Certainly, the Republicans and Democrats have done extensive research on their prospects for the 2008 election. With President George W. Bush retiring and Vice-President Dick Cheney unlikely to run, the power vacuum in Washington D.C. is bound to be enormous, and each party is going to have to come up with some heavy hitters to impress the voters.
For the Democrats, the choice for President is obvious. Hillary Clinton has been preparing for the 2008 election since the day Al Gore lost to George W. Bush in the 2000 election. She has been acting like a Presidential candidate, her party is largely behind her, she has an existing campaign infrastructure from Bill Clinton’s decades of elections, she is rich, she is from a major Democrat state with valuable electoral votes, she energizes much of the Democrat base, and she has tremendous name recognition. These are just some of the factors that make Hillary Clinton an extremely strong candidate for President.
Hillary Clinton does come with some major problems. Her behavior during the Monica Lewinsky scandal made her look pathetic, clueless, and naive. She will find it difficult to shed this image. Hillary’s biggest obstacle, however, is that she is stuffy, cold, shrill, and unlikable to a great number of people. Hillary’s lousy personality alone is enough to turn away a droves of voters.
Given Hillary Clinton’s personality deficit, she needs a running mate that will be able to tap into demographics that normally do not vote in high percentages: young people and minorities. When one thinks of youth and minorities, one does not have to think long before Barack Obama comes to mind.
Barack Obama is a relatively young black man and is a rising star in the Democratic party. His full name, Barack Hussein Obama, Jr., is terribly unfortunate given current international realities, but he does have charisma, is aware of the issues, presents himself well, and has an image of competence. If Barack Obama cannot energize youth and minorities, no Democrat can.
A key factor that makes Barack Obama a strong choice for Vice-President is his home state of Illinois. Illinois has some valuable electoral votes that could easily swing the 2008 election. The Democrats need those votes, and Barack could deliver them.
Barack Obama has another thing going for him. He is a bit conservative for a Democrat, and this is another area of weakness for Hillary. Hillary Clinton is a true-blue liberal. She has been pretending to be a conservative for the last few years, but--in reality--she is deeply liberal, and her disastrous past as de facto co-President during Bill Clinton’s Presidency is going to come back to haunt her in 2008.
Assuming that the Democrats will be able to assemble their 2008 Dream Team, the Republicans have to reach for the stars to fight off this incredibly strong Democrat ticket.
John McCain is a candidate with enough clout to beat Hillary, but he is a little risky. McCain is unpredictable and has alienated a lot of Republicans. John McCain can certainly energize moderates, but he will have a very difficult time energizing the Republican base. After all, elephants are known for long memories, and McCain has angered a lot of elephants.
Rudy Giuliani is the clear Republican choice for President for one main reason: Rudy Giuliani can beat Hillary Clinton. After 9/11, Giuliani, arose as a great leader. His bravery and bold leadership as Mayor after the 9/11 attack gave him national recognition and respect. Since 9/11, Giuliani has had a very high profile and draws massive crowds wherever he goes. Giuliani always has the common man on his side. Even the Democrats that do not like Giuliani’s politics, still respect him as a man.
A significant factor that makes Rudy Giuliani a strong contender for 2008 is that he can take New York’s electoral votes. If the Republicans win New York, they will almost definitely win the nation. The Democrats simply cannot spare New York’s electoral votes.
Giuliani is also very popular among the California moderates, and his popularity will put California’s huge block of electoral votes in play. The Democrats cannot win the nation without California, and they will have to spend a massive amount of campaign money to secure the state.
Rudy Giuliani’s biggest problem is that he is a moderate. The Republican conservatives are going to begin grumbling when they start learning about Giuliani’s liberal positions on social issues. A lot of conservatives are not going to like Giuliani, so the GOP will need to find someone to appease that huge portion of the base.
Nothing appeases conservatives like a Bush. Fortunately, the Bush family has a new Bush coming up in the current growing season: Jeb Bush. Jeb Bush may not be as conservative as his brother, President George W. Bush, but he is a solid Republican with a proven track record as Governor of Florida. Governor Bush is a good public speaker, is respected, and is highly popular in Florida. Jeb Bush will soon be stepping down as Governor, and he will be looking for the next big job.
As the candidate for Vice-President, Jeb Bush could easily carry the swing state of Florida. Florida could decide the 2008 election. If Jeb Bush can take Florida, the Democrats will have to work very hard in the other swing states.
Furthermore, Jeb Bush is a rather young man, and he has a strong appeal to younger people. He also has a Mexican wife and speaks fluent Spanish. Jeb Bush’s Hispanic connections will help the Republicans appeal to the growing group of Latino voters.
Some will argue that Jeb Bush’s worst asset is his last name. Liberals have grown to hate the Bush family name, and they will instinctively vote against any ballot entry where that name appears. The sad fact for the liberals is the Republicans do not care about them. Anyone who hates George W. Bush so passionately probably would never vote Republican anyway, so the potential loss of votes is minimal. The fact is that conservatives love the Bush name like a trusted brand. Many conservatives will instinctively vote for any ballot entry where that name appears.
With Rudy Giuliani and Jeb Bush on the ticket, the Republicans will be incredibly strong in 2008, and they will need to be. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama will be a huge force to be reckoned with. With these two Dream Teams in place, the 2008 election is bound to be a close race, and this matchup may lