Best Article Yet On Al Gore Running - "Run, Al, Run"

Many of you have already seen this. I am sorry to be late with blogging about this but Rolling Stone has an outstanding article on Gore and the campaign.

Here is the link. Take a look at it. The top of the world is also talking about Gore. Check this out. We'll be hearing more on this in the future.

Cheers to all!

Not a Good Day for Cheney

Poor Dick Cheney! On a day when his eldest daughter lost her composure in a written piece in the Washington Post and attempted to blast Mrs. Clinton, Cheney had a number of other things that didn’t go his way.

Cheney got blasted by Senator McCain over Iraq.

Libby said he was a Sacrificial Lamb. This doesn’t look good for Cheney or Bush and the prosecution must have a strong case for the Libby side to say these things.

Other republicans now are coming out against the policy in Iraq and more republicans will most probably announce their opposition to many more issues. Bush is a wounded leader.

The Horses Are Ready!

We can see that people are now beginning to move out quickly. I think there is a sense that if they don't go out early and try and lock up voters, then they could fall behind or never have a chance once Al Gore comes into the race (let's hope he does). Former Vice President Gore does not have to follow the timetable of the other candidates. That's because he's the strongest candidate. If the others were strong, really strong, they could have waited. But they can't.

Here are the articles from today's NYT's and the Washington Post. I am really struck by Kansas Senator Brownback coming in the race. He's the one to watch. Now that Allen and what's his name from Pennsylvania are no longer in the picture.

An Excellent Posting Last Week from an Anonymous Source

Anonymous said...

Keep an eye on Senator Brownback. He's got the credentials to gain support of the GOP's right wing that currently controls the party and opposes Bush on Iraq. That opposition could neutralize much of the foreign policy debate in the '08 Presidential race since both nominees will take similar positions. GOP primary candidates who support Bush's Iraq policy (e.g. McCain, Guliani)are goners from the get-go, which is also why Hillary Clinton is problematic as a candidate given her past pro-war votes. Yes, Bush is such a disaster that he's taking down Republicans AND Democrats who went along with the debacle.

Al Gore, of course, never did so.

The only winning strategy for the Republicans in the wake of the disatrous fiasco of Iraq is to shift the debate to domestic issues. Brownback conceivably could be the one to do that. And Gore would be the best candidate to counter with a shift back to global issues, most importantly, climate change. His argument: America CAN reclaim its leadership position in the world by working to solve the most pressing issue facing the planet.

He'd beat Brownback hands down on that one.

So Volatile Anyone Could Win!

The republican race for President in 2008 is becoming very exciting. Nebraska Republican Senator Chuck Hagel was on MTP today and did a very fine job and certainly distinguished himself as a viable and likeable candidate for the republican nomination. Hagel certainly has the background and experience to be President.

Today’s Washington Post has an article by former Clinton special counsel Lanny Davis proposing an odd nomination scenario. He’s talking about McCain-Clinton ’08, Obama-Hagel, and whole bunch of “provocative possibilities”.

I would doubt that any of these different combinations would ever come into being. The stakes are too high, but also, after analyzing the situation I think voters would wonder who was really in charge?

A likely combination which would be unique would be a Rudy Giuliani and Newt Gingrich team. Gingrich is enough of a theorist that he’d think as Vice President he’d have a good chance of becoming President someday.

Who Will The Republicans Nominate in ‘08?

The media says there are 3 main republican candidates right now, Giuliani, McCain and Romney. I think they are right but watch out for Senator Sam Brownback. Brownback has an exploratory committee and is raising money among the very conservative. Is he the republican’s Kennedy? Only, Brownback is no JFK.

All the more reason for us to work hard and elect Al Gore President in 2008. World wide Gore will be hailed if candidate. Showing the world the USA can recover from mistakes like George W. Bush.

The next administration will face a difficult problem maintaining the peace in the world. Countries have gotten spun up about military issues and that will be hard to cool them off so there is not a conflict. Many are adding budgets etc. Old saying, give the boys enough toys and they will want to see how they work.

