John McCain is 70 Years Old

John McCain is running for President and even though he’s now 70, McCain will be a formable opponent. Here’s why.

Lots of voters are his age or close to it. They won’t want to hear that he’s too old and will be inclined to vote for someone their age.
McCain has set himself up to be the non Bush Republican who has the support of strong conservatives.
He’s the fiscal conservative who has a moderate social message.
The Senator has also been very “principled” on various issues from the War in Iraq to a Woman’s Right to Choose.

If the Democrats nominate a candidate who is perceived as weak on defense or is not knowledgeable on issues of national security then McCain will have a good chance. My sense is republicans will be attempting to seek out and support the weakest possible Democrat. McCain would have a very difficult time against an Al Gore candidacy. Gore will neutralize the few advantages McCain and the republicans will have in 2008.

What's Up In Iceland?

I have often wondered about this question! I was actually at a Washington, DC grocery store the other night, when a beautiful lady came up to me and offered me a taste of her beer. Beer brewed with pure Icelandic water. It was good, and it made me think of global warming, and what would Al Gore think? So, now read the article. Cheers!

What Would Al Gore Drink?
By Maggie Dutton

"Global warming beer made from melting ice caps." I read the headlines scattered around the Internet. Some Danish guys are making beer in Greenland—from Arctic ice that predates the Industrial Revolution, ergo, pollution—and the buzz is huge.

News From Across The Pond

From today's BBC an interesting article on comments made by Al Gore in Scotland. He's attending a TV Festival in Edinburgh. I've been to Edinburgh and it is a beautiful city. And August is a wonderful time to be there.
I included this article because I have been getting a lot of emails from friends and others who ask if Al Gore is really going to run for President? Most people wish he would run, and others suggest he isn't interested in the job. I think Al Gore is interested but he's going to run on his terms. That's my two cents. Read the article below, but here's the link: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/5291298.stm

US politics 'obsessed' with ads

By Kevin Young Entertainment reporter, BBC News

Finding cash to fund TV commercials is "the only thing that matters in American politics now", former US Vice-President Al Gore has said.

"The person who has the most money to run the most ads usually wins," he told the Edinburgh TV Festival.

It was "astonishing" that the average American devoted nearly five hours a day to TV viewing, he added.

And Mr Gore asserted the internet was making TV more accessible and letting people join a "multi-way conversation".

He called this an important move because people could find and distribute information, and then watch as it was judged by others in terms of quality.

*****

On the subject of the expenditure of political parties, Mr Gore, a Democrat, said: "Two days ago, I was at an event helping to raise money for a candidate of my political party, running for governor in one of our most populous states.

"I asked the question of him: 'What percentage of your campaign budget, between now and election day in November, will be spent on television commercials?'

"The answer was 80%," he told an audience of several hundred media industry figures on the final day of the festival.

*****

And he claimed the power of modern advertising had led to the ability to create demand for products "artificially".

"Now you sometimes see, in extreme cases, advertising created before the product, and then the product is based on what looks as if it's going to succeed.

"That same phenomenon has now happened to democracy," he said, suggesting that too often, political parties made decisions based on reactions to their advertising campaigns.

ARE ALL BETS OFF? Except for Al Gore!

You know there are these betting sites on the internet and they are beginning to show the odds. I have been looking at the various results and developing some theories on why people are wagering their money the way they do?

First of all, I don't think this on-line betting predicts necessarily the correct/accurate outcome for a specific election. But, these sites, like the Sportsbook.com and the Iowa Electronic Markets, are two examples of "real-money futures markets". People put their money where their mouths are and vote in essence on who they think will become the next President of the United States. If they pick correctly they make some money, sometimes a lot of money.

Right now the gambling looks something like this for the Democrats and republicans: Hillary R. Clinton, Al Gore and Bill Richardson, in that order. For the republicans it is: John McCain, George Felix Allen, Rudy Giuliani and Sam Brownback. I would be extremely surprised if this were to remain the same on the Democrats’ side. For the republicans McCain might just get it. He’s on the front page of the Washington Post Magazine this week and the article is very positive. He’s a war hero, social moderate and fiscal conservative. He’s the republican’s anti-Bush. McCain is also attracting lots of support from republican insiders and big wheels. And his selection will drive the Democrats selection process.

With a McCain nomination the Dems will need to put up someone who has good military credentials, like Al Gore. Gone will be candidates like John Edwards, John Warner, Evan Bayh and countless others who don’t have that National Security Experience that Al Gore’s already got on his vita. Anyone of these fine men could be V-P, of course, but not number one on the ticket. Hillary Rodman Clinton falls into this category too. No amount of condemning Secretary Donald Rumsfeld will ever help her overcome her lack of hands on experience in National Security affairs, or as some of my friends from Kansas and Missouri would say, her lack of judgment.

Check back soon and I will be giving you a rundown on why McCain will probably beat those other candidates, and who will be their V-P nominee. The Drumbeat continues!!

It is a Drumbeat

I can see it now. The drumbeat is beginning. People want Al Gore to run and they are asking the question...what would America be like today if we had President Gore? Can you say, "peace and prosperity"?

Look at this item from today's Hotline.

And a President Gore or President McCain would make us safer than a President Kerry or President Hillary Clinton.

'A President Gore would make us safer'.

If Al Gore runs he wins! No republican could beat him, not even McCain.

Al Gore close in latest poll, John Edwards making his move and Joe Sestak would make a great V-P with Al.

The Nation magazine has an interesting and well-placed article on a recent poll. It shows that Al Gore is just behind HRC in support from Dems. Al Gore has such good polling numbers and he’s been out of the public eye for 6 years now. The reason he’s doing well and would do even better once he announced he was interested in running, is because we had peace and prosperity when Gore was in office. For 8 years things went well in this country. Look at things now!

Hotline has a small piece about John Edwards today. I don’t think Edwards has a chance myself. He’s running for VP again. A one term Senator doesn’t make a President, and he’d lose to McCain. Here’s the article, see for your self.

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On The Trail: The Second Democratic Frontrunner

The calendar changes, writes Chuck Todd, do more to cement Ex-Sen. . John Edwards's status as the alternative frontrunner than anything else.

"Organizationally, Edwards is in the best shape of anyone in Iowa. His close ties to the%

Been on Vacation in South Carolina

Now that we are back I don't know what to write about? Should I write about how the right wing of the Republican Party is hammering George W. Bush on being a lightweight intellectually? Or should I write about Hillary Clinton being such a lighting rode? Time has an interesting article about how she’s viewed as “Polarizing”.

Another thing that was of interest this weekend was the DNC made it official. The order of the primaries and caucus’ in the early part of 2008 has been set. As we all knew, Iowa will begin things with Nevada, New Hampshire and South Carolina following in that order. Some people feel this is a made to order set of elections for John Edwards. Edwards could be expected from the early polling to sweep all these states.

My sense is Al Gore still is the strongest candidate for the Democrats. It looks like Senator McCain will be the republicans’ nominee. With George Allen making a fool of himself and probably setting himself up for a defeat in November, McCain looks like the strongest republican. The Democrats will need a strong candidate with experience to counter McCain’s hold on the military/national security issue.

A nice Presidential team would be Al Gore and Joe Sestak. Sestak would make an excellent Vice President and candidate. He’s a good campaigner, good looking, has the requisite military experience (3 Star Admiral). John Edwards and William Blaine "Bill" Richardson would also make great VP’s. We have to wait and see what happens.