Free Republic

Once again a familiar pattern emerges, one that has occurred many times before especially after a disasterous election result for the party in question. Case in point the Republican Party which had its asses handed to them in the last federal election wherein Republicans across the board were slaughtered, not because the Republican constituency suddenly embraced liberal ideology and rejected conservatives values and principles, but because Republicans in positions of power did. Thus they were rewarded with a withdrawl of support which greatly contributed to their defeat. The crystal clear lessons of the elections of 2006, instead of being a...

Some may agree with Sen. John McCain’s (R-Ariz.) positions on his myriad of causes and enthusiasms. Others may embrace Mitt Romney’s record as governor and his experience in business. But one fact remains pre-eminent — McCain has a much better chance of winning the election than does former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (R). If you feel confident, for some unknown reason, in a Republican victory, it is possible that either candidate could win. If you feel the nation is aching for a Democrat, as I do, then the importance of choosing the strongest candidate fades a bit. But any rational...

What does Ted Kennedy’s endorsement of Barack Obama really mean? In addition to seriously boosting Obama’s chances for the Democratic nomination by anointing him as the generational heir to John F. Kennedy, there’s something else that’s just as important for the body politic: Ted Kennedy, Barack Obama, and the voters of South Carolina may have personally tolled the death knell for the Clintons’ reprehensible politics of personal destruction. It’s about time. For more than 30 years, no one has been able to stop Bill and Hillary Clinton from routinely acting on their shared base instinct: to annihilate anyone who gets...

Barack Obama used his victory in South Carolina to change the dialogue with the Clintons in the presidential race. He has taken Hillary’s and Bill’s attempt to use the race issue and replied with a clever move. He has basically called their bluff. And Ted Kennedy’s endorsement of Obama has ratified the Illinois Senator’s strategy and candidacy. So far, to summarize: Move One was when Obama arrived as a new candidate. Move two was Hillary’s comeback that she is more experienced. Move three was when Obama pivoted off her experience message and said he was the voice of change. Move...

Dick Morris just made a pretty darn good point IMHO, on Hannity and Combes (Fox News): Hillary Rodham is the person, who personally coordinated the "Bimbo Eruptions" investigations and smears of women, who her husband cheated on her with, during his terms. Not to stop his cheating. Not to ... divorce him. Not even, to discover the truth. Why?... to smear and silence... the women. Should she, be in charge of the FBI? The IRS? The NSA?...

Michigan's Meaning: GOP Chaos By Dick Morris and Eileen McGann Wednesday, January 16, 2008 The GOP race has now descended into total chaos. Mike Huckabee, John McCain and now Mitt Romney have each won an important primary or caucus and lost two others. Onetime front-runner Rudy Giuliani finished dead last in Michigan last night, falling below the somnambulant Fred Thompson and the flakey Ron Paul. The scatter-shot outcome reflects deeper divisions among the GOP's three wings: Economic conservatives are moving to Romney; social righties rallying 'round Huckabee - and the national-security types who started for Rudy have migrated to McCain...

The Thread for Wednesday, January 9th 2008

Hillary Clinton made one thing very clear at Saturday night’s Democratic debate: Her likability tour is definitely over. Baring her claws at opponents Barack Obama and John Edwards, the real Hillary was finally in evidence. The mask was off and her rage, arrogance, and sense of entitlement were on full display. It was not a pretty picture. From the first moment that she entered the stage, Hillary’s body language shrieked one thing — smoldering, simmering anger. The constant smile and the cackling laugh that have been her campaign trademark were suddenly gone. In their place was a furious, primal glare....

THE amazing victories by Barack Obama and Mike Huckabee in Iowa last night are truly historic. They demonstrate the impact and viability of a message of change in both parties. On the Democratic side, Obama - by winning in a totally white state - shows that racism is gone as a factor in American politics. On the Republican side, Huckabee's win shows how a truly compassionate conservative can win by harvesting voters who want the message of concern for the poor and for values to prevail. But what of Hillary Clinton? She's down but not out. In the first really...

As a display of affection, it could hardly have been more public. Docked in Sydney harbour on a hired yacht costing £17,500 a day, Sting gently raised Trudie Styler's left leg to his mouth - and sucked her toes. The Police singer, whose personal life has been surrounded by rumours of tantric sex and swingers' parties, also found time to massage her feet as she reclined on a sunlounger. -snip-

Mike Huckabee, the evangelical pastor emerging as a strong Republican contender for the White House, is being advised by a former Bill Clinton aide with a history of sexual scandal. As the backlash against Mr Huckabee's increasingly confident campaign gathered pace yesterday, his staff admitted that he has regular telephone brain-storming sessions with Dick Morris, a consultant seen by some as the epitome of the cynical Washington political operative. Mr Huckabee, like Mr Clinton a former governor of Arkansas, recently described Mr Morris as "one of the smartest political minds in the business". The two men have known each other...

