as president of the United States and a post-presidential career as a world celebrity adored by all the great and good, Bill Clinton is still 16.

In recent weeks, he has proved that adolescents can't be elder statesmen.

His performance on Hillary's behalf has been desperate, accusatory, self-pitying and misleading. It has been a full-on blast of Bill Clinton's do-what-ever's-necessary ethic of the sort we haven't seen since he wagged his finger at the country 10 years ago and denied having sex with Monica Lewinsky (in itself, an adolescent escapade that could have been straight out of "National Lampoon's White House").

[...]

Bill Clinton has distorted nearly everything he's commented on lately, whether it's Obama's record on the war or the Nevada caucus process. Before the caucuses, Clinton said that Obama-supporting union officials were following him around a Las Vegas hotel, telling workers who came up to him to express support for Hillary that their work schedules would be changed so they couldn't attend the caucus. Fantastic on its face, the Clinton campaign hasn't produced any evidence to buttress this "fairy tale."

Clinton has usually delivered his anti-Obama broadsides in a state of red-faced near-rage, as though the Clinton campaign -- with all its formidable advantages going into this year -- has been offended against at every turn. What he is displaying is the face of aggrieved entitlement, and his trademark hypersensitivity about his own legacy -- both of which are informed by his overweening ego and inability to control it.

Newsweek reports that top Democrats have been pleading with Clinton to tone it down to keep from diminishing himself. Good luck. If the dignity of the office meant so little to him, why should the dignity of the former office restrain him at all? It is the misfortune of the Democrats that the most talented politician of his generation happens to be a man-child.

Bill Clinton.  America's own rage boy. 

Duncan Hunter endorses Mike Huckabee

Byron York is surprised and I am too.    From the Hunter statement:

"I got to know Governor Huckabee well on the campaign trail," said Hunter.  "Of the remaining candidates I feel that he is strongly committed to strengthening national defense, constructing the border fence and meeting the challenge of China's emergence as a military superpower that is taking large portions of America‚s industrial base."

"Along with these issues of national security, border enforcement and protecting the U.S. industrial base, I see another quality of Mike Huckabee's candidacy that compels my endorsement.  Mike Huckabee is a man of outstanding character and integrity.  I saw that character over the last year of  campaigning and was greatly impressed.  The other Republican candidates have many strengths and I wish them all well.  My personal choice is Mike Huckabee," Hunter concluded.

I never would have predicted this.  It occurs to me that if Fred Thompson were still in the race Hunter might have endorsed him.  Who knows?  At any rate Hunter sees something in Huckabee I sure don't see.  Hunter is a strong advocate for enforcement first in the illegal immigration debate.  I don't think Huckabee is on that page, or at least he wasn't as Governor of Arkansas.  (He may be changing his tune a bit now.)

Huckabee promotes 'open door' policy at LULAC convention

In a impassioned speech before hundreds of influential Hispanic civil rights leaders from across the nation, Gov. Mike Huckabee told a captive audience Wednesday that America is great because it has always opened it doors up to people seeking a better way of life.

"Do unto others as you would have others do unto you," Huckabee said, citing the Golden Rule. "I have tried to govern that way and it stands to reason that I really do believe that what made this great country so great and so unique is that it has always been a place for people to run to - and not run from.

"I would hope that no matter who we are, or where we are from, that America should always be a place that opens its arms, opens it heart, opens its spirit to people who come because they want the best for their families ...," Huckabee said as the largely Hispanic audience gave him a standing ovation.

[...]

Despite several light moments, Huckabee did not stray away from several controversial issues that made him a target of criticism during the recently ended 85th General Assembly. He said Arkansas needs to make the transition from a traditional Southern state to one that recognizes and cherishes diversity "in culture, in language and in population."

"This is an issue that is going to require extraordinary efforts on both sides of the border, particularly those coming from Mexico," Huckabee said of verifying the status of illegal aliens. "But I am confident that our government will recognize that we should accommodate people who wish to provide the best opportunities for their families (and) employers so that we can make sure our economy has the necessary work force."

That position seems miles away from that of Duncan Hunter.  Add to that, Huckabee's "zero" foreign policy experience, his astounding record of granting clemency as Governor of Arkansas, his tax and spend habits as Governor, it's hard to believe Hunter considers him the best of the bunch.

Fred Thompson withdraws...

If Fred drops out then the media has won.  Almost since day one all we have heard from the media is "when is Fred going to drop out?", and "Fred's going to drop out and endorse McCain", and ON and ON.  Instead of reporting what's going on, they want to predict what will happen.  They want to influence what will happen.  All the talk about when Fred is dropping out certainly does influence voters.  Many undecideds, and we know there are many based on various polls anyway, are influenced by the constant drumbeat of the media.  Why is it we don't hear this talk about other candidates?  It's as if Fred is the only one who's not doing well.  In fact he is doing much better than Giuliani and is ahead of Ron Paul in delegates.  Only SIX states have voted.  Why the rush to get Fred out of the race?  I wonder.  (Not really).

Fred must not allow the ego maniacs in the media to drive him out.  The pundits are now heavily invested in this race.  They will look extremely foolish if Fred stays in so they are beating the drum even louder and more often.  Fred Thompson has lost supporters because of the incessant negative "reporting" by the media.  No one will ever convince me otherwise.  Will we stand by and let the media pick our candidates?  Can we stop it? 

Fred, please consider how strong your supporters are.  We can overcome the media if you will commit to staying the course.  Don't let the media win.

That is what I was posting at Fred08.com when I found out Fred had withdrawn from the race.   Julie pleading for Fred to stay the course.   

Today I have withdrawn my candidacy for President of the United States. I hope that my country and my party have benefited from our having made this effort. Jeri and I will always be grateful for the encouragement and friendship of so many wonderful people.

I simply cannot believe that after only six states have voted Fred would quit. 

Great works are performed not by strength but by perseverance.....Samuel Johnson

Delegate count

Mitt Romney and Barack Obama lead the delegate count according to CNN's estimate.  Romney has 66, McCain 38, and Huckabee  has 26.  On the Democratic side, Obama leads Hillary Clinton 38-36.  John Edwards has 18 delegates.

There is another twist in the nominating process.  On the Democratic side it's a little thing called "super-delegates".  The Republicans have "unpledged delegates".  Here is the least confusing article I could find on these "other" delegates:

So, who are the “Superdelegates” (Democrats) or “unpledged delegates” (Republican), and how are they chosen?

CNN says Democrat “Superdelegates are usually Democratic members of Congress, governors, national committee members or party leaders” while Republican unpledged delegates “automatically become delegates by virtue of their status as either a party chair or a national party committee person”.

Will these "other" delegates come into play in 2008?  Joshua Spivak thinks it's a possibility on the Democratic side:

In creating the super delegates, Democratic Party leaders sought to show that although they respected the popular will as expressed in the primaries and caucuses, they also expected that the super delegates could play a significant if not necessarily decisive role in the selection process. However, it did not work out that way. Popular will has put one candidate far enough ahead by the convention that the super delegates haven't come into play. Every nominee since these reforms has been decided based on the primary and caucus votes.

This year might be different. Because no front-runner has emerged, and the compressed time frame of the election may prevent any candidate from gaining enough momentum, no candidate may have enough delegates by convention time. In that case, the super delegates, the majority of whom currently support Hillary Rodham Clinton -- but who could switch sides at any time -- could well be the decision-makers at the convention. And this could be a real problem for the Democratic Party.

In general, the last place the public would want the nominee selected is on the convention floor. In the heyday of the conventions, when the presidential candidates were selected in backrooms and on the floor, there were always rumors of vote buying and corrupt bargains for the nomination. Today, such events could fatally weaken the candidate in the public's eyes. The existence of super delegates would compound the problem.

Clinton's super-delegate count is 174 while Obama's is 85.  Although as stated above super-delegates can switch at any time, Hillary is assured of at least one:

The category includes Democratic governors and members of Congress, former presidents Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter, former vice president Al Gore, retired congressional leaders such as Dick Gephardt, and all Democratic National Committee members, some of whom are appointed by party chairman Howard Dean.

John McCain.....there's a reason he's called a RINO

What in the world has happened to the Republican Party?  How can a man who authored an amnesty bill for millions of illegals aliens get 145,363 votes in South Carolina?  Unless of course it's the Democratic primary we're talking about:

John McCain's major legislative efforts are named McCain-Feingold, McCain-Edwards-Kennedy, McCain-Kennedy, and McCain-Lieberman. Notice a pattern?