1. U.S. military operations in Iraq, Iran and Syria loom larger than every now with W’s mistakes.
2. Other strategic crisis’s facing the US and civilized world:
• The nuclearization of North Korea and Iran,
• the rise of global terror and anti-americanism,
• the alignment of Marxist regimes in South and Central America,
• a regional confrontation over Israel,
• Syrian domination of Lebanon,
• genocide in Africa,
• a Chinese military buildup,
• a Russian return to anti-western totalitarianism,
• and a difficult issue of America’s own undefended borders.

So, why worry?

Comments on the Economy and How the republicans Have Changed on the Issue

It once was the republicans believed in “pay as you go”, but not anymore. Now they believe in a warped form of Keynesian economics/macro economics. Why is this? This has become a way for them to reward their own, and to boost the economy so there is an appearance of prosperity.

Former US Senator Lloyd Millard Bentsen Jr., a great man from Texas, said that if you spend lots of money like using a credit card you can have the illusion of prosperity. That’s what the republicans have done each time they’ve been in power. Run up the deficit spending borrowed money. They are not responsible. Republicans need to clean up their act!

A Few Comments On Today’s Political News

Who was the character on TV who would say, “very interesting, very interesting”? Well, the reason I bring this up is, things are very interesting. The New York Times today has a piece on Jeb Bush. All along everyone has been saying that Bush is looking to run for higher office. The Bush family is an American Political Dynasty, and they know it. They have the most powerful supporters throughout government, the media and business. No other family has more power at this time in America than the Bush family.

It just shows you what the power of writing ‘thank you’ notes to people has in accumulating political strength. I say that because former President George H.W. Bush would always hand write notes to people who had done nice things for him or supported him in election campaigns.

The New York Times article is all about what Jeb will do in the future. It talks about rumors. Jeb will be the VP for McCain, or the VP for Romney. Rudolph William Louis Giuliani III would also take Jeb for VP if he got the nomination, but Rudy would also take the VP job for himself if offered. If he gets enough delegates he might be in the same position that Bush senior was in 1980. All his supporters wanted him to be the VP for Reagan. And it worked. We’ll see how this leaking of the campaign document impacts his efforts to organize a campaign. My sense is this won’t matter much.

The republicans will have a very interesting primary election of their own. I don’t believe for a second that McCain, at his age, has the endurance to run for President, or for that matter, be President. He’s not in that good of health.

The Washington Post Says Al Gore is in for 2007

Check this out, the Style Section of the Post runs every year a list of what's in and what's out. Al Gore is hot stuff this year and he's "In". The "List" says so. What was interesting to me was the Post's idea that Motorola's RAZR is now out but the Motorola Q is now in. How about this one for you movie buffs. Remember the movie Sideways, and the talk about merlot wine? Well, listen up, the Post says that Pouilly-Fuissé is out and Carmenere-Merlot is IN! Pouilly-Fuissé is great wine, so what is Carmenere-Merlot anyway?

Wow, how things change!

Saddam Hussein is dead so what are we still doing in Iraq?

Looking through the news one can see mounting questions on why we are still in Iraq? People put it this way, we won the war years ago, and now Hussein is dead. Why are we staying? What beef do we still have over there?

What would you say to President Gingirch?

The polls are starting to come out now about the 2008 election. I must say that I am not too surprised by what they say about the republican party and its direction.

One of the polls I saw was from ARG. They had produced results from the first 4 states which will have either primaries or caucuses. Polling results and the actual election results can vary depending on if the election is a primary type election or an Iowa caucus. I’ll bet that there will be some significant differences between actual caucus states, i.e. Nevada and Iowa. So hang on it could be a real roller coaster ride to the nomination.

My sense is a real outsider could make it this election. It might be the year of a Mitt Romney or Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee. There’s even talk of former Virginia Governor and US Senator George Allen running. This race is totally wide open.

Here’s what ARG says so far:

Iowa: Giuliani is first, McCain is second and Gingrich is third.

Nevada: Giuliani is first, McCain is second and Gingrich is third again.

South Carolina: McCain is first in this conservative state, Giuliani is now second and Gingrich third.

Finally, the all important New Hampshire has, McCain, Giuliani and Gingrich.

What this all tells me is there’s room for others to make a move. A more conservative candidate could push McCain and Gingrich aside, while a more moderate and flashier candidate could sweep away Giuliani. Nobody has a lock on this nomination. It will be exciting!