The Danger of a President Romney

His ideas on foreign policy and Arms Control warrant a second look.

Gingrich 2012 Prez Run Now Plausible

Unless or until he announces at some point that he is not running, I am coming out two years early in support of Newt Gingrich for President in 2012. Here is the first of a series of articles regarding this potential Republican hopeful, a true Conservative who, if he really wants it, is the best person for the job in this man's opinion.

Let me first do what some in this business fail to do: Reveal a potential conflict of interest and remind readers that I served as Newt Gingrich's political chairman before and while he was speaker of the House. I've known him 30 years. But those who follow this column, including Gingrich, have not always enjoyed my views on some of his words or actions.


Newt knows I am an independent thinker, and while I'm not on his level of political genius, I might be a bit more in touch with the daily grind that faces most Americans every day.

So what's my take on this week's disclosure from Newt that he might run for president in 2012? First comes an initial, perhaps superficial reaction: Mitt Romney seems more charismatic, better organized and hungrier for the job than any other potential 2012 candidate. Sarah Palin is attractive, also charismatic and an ambitious potential candidate. Even Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, who is not well known, has a lot of "curb appeal" as a young candidate on the rise.

But I don't discount a Gingrich run. The presidential campaign of 2008 was about style over content. John McCain won GOP the nomination because Mike Huckabee, who shocked the Republicans by winning in Iowa, was viewed as perhaps too socially conservative. Romney seemed stiffer and "slicker" that year. He was too closely aligned with the unpopular George W. Bush camp. The GOP voters went for the image of "the maverick" in John McCain. It didn't work.

As for the Democrats and ultimately the nation, the elegant, charming and oratorically gifted Barack Obama represented a "change" as much in style as in substance. Oh, yes, there ultimately was plenty of substance in the change Obama brought to the nation as president. It just has not been the kind of change that many independent voters who supported him were expecting.

I have seen Newt Gingrich reinvent -- or perhaps better to say, "evolve" -- many times in his career. First, he was the bright new Republican conservative thinker in an overwhelmingly majority Democratic House in the late 1970s and the 1980s. By the early 1990s, he was the bomb-throwing, take-no-prisoners fighter who helped oust Speaker Jim Wright from power. By the mid-1990s, he was still a "revolutionary," but one with a detailed plan of action and a band of Republican "brothers and sisters" in the House willing to follow his lead to a huge 1994 electoral takeover of that chamber.

Then there were the years in the "wilderness," a term once used to describe Winston Churchill after his having led his nation through World War II, only to be later tossed out of power, at least for a while. Gingrich resigned after much internal GOP fighting. Yes, there is always the "he has baggage" argument. But years have passed, and Americans have short memories and forgiving hearts.

Now we see Newt Gingrich the "elder statesman." When Gingrich speaks, not only do cable news, talk radio and conservative popular news and opinion sites take note, so too does the "media establishment" that once ruled the airwaves and print journalism in America.

No, Gingrich will never match a Palin or Romney in a contest of style or youthful appearance. But in 2012, he will be the same age as Ronald Reagan was when he won the presidency for the first time. In that contest, the dashing John Connally and the elegant George H.W. Bush were viewed as the early frontrunners in the GOP race, along with other younger stars like Howard Baker.

Remember how Reagan moved from being viewed as an elder conservative also-ran to frontrunner status. It was one debate held in New Hampshire where the establishment GOP tried to keep Reagan from speaking. "I paid for this microphone," Reagan blasted as the moderator attempted to have him silenced.

And while I often discount the power of debates, it was the CNN/YouTube debate late in 2007 that catapulted Mike Huckabee toward a win in Iowa. And if you really want to reach back in time, I can name several presidential contests in which the debates turned the tide and the outcome of the election.

I can see Gingrich potentially playing roles like these. He is not an unappealing man. His grey hair and the calm manner in which he analyses issues gives those who view him a sense that there is still around at least this one bright, able -- and stable -- statesman. Do you really think any of the Republican contenders -- to say nothing of Barack Obama -- would want to debate Newt Gingrich?

A Gingrich run is more plausible than many think. Depending on an assortment of factors, it could just work for the Republican Party.

WRITTEN BY: Matt Towery at Human Events with the original article available by clicking on the title of this entry

Mormons Are Christians Too

I am a big fan of the HBO series "Big Love", but the fact of the matter is that it rarely shows what life is like for the average 'Mormon' family in America or around the world. Led on by media depictions of fringe fundamentalists, 'The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints' has gotten a bad name in some circles.

The fact is that the vast majority of the followers of this particular strand of Christianity are regular folks, including many famous people. Donny and Marie Osmond, stars of their own 1970's variety show as teens and now again thanks to recent appearances on the popular "Dancing With the Stars" program are part of perhaps the most famous American Mormon family.

Others who have either been raised in or converted to the faith include the man recently selected as the best 2nd baseman of the 2000's, Jeff Kent, who may one day be elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. They also include the recent popular "American Idol' runner-up David Archuleta. And child actor turned adult drama TV star Rick Schroeder converted to the church of which his wife has been a lifelong member.

Perhaps the most important and influential member of the church is former Massachusetts Governor and leading Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney. That importance comes from the fact of his legitimacy as a presidential candidate for a major political party. During the 2008 election cycle, Romney ran a year-long campaign during which he won the Michigan and Nevada primaries among the 11 state primaries and caucuses that he won before dropping out in February of '08.

There have been some who have criticized Romney's faith as 'fraud' and wondered how, if he truly believes in the LDS (Latter-Day Saints) tenets as a man he can be taken seriously as a candidate. That is ridiculous on it's face. It's not like he is worshiping an alien mother ship. And his faith should certainly be no more an obstacle than was that of John F. Kennedy's Catholicism in 1960 or any other Christian believer.

In running for the presidency and having his Catholicism brought up, Kennedy responded famously: "..if the time should ever come when my office would require me to either violate my conscience or violate the national interest, then I would resign the office." Mitt Romney has taken up that challenge and said that he would "no more take orders from Salt Lake City than Kennedy would from Rome."

That should be the end of that story, unless of course you find something mainstream about Catholicism and crazy about the LDS faith. So what do you know about 'The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints'? It's time to take a look at some of the key elements of that faith system, explore the legends and the fringe elements, and give you a more realistic picture than what you might have currently in mind.

Let's start with the word 'Mormon' itself, which is generally accepted to mean "more good" and which was described that way first by either Joseph Smith, the founder of the LDS movement, or another early church leader. W.W. Phelps. It is also the name of the narrator of the 'Book of Mormon', the Bible-esque sacred text of the church first published by Smith in 1830.

The Book of Mormon is widely regarded within the church as not just sacred scripture, but also as a history of God's relationship with His church in the Americas going back over a 1,000 year period. Smith claims that he received the book from an angel in 1827. It was written on what were called 'golden plates', the originals of which Smith had to return to the angel after translation into English.

The main theme of both the book and the faith is described in it's title page: "convincing of the Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God, manifesting himself unto all nations." The book teaches at one point that after his resurrection, Jesus visited some of the early inhabitants of the Americas.

It goes on to teach that Jesus is: "God himself who shall come down among the children of men, and shall redeem his people, being the Father and the Son — the Father, because he was conceived by the power of God; and the Son, because of the flesh; thus becoming the Father and Son — and they are one God, yea, the very Eternal Father of heaven and of earth."

Along with solid Christian themes, the book delves into political and philosophical areas, especially in regards to the idea of American exceptionalism. It calls America a "land of promise", and perhaps in what could be a warning to our current time it teaches that "any righteous society possessing the land would be protected, whereas if they became wicked they would be destroyed and replaced with a more righteous civilization."

Joseph Smith himself was born in Vermont in 1805. In 1823 he claims to have been visited by the angel 'Moroni' who was the guardian of and who first revealed the 'golden plates' to Smith, and who eventually allowed Smith to dig them up and translate them. The translation was completed in 1830, and the Book of Mormon was then first published and the 'Church of Christ' was first formed.

The church in it's earliest days under Smith's leadership grew through periods of drama and scandal spreading from New York through to Ohio, Missouri, and Illinois among other stops. Many of it's early leaders who would go on to become legendary figures, such as Brigham Young, came to the church in these years. It was in Illinois in 1844 that Smith met his end, assassinated by an anti-Mormon group inspired in part by his embracing and teaching of polygamy.

One idea that had triggered much hatred towards the Mormons was this introduction of 'the Principle' of plural marriage, popularly known as the practice of polygamy. Smith claimed to be inspired to the practice himself, and it is thus still practiced today by fundamentalist Mormons who believe that they should practice the faith in the way that Smith did. The LDS church officially banned polygamy in 1890 after it was officially declared illegal, and any church member now caught practicing it is excommunicated.

While it is these fundamentalist sects that draw much attention from the government and the sensationalist headline-seeking news media, and while it also is the main story line of "Big Love", this relatively small segment does not represent mainstream modern day LDS beliefs. The bottom line is that the LDS church is a Christian church, it has over 13 million members worldwide, is the 2nd-fastest growing church in America, it believes in the divinity of and teachings of Christ, and is as 'mainstream' as any other Christian faith.

As most everyone who follows this little blog of mine knows, I am a Catholic through and through, and I would enthusiastically encourage every single member of the LDS church, any other Christian church, and any other faith system at all to closely explore and strongly consider joining what I believe to be God's one true church. Catholicism is where I believe the best interpretations of his Word can be found. But for all it's critics out there, the fact of the matter on the LDS church is that Mormons are Christians too.

GOP Scrambles For a Messenger

The struggle to settle on a speaker for Monday's big congressional Republican fundraising dinner underscores the tough time the party is having finding national leaders to help them form a message and go head-to-head with President Obama.

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich ended up headlining this year's Senate-House Republican dinner, capping an awkward back-and-forth in which Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's advisers in Washington initially agreed for her to deliver the keynote speech only to have her Alaska office later argue that she never committed. The party's former vice-presidential nominee was then reinvited to attend but told she could not speak out of fear she might upstage Mr. Gingrich.

Despite the back-and-forth, the event's sponsors -- the National Republican Congressional Committee and the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) -- said the dinner had raised $14.45 million to aid Republican congressional candidates in the upcoming election cycle.

"We simply have to take both of them back," NRSC Vice Chairman Orrin G. Hatch of Utah said of the two chambers.

Rep. Paul D. Ryan of Wisconsin added: "We've got to be the reform party we used to be. We've got to be the party of ideas."

Mr. Gingrich, who stepped down from the House a decade ago, recently earned headlines for describing Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor as a "Latina racist" on the social networking site Twitter.com, a comment he later backed away from. But he was given a rock star's welcome at Monday night's dinner at the Washington Convention Center, receiving a standing ovation after a speech that spanned American history, judicial philosophy and economic policies.

"The challenge for the Obama administration is simple: Americans know better," Mr. Gingrich said, citing the president's plan to shut down Guantanamo Bay prison in Cuba, which has stalled in Congress. "Reagan used his rhetorical skills to shine light on truths and fundamental facts. Obama uses his rhetorical skills to hide fundamental facts."

Mr. Gingrich, like Republican analysts, appeared to shrug off the Palin drama as inside-the-Beltway chatter, giving the hockey-mom-turned-politician a public welcome. "I felt, looking at John McCain and Sarah Palin [tonight], this country would have been amazingly better off had they been in the White House," he said.

Since Mr. Obama's victory over Sen. John McCain of Arizona in November, Democrats have mocked the Republican Party for recycling former leaders while attempting to paint polarizing figures such as talk-radio host Rush Limbaugh and former Vice President Dick Cheney as titular party heads.

But Republicans pointed out that it's not surprising to find a field of several potential leaders after losing the White House, and argued that electoral success hinges more on ideas than a single party leader. "After [the loss of Democratic presidential candidate Sen. John Kerry] 2004, before Barack Obama, the Democrats didn't really have a leader," said Republican strategist Kevin Madden.

Other analysts downplayed the Palin drama as inside-the-Beltway chatter. "In the end, she's coming to the dinner and it's all much ado about nothing," veteran Republican strategist Ron Bonjean said.

But the behind-the-scenes intrigue did little to help promote Republican Party unity. In addition to Mr. Gingrich, a possible 2012 presidential contender, former 2008 presidential candidates Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee -- both of whom appear interested in reviving their campaigns for the White House -- have been active on the public circuit, appearing on television and campaigning for Republican candidates across the country.

Mr. Gingrich, who stepped down from the House a decade ago, recently earned headlines for describing Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor as a "Latina racist" on the social-networking site Twitter.com, a comment he later backed away from.

After two bruising election cycles, the Republican Party is eyeing next year's midterm contest as a chance to redeem itself as the party of fiscal responsibility amid a trend of record-setting spending by Democrats.

As part of that effort, Mr. Gingrich said, Republicans should not be afraid of interparty debates between moderates and more conservative members of the party.

"I am happy that [former Vice President] Dick Cheney is a Republican. I am also happy that Colin Powell is a Republican," he said. "A majority Republican party will have lots of debates within the Republican party -- that is the nature of a majority."

Republicans are particularly focused on the Senate, where Democrats will have 60 votes if disputed Minnesota Senate candidate Al Franken is seated. The Republicans will have to work hard to keep the seats of retiring Sens. George V. Voinovich of Ohio, Christopher S. Bond of Missouri and Mel Martinez of Florida in the Republican column next year while it holds out some hope of knocking off a few Democrats up for re-election.

The party has set its sights on defeating veterans Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada and Sen. Christopher J. Dodd of Connecticut as well as newly appointed Sens. Roland W. Burris of Illinois and Kirsten Gillibrand of New York. Republican-turned-Democrat Sen. Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania is also being targeted by his former party after switching sides ahead of next year's re-election battle, though he could face a tough primary if Democratic Rep. Joe Sestak decides to challenge him.

Sen. Judd Gregg of New Hampshire has said he would not seek re-election next year but has acknowledged pressure from his Republican colleagues to reconsider his decision.

House Republicans, meanwhile, are looking to narrow the Democrats' margin of power, which is 256 to 178.

WRITTEN by Kara Rowland at The Washington Times on June 9th, 2009

Election Eve

Well, it's finally here: Election Eve. Just one more night of these incessant commercials that end or begin with: "I'm _______ (insert politician name), and I approve this message." The majority of the opinion polls are calling for a Democratic Party victory across the board for the Presidencey, in Congress, and in the U.S. Senate. The major network news stations and the majority of the print media have been gleefully reporting these results to the public. There is no doubt that the prosecution of the Iraq War and the recent plummet in the stock market have hurt the Republicans most. Congress deserves as much blame as President Bush, if not more, but that just doesn't matter. President George W. Bush has been a target since first being elected back in 2000 in the closest American Presidential vote ever, an election that Dems believe to this day was stolen from them by the Supreme Court. They believe that the entire Bush Presidency has been illegitimate, that he would never have beaten Kerry in 2004 if he had not been handed the 2000 victory over Al Gore, who they believe should be completing his 2nd term in the White House. To even imagine the horror of what the last eight years would have been like under a Gore administration is too frightening a concept on which to waste ones time. Suffice it to say that a President Gore probably would have ceded the Middle East to the Islamofascists by now, and the Supreme Court would be liberal for the next two generations. Thank God that 'W' was elected if only because he kept us safe after 9/11, responded with strength to that Middle East crisis, and appointed two tremendous, originalist SCOTUS justices in John Roberts and Samuel Alito. If John McCain does indeed succumb to Obama tomorrow night, the Republican Party needs to seriously get back to the drawing board from the grass roots on up. People like Mitt Romney and Sarah Palin among others need to step up solidly on the national stage, and strategists need to begin to fight back with a plan to take back Congress. Should McCain-Palin eek out a victory, expect the left to cry foul, and cry it loud and long. After all, partisan pollsters and pundits have been telling them for a month that they have an easy win on their hands. My bet is that if it is a win for the Dems, it won't be easy or big. This should be a close election. My call is that neither candidate gets more than 51 or 52 percent of the vote, which means that a significant portion of the nation's citizens will not have supported the next person who would be the President. In any event, it's almost over now. One more night. Soon, the commercials will end, the signs will come down, the rhetoric will ease for a time, and we can look forward to Christmas. But beyond that, we can either be looking at a nightmare or an opportunity. As Hillary Clinton sits home wondering what exactly happened to her dream, anything remains possible here on Election Eve.

Dem Ticket Palin by Comparison

The 2008 U.S. Presidential election just keeps on getting more and more interesting with every passing day. Of course this pace cannot continue, and now that both parties have set their full tickets things will settle down a bit to the serious campaigning, particularly once next week's Republican National Convention passes. But what presumptive Republican nominee John McCain did today was toss a serious curve ball to the Democrats and their nominee Barrack Obama. For months, the McCain camp has pointed at a lack of experience on Obama's part as a serious shortcoming. And for their part, the Obama folks have called McCain nothing more than the same old tired Washington politics, and a continuation of Bush policies. So when given the chance to name Vice-Presidential running mates, who did each candidate choose? Obama chose the ultimate Washington insider, Senator Joe Biden of Delaware, a man whose middle name is 'same old politics'. Then today McCain names as his running mate the Governor of Alaska, Sara Palin, whose national political experience is almost as short as Obama's. So the Dems have a man at the head of their ticket who is a 3-year Senator with no governing experience, where 2 of those years have been spent running for President, and a man at the back end of their ticket who is as 'more of the same old Washington politics' as any person around. Meanwhile the Republicans have at the top of their ticket a seasoned political veteran and universally acknowledged American hero, and at the back end of the ticket a woman, the first woman to ever be nominated on the top Republican ticket. Once the shock of not having someone like Tom Ridge, Mitt Romney, Tim Pawlenty, or even Joe Lieberman as the Veep choice wears off, the conservative base of the Republican party should find much to love about Sara Palin. First off, she is pro-life, which should be a litmus test for any Republican. Second, she is a lifetime member of the NRA, an outdoors woman with a passion for intelligent, informed environmentalism and the 2nd amendment. Her state's proximity to Russia and it's abundance in prospective oil make her experiences with those issues stronger than most. She has governed, albeit for just the past two years in Alaska. But that is two more years than the man at the top of the Dems ticket has ever governed in his life. In her personal life, she was born in Idaho and raised in Alaska. She is the 20-year wife of her high school boyfriend. And she is a 5-time mom, having just given birth in April to her 2nd son, a Downs Syndrome child. She is a woman, a wife, a mother, a Governor. She is an attractive, articulate, intelligent Vice-Presidential candidate for the Republican Party, which makes this ticket every bit as historic as the Dems ticket. Uh, yes, I did say she was attractive. That is not a slight or a sin to notice. The woman was the runner-up in the Miss Alaska pageant a couple decades back, and still looks great today. So sue me for noticing. In November, the United States will either elect it's first African-American to one of the top two offices, or the first woman. Experienced war hero backed by governing, conservative woman on the Republican side, or inexperienced liberal backed by old-time Washington politico on the Democrat side. The choice is now clear, and when held up against the light of the Republican ticket, the Dems choice is palin' by comparison.

Veepstakes: Does it Matter?

The Democratic National Convention kicks off next Monday, August 25th, in Denver and the liberal party will select Barrack Obama as their party nominee for the Presidency. The Republican National Convention will then get underway the following week, on September 1st in Minneapolis. There the conservative party will nominate John McCain as their party nominee for the Presidency. There will be much hoopla, a great deal of pomp and circumstance, and a large amount of partisan blathering from any number of talking heads. In the next few days and into next week there will be a great deal of speculation as to whom each party's prospective nominee will be selecting as a running-mate. The selection of a Vice-Presidential candidate to run with the Presidential candidate on their party 'ticket' is seen as a key moment in any campaign. Very often the Presidential candidate and his advisers look to pick an individual who embodies the values of that Presidential nominee, but who also has differences that can be helpful in drawing voters to the ticket. For instance, someone from the Northeast might decide to pick a Southerner, or someone from the West might choose someone from the East Coast. Someone from the heartland in the Mid-West might choose from the East or the South. Someone deemed inexperienced in world affairs might choose a veteran politico with such experience. Someone with a military background might opt for a partner with a stronger record handling domestic issues, and so on. In the entire history of major party politics in the United States there have been two major things that nearly all candidates have had in common, whether for the Presidency or the Vice-Presidency: they have been white, and they have been male. There was only one major party female candidate in history, that being 1984 Veep candidate Geraldine Ferraro (pictured), who ran alongside former Vice-President Walter Mondale. The Mondale-Ferraro ticket was squashed by the re-election campaign of Ronald Reagan, and there has been no straying from the 'white males only' club until now. When the Dems put Obama's name into nomination, and select him as their candidate, he will become the first black male, the first non-white at all, to ever be nominated for the highest office in the land. Of course, he will pick a white male as his running mate. There are many people who don't feel that the U.S. is ready to elect a black man as it's President, especially one with as liberal a record as Obama's. However, even those who believe that time is now understand that TWO candidates, both the Prez and the Veep, cannot break the 'white male club' barrier in the same year on the same ticket. So the leading contenders most often mentioned are Delaware Senator Joe Biden, Viriginia Governor Tim Kaine, and Indiana Senator Evan Bayh. The Dems have even revived the ghost of , gasp, John Kerry as a possibility. The call here is that Biden will get the nod. He is extremely strong on international policy and national security issues, two areas which the public perceives as weaknesses for Obama, and he has already been 'vetted'. The vetting process is where the prospective candidate is investigated and interviewed to determine their suitability to be on the team and not bring embarrassment to the campaign in the form of any unwanted 'skeletons in the closet'. On the Republican side the names most frequently mentioned lately seem to be former Prez candidate and Massachusetts Guv Mitt Romney, Pennsylvania Governor and Homeland Security head Tom Ridge, and youthful Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty. Any of these three would be great candidates, but Pawlenty may just be too 'unknown' yet nationally. There have even been some who have dug up the old idea of Dem turncoat Joe Lieberman. Romney would be an incredible choice, but he seems like a pipe dream. Ridge is the call here. He was a strong Governor and has perhaps the best resume of any candidate on either side of the aisle. If they were selected, both Biden and Ridge would be outstanding candidates, as would many others selected in their stead. But what difference will they make in the end? Does McCain need a young guy to make folks forget his age? Does Obama need a white guy to make folks forget that he is black? Does McCain need a northeast guy to offset his western ruggedness? Does Obama need an experienced tough-guy to overcome his ultra-liberalism and inexperience dealing with foreign heads of state? No matter, will whomever each selects make a difference to voters? The odds are that both will go with relatively 'safe' choices that will not alienate their base, and that will seemingly be attractive to undecided voters. But I believe that it really doesn't, or at least shouldn't, matter who they might pick. The odds are that you are about to get 8 years of either Obama or McCain, and that the Veep won't matter one bit. It is the policies and personalities of Obama and McCain that not only matter the most, but that frankly matter at all. If you are going to vote for your Presidential candidate because of whom he selects as his Veep running mate, then maybe you need to be rethinking your decision to vote for them entirely. The Veep nominees will be selected in the coming days, and there will be a great deal of publicity about the selections. But in the end, it is the Presidential candidates who really count.

The Twelve Days of Celebrity Christmas

Are they over? Not the Iowa caucuses, silly, the holidays.

Yes, we heard Obama clinched Iowa and we're thrilled. Thrilled beyond expression. Edwards second place finish wasn't so squeaky when considering how outspent and under reported in comparison to Clinton. No sympathy whatsoever for Billary. We can only pray she gets the message to exit sooner rather than later. She should allow the presumptive nominee, Obama, to use some of that treasure trove in the general election. Wonder how much she'll try to squirrel away for another senate campaign.

Huckabee creamed the competition as expected. No surprises there. Giuliani's failure to register in the top tier, however, knocked a lot of wind out of our sails. I would have thought Thompson had no chance whatsoever. Instead, his third place finish leaves Hunter dead in the water, and Rudy extremely vulnerable in New Hampshire.

Biden and Dodd are goners. Bye fellows, it was nice thinking I'd be able to vote for one of you. Thanks a lot, Iowa, you always know how to spoil a good party. I didn't get to drink a beer and the cops are already sending people home.

As the holidays come to a close, and the race moves ahead to New Hampshire, I'm bracing myself for the long haul...February 6th. If there's no assumed winners by then, all hell may break loose at the conventions.

This party may not have to end so abruptly after all.

Well, celebrity fans, there's a new kid on the block. By chance, I came across the kid's "Twelve Days of Celebrity Christmas" and thought it was a classy way end to the holidays. Classy in a very cheesy sort of way. Soon, people will be taking down their Christmas lights (everyone but your next door neighbor), the hum drum will return, and we'll all be looking forward to spring.

By the time convetion season rolls around, I might need a good soak in the Velvet Hot Tub, if not to lick my political wounds, then for the sheer enjoyment of rejuvenation.

Don't tell our virtual Hollywood correspondent, Moan Quivers, about the "-alicious" suffix in the title panel. She definitively said the next person who describes something with the dreaded "-alicious," they were going to get a spiked heel up their butt. Ouch.

Mitt Romney Attack Ads Against Huckabee are Downright Creepy

Not watching much television these days. The writers strike has seen to that. Never did watch much to begin with, but with sorry repeat episodes, even CSI is not worth the time.

Did read The Kite Runner after seeing the movie first. Would love to sit and pen a beautiful soul searching post about both, but there's not enough time in a day to do everything I need and want to do. Usually, I end up picking what I need to do, although, this week went by in a blur. Here it is almost Friday and I'm barely going to make it to the bank (they close at 3:00 p.m.). Lately this crunch for time has been short changing my ability to adequately express myself and successfully update the blog. Blogging is a challenge, it's not all fun and games. But, I love what I do and wouldn't have it any other way. Would you?

Mike Huckabee on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno. The premiere episode without writers. I had to watch. Jay was funny. Huckabee? The man blew me away. No wonder he is so well liked in Iowa. I'm not sure if he could top Dodd as my choice for President, but this is a guy I certainly would like to have as a my friend.

He's cool. Very funny. Yes, I know the banter was scripted, but without writers, it had to be Huckabee's own staff. Jay played along so well, one could barely detect the inherent phoniness. Plus, for all you celebrity politician people, Huckabee is a true rock star. The man plays a mean bass guitar. Oh, he's the real deal, people. I think the Republicans have found themselves a winner.

Problem with the Republicans is they want a true conservative. This is going to be tight, but I'm going to go on the record again by saying, if the Republicans nominate him, Huckabee will win. He's one of the few -- if the only -- Republican candidate Democrats will be able to stomach.

Yes, the caucuses play on. As do the political advertisements. I came across two about Huckabee that really bring the message of celebrity politics home. It's bad enough using celebrity endorsements to win votes, as Huckabee and many others in this campaign have done. I can't really blame Huckabee for succumbing to a pack mentality.



On the other hand, this Mitt Romney attack ad leaves me speechless.



I know it's because I have to get to the bank, running out of time, and can't really put what I'm thinking into words.

The Romney campaign looks like it's slipping into a downward spiral. If this is the work of his biggest and brightest, Romney has trouble - BIG TROUBLE - in River City.

Come on. Are we stupid? Cartoon Chuck knocking out two dimensional Mike? Is this what the presidency boils down to? Yes, the roundhouse kick is creepy. It's not just the perception of certain bloggers who, from what I can glean, don't support Huckabee. The Romney ad is a whole new level of idiot politics. It may be the first time a candidate attacked a rival by referring to the rival's celebrity endorsement.

I'm creeped out just by writing about it.

Celebrity Presidential Endorsements on Parade

Less than three weeks from the first primary election of 2008, celebrity presidential endorsements are hitting the big time. Oprah made her big splash for Obama last week after Streisand, Bill, Mrs. Rodham, and Chelsea went to bat for Hillary.

Before that, of course, we had Clooney, Halle, and Matty The Sexiest Man Alive for Barack. And before any of them hit the scene, way back over the summer, there was Taryn Southern in "Hot4Hill" and that spicy little Obama girl who got plastered all over TV. Suddenly, there's Chuck for "Huck," and Lieberman for McCain, not to mention Fred Thompson who is a celebrity in his own right. The other candidates have some Hollywood appeal as well, but apparently not enough to make the national news media stand up and applaud.

How can anyone help but notice all the Tinseltown draped over Election 2008? The parade of celebrity endorsements keeps going and going and going ad naseum like the Energizer Bunny in a bad Twilight Zone episode. Rod Serling could not have conceived of anything more terrifying, I mean, the thought of all these celebrities somehow influencing voters to cast their ballot for the celebrity's choice of presidential candidate is positively horrifying. Barbra Streisand is a wonderful entertainer with a voice like buttah, but honestly, what does she know about running America?

There's no sense in complaining. There are too many Americans who are too busy to pay attention to the presidential election and/or don't have the brains or interest to care. These are the same people who will vote for a candidate because Oprah tells them to, or because they want a minority in office, or because they like the way a candidate plays a guitar on stage. Forget about foreign policy, or ability to lead, or domestic policy....none of that actually matters.

It's gotten so bad that if a candidate hasn't gotten a celebrity endorsement of some sort by now, they might as well throw in the towel. Otherwise qualified candidates like Dodd, Biden, Tancredo, and Hunter (if you just said "WHO?" out loud, you really have not been following the election and don't deserve to cast a vote in the primary) haven't got a prayer. These men lack the necessary star power, will not pass their screen tests, and mark my words, will start dropping like flies after February 5th.

This is the state of politics in 2008. A hundred years from now, someone will look back on this moment and designate 2008 as the year politics became undone. Slowly, slowly, ever since Reagan became president, America has been drifting into a Hollywood mindset, equating the ability to lead a nation with the ability to open a movie, electing presidents the same way they become fans of movie stars.

Quiet! That twilight zoney music is playing faintly in the background. Oh, no, wait, it's the theme song from Back to the Future.

Might as well have some fun with this. Like a celebrity parade before it passes by, everyone on the other side of the baricades should stop and watch the action. Yeah, that's the ticket. If you can't beat 'em, join 'em. Think of each video as an overblown Macy's Day Thanksgiving Parade float.

Just be careful to avoid getting subliminally slimed.

CNN/YouTube Republican Debate Bathes Candidates in New Light

For people who hadn't yet had an opportunity to watch the top Republican presidential candidates spar, Wednesday's CNN/YouTube debate was an eye opener. As Rudy started blasting his very worthy opponent over illegal domestic help, I swear I saw Romney extend his arm with a certain covert hand gesture. All morning long, I've been poring over Joe Raedle's Getty images. Almost bought one to display here, but the cost far exceeded the blog's monthly income. Editorial image #78138383, third from the bottom of the page clearly indicates some bad vibes going on. If the link ceases to function three years from now, this spewked version essentially conveys the same idea.

Maybe Mormons on the campaign trail aren't as pious as they'd have everyone believe. Romney also appeared somewhat arrogant and a tad too pompous for my tastes. On a personal note, the slick goo in his do reminded me of my father's Brylcreem days. Earth to Mitt. A little dab'll do ya. Not a whole handful.

When the debate eventually reached the inevitable, “WWJD” question, I had to groan. Love how the Republicans had no problem discussing their personal religious beliefs, almost like they fully anticipated such a question. Wonder why inquiries like this never get posed to Democrats? Could it be because they have no place in presidential debates?

Separation of church and state is a fundamental pillar of this nation’s foundation, yet Republicans, especially conservative Republicans, love to interject religious beliefs into political forums. Huckabee’s answer, along the lines of "I think Jesus was too smart to become involved in politics," not only rallied the base, but also gave Huckabee the push he needs in the polls. How ironic that by downplaying the political savvy of one of the biggest rabble rousers in human history, Huckabee miraculously launched himself into the enviable number two spot, albeit, with the number one spot still up for grabs.

Republicans should step back and stop the applause. The Reverend Mike sends the wrong message to non-Christian and atheist Democrats. Shades of Ann Coulter, perhaps? Not scary enough to change my mind about Hillary, but certainly not a formidable enough challenger against other Democratic contenders. In fact, if Huckabee dropped the religious rhetoric, he could easily be a top-tier Democratic candidate.

Huckabee talks the talk but doesn't walk the walk. The airwaves, press, and blogosphere are brimming with reports of Huckabee's implicit support of illegal immigration as well as questionable fiscal policy. No wonder this blogger took an immediate shine to Huckabee's record.

Huckabee is emerging as the Hillary of Republicans. From what I understand, he has captivated the hearts and loyalty of many Iowan Republicans. But just like the Hillary Democrats, these voters cannot articulate why.