How can Republicans forget the real McCain record?  How can we possibly reward him for this disastrous record?  The media darling maverick will not return the favor should he get the nomination and go on to win the White House. 

Mike Huckabee's second place finish is another puzzle.  How can a tax-raising, clemency freak get 130,507 votes in South Carolina?  In the Republican primary? 

What's wrong with actually having a loyal Republican as the Republican nominee?

John McCain has betrayed conservatives time and time again.  He does not deserve the Republican nomination.

***Update 1:10 PM CT***

Here is a link to the unofficial South Carolina results.

When we look to Washington, we see a bureaucratized government increasingly unable or unwilling to carry out basic governmental functions, including securing our borders against illegal immigration and enforcing our laws. A nation that can’t protect its border will no longer be a sovereign nation. We see a Congress more politicized and divided than ever and disconnected from the American people. Is this the government that some would have play an even greater role in running our lives? We must do better

Fred Dalton Thompson

Mike Huckabee and John McCain, two peas in a pod

Both John McCain and Mike Huckabee want to close Guantanamo Bay, and for the same reason,  because it's a "symbol that's become very bad for America", a "symbol to the rest of the world that has become problematic for us".  Symbolism trumps national security.  Sounds very Democratic.

McCain's disdain for the First Amendment is well documented and now we find out Huckabee has a little problem with the First Amendment as well.  In an interview with NPR Huckabee was talking about push-polling and made these astonishing statements:

I personally wish that all of this was outlawed. I think that every candidates should speak for themselves, and that every thing that involves the candidate's name or another candidate's name should be authorized and approved by that candidate, otherwise it shouldn't be spoken....

The point is that candidates can't force these special interest 527 groups to stop.  I wish we could.

Dr. Rusty Shackleford:

Huckabee isn't a conservative, he's a nightmare.

John McCain is no conservative, either.  He might not be a nightmare but he surely is a bad dream.

Fred Thompson, "The Tall Man"

I have my own story about driving 500 miles to South Carolina.  From Birmingham to Knoxville, through the mountains to Greenville.  I should have stayed home but that's another story.   Here is a better one.  This is the story of Paul Johnson who drove all the way from Kentucky to Prosperity, SC to see Fred, “The Tall Man.”

Man: (Pause) I'm looking for a tall man who will stand tall for America. (Pause.) Who will cut the ears off of earmarks! (Pause.) Stop dead illegal immigration! (Pause.) And pull the teeth of activist judges...

Thompson: Yep.

Man: ... who take your house to build 7-Eleven! (Pause, then louder) And I want to know if you've got a Jim Bowie knife and a good strong pair (pause) of Channellock pliers! (Laughter, even more applause, calls of "That's right!" and "Hear, hear!")

Fred didn't say if he had any pliers but he does have an ax handle:

There's a lot you can do with that.

View the video at Fred08.

We need you South Carolina. 

No kissing up to the Saudis

"It's not in the United States' long-term interest to go hat in hand begging people to do things that in the end we know they're not going to do"-- Fred Dalton Thompson

Fred Thompson, in the best interest of the United States:

Appealing to Saudi Arabia to encourage higher oil production to help lower prices is not in the long-term interest of the United States, Republican presidential candidate Fred Thompson said on Wednesday.

The White House said President George W. Bush hopes that as a result of his talks this week with King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, OPEC would be encouraged to increase production to help alleviate high oil prices, which have touched $100 a barrel.

Appearing on CNN, Thompson was asked whether, as president, he would turn to Saudi Arabia for help as Bush did.

Thompson, a former Tennessee senator, said the problem was a "little bigger" than Saudi Arabia.

"It's not in the United States' long-term interest to go hat in hand begging people to do things that in the end we know they're not going to do," Thompson said.

Presidential quiz

         

Which Great US President Are You Most Like? created with QuizFarm.com

You scored as Ronald Reagan 40th President, in office from 1981-1989  Born: 1911  Died:  2004           Ronald Reagan           81% Franklin Roosevelt           79% Abraham Lincoln           62% Dwight Eisenhower           62% John Kennedy           60% Theodore Roosevelt           55% Woodrow Wilson           48% George Washington           38% Harry Truman           36% Thomas Jefferson           33% Lyndon Johnson           14%

Quiz via Dee at Conservatism With Heart who is most like President Reagan, too.  I am in good company!