Election Result 2008

From Fosters:

“The 2008 election is 1,350 days away, not that I’m paying attention,” Republican National Committee chairman Ken Mehlman told activists at a recent fund-raiser.

“The victory in 2004 was the result of planning in 2001 and 2002 and 2003. It’s all going to start here,” he said.

There are many reasons to go to Iowa, but there seems to be more people finding those reasons now than last winter. John Edwards, Mitt Romney, and Steve Forbes have all made stops through Iowa lately finding excuses anywhere from vacationing to visiting friends - but managing to stop and give a speech at anyplace that will take them.

It would be satisfying to the many Democrats who felt that the nomination of John Kerry gave them a politician with no guts to be given a chance to run behind Russ Feingold.

Having been the only Senator to vote against the Patriot Act, while also the only democrat on his committee to accept John Ashcroft as attorney general, he can easily be sold as a man who does not ‘play politics.’

Known well for the McCain-Feingold campaign finance bill he could be a champion of those who wish for a multi-party system or at least the mitigation of partisanship.

Newt Gingrich has publicly announced he’ll try for a bid at the presidency in 2008.

Having spent a few years out of the spotlight may have removed some of his celebrity status but it has also protected him from being involved in the santioning of torture, the whole Iraq war, and the controversial restructuring of Social Security.

Newt is a strong supporter of small government and would return the Republican party to discussions about reducing federeal involvement (discussions which have not been active for years). For this reason many Republicans would support him well. As he is against both abortion and gay marriage he can platform on the basis of family values and would see some support there. However, his chances of winning on the family values ticket would be slim as he admitted to an affair with a congressional aid and had divorced two wives while they were terribly ill.

There are rumors that Bill Frist, the Senate majority leader, will attempt a run for the presidency in 2008 elections.

Unfortunately for Sen. Frist he is being scrutinized along with many others who got involved in the Schiavo case in Florida. There is growing public opinion that his involvement was a direct attempt to garner political support. This speculation is diminishing his chances at a nomination for 2008, but there’s plenty of time between now and the primaries.

When George W. Bush announced plans to invade Iraq in early 2002 millions of people were completely surprised. There was a strong attempt to get him to change his mind, including demonstrations by thousands of people across the world. By ignoring the voices of informed people and proceeding with a plan to invade he permanently alienated a large percentage of Americans. That he has many enemies was evident in the fierce campaign against Bush in 2004.

It is because of this that the respect given to John McCain is impressive. While the GOP was railed against by all number of progressive (and even conservative) grassroots movements John McCain seemed to be excluded from the unmetered hatred.

John McCain has criticized Bush on several occasions:

• On the Environment
• On Iraq
• On Pat Buchanan
• On Bush’s 2004 Campaign

It is because of this shared criticism of Bush that John McCain could do very well against a Democratic nominee. Especially if that nominee is perceived as having betrayed liberals as Senator Clinton is believed to be doing.

The former First Lady has been campaigning hard since well before the 2004 election. When asked in 2003 if she had any plans to run in the 2004 presidential race she made it clear that she didn’t, but when asked about 2008 she would give no answer.

To win the next election Hillary sees a need to appease the strong conservative base that defeated the Democratic party in 2004. So far she’s done this by compromising key liberal issues:

• Abortion
  She gave a speech in February of 2005 where she backtracked on abortion saying there was a need to focus on abstinence rather than condoms, adoption rather than abortion. This infuriated many pro-choice democratic supporters.
• Iraq
  Appearing with John McCain in Arizona Hillary spoke of the ’success’ of the Iraqi election.

What she’s doing is compromising the very resolve that made Howard Dean a superstar in the grassroots movement. Hillary seems to have made a thorough strategy to create an image, but it’s likely to backfire as the loyal democratic supporters begin to feel betrayed. I wouldn’t be surprised if Hillary was challenged from the left and defeated in the 2008 primary.

Condoleeza Rice finally got wind of the rumor that she will run for president in 2008. According to The National Post she has officially denied that she will run.

Only two months into her job as the Secretary of State she’s dogged by rumors and encouragement to run.

NewKerala.com reports that according to the new Quinnipiac poll there’s a dead match between Clinton, McCain and Juliani.

From The National Ledger:

The liberal Senator from New York stood with conservative Republicans Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.), and Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kan.) later in the day to introduce legislation requiring the government to study the impact of media on the development of young children.

It appears Hillary is investing heavily in changing her image from liberal to conservative as a means of securing more votes in 2008. She is seen stepping away from the issues of gay rights and abortion because they polarize voters.

Taken from the Khaleej Times Online

“I think she is likely to be the nominee. She’d be the toughest person. And I think Hillary Clinton is able to be elected president of the United States,” said the veteran Democratic lawmaker, who is weighing his own presidential run.

Meanwhile, some Republicans are equally convinced that a woman will lead the world’s most powerful nation after 2008, but say her name is Condoleezza Rice.

There is talk of not one but two women vying for the role of US leader in the 2008 election. Hillary Clinton, seen by friends and foes as a powerful political figure, could be faced with Condoleeza Rice as a republican opponent.

While Democratic blogs and new agencies write off Rice as an image with no content, many republican writers and politicians describer her as the perfect US leader.

We support Dr. Rice not simply because she can get elected. We think she will be a great leader and do truly great things for this nation and the world. Condoleeza’s intelligence, compassion, determination and sheer brilliance; combined with her knowledge of and experiece with world affairs, would make Dr. Rice one of the best presidents of all time.

- Rice2008.com

Rice2008 adds that “from a purely political standpoint, condi’s ability to attract women and minority voters makes it virtually impossible for the democrats to win”, suggesting that she is not only an ethical choice, but a smart one as well for the 2008 election.