According to The Politico, New York Post columnist and FOX News contributor Dick Morris has been secretly advising former client Mike Huckabee on his Presidential campaign. Morris claims he is acting in an entirely voluntary capacity by simply offering free advice. Keep in mind that nationally syndicated columnist George Will was pilloried by the media when it became public that he had secretly and voluntarily helped Ronald Reagan prepare for his Presidential debates in 1980. A prominent national GOP insider tells Politics1 that he believes Morris -- despite his claims to the contrary -- is paid for his services through...

<p>If you happen to see the Bill Clinton five minute TV ad for Hillary in which he introduces the commercial by saying that he wants to share some things we may not know about Hillary's background . . . beware . .</p>

AS her once-formidable lead in national polls dwindles and Barack Obama moves ahead of her in the all-important Jan. 3 Iowa caucuses, Hillary Clinton will likely intensify her negative campaign against her rivals. The Clintons' political MO has always had a good dose of negative campaigning, especially when the going gets rough. There's no reason to assume that they will alter their game plan now. I remember Bill's race for re-election as Arkansas governor back in 1990, when he found himself falling behind Hal McCrae, his unknown Democratic primary opponent. After Clinton's 10 years as governor, McCrae's attacks - featuring...

Even as he continues to hold a convincing lead in the national race, Rudy Giuliani may be riding for a big fall in Iowa and the other early state primaries. Mitt Romney, despite his anemic national showing, could sweep Iowa, New Hampshire and Michigan, a trifecta that could give him such momentum as to sweep him to the nomination. The numbers are scary for Giuliani (and since Mitt doesn’t have a prayer in hell of beating Hillary in a general election, scary for us all). While he holds a lead in the national polls (Giuliani 30, Thompson 17, McCain 15,...

Both 2008 front-runners are suddenly in danger in the Iowa caucus, the first electoral test of the presidential races. Coming on Jan. 3 - only four weeks before the huge set of primaries on Feb. 5 - the Iowa contest will loom large in determining whether Hillary Clinton and Rudy Giuliani face real competition or cakewalks to their nominations. The New York Times/CBS poll released yesterday indicates real trouble ahead for both in Iowa. On the Democratic side, Clinton leads with 25 percent, followed by John Edwards at 23 percent and Barack Obama at 22 percent. In the GOP contest,...

During the Bill Clinton presidency, it became obvious that the president and the first lady were locked in a zero sum game of perception. The stronger people perceived her, the weaker they felt he was. Early in his tenure, news stories were rife about Hillary’s extraordinary influence on appointments, policy and political strategy. Each of these leaks sapped confidence in Bill Clinton’s strength and led to a drop in his ratings. The solution was to exile Hillary from the White House. She stopped attending strategy meetings, no longer had a direct or public role in policy formulation and redoubled her...

What if the current polls in Iowa are the final result? What if Romney wins in Iowa and then comes in first again in New Hampshire? What if Giuliani stumbles badly in Iowa and finishes fourth? What if Huckabee surges and finishes second in Iowa? What if Fred Thompson makes an unimpressive third-place finish there? And, on the Democratic side, what if Hillary only narrowly beats Obama in the first caucus state? With two months to go before the Iowa caucus, everything can change, and probably will, but it is worth speculating on what the impact will be if things...

It’s easy to see the disguises that the Democratic Party is planning to don for Halloween. While we can only speculate on the taxes they are planning to increase — everything would be a safe bet — it is becoming clear how they will dress the tax increases up to make the radical change they will, in fact, represent seem moderate and reasonable, even necessary to protect the “middle class.” Of course, this will take place not this year but in 2009, after they have elected Hillary as president and as many as 58 Democratic senators (possible takeaways in Minnesota,...

Rudy Giuliani has found his groove in attacking Hillary Clinton. Whether his barbs will help him beat her in the general election, we don’t know yet. But they will help him to win the Republican primary. The major reason for anyone to vote for Rudy Giuliani is that he has the best chance — we would say the only chance — to defeat Hillary Clinton. And beating Hillary is very, very, very important! It is only through the terror issue that the Republicans have a chance to win in November, 2008. If Americans retain their current complaisance, the GOP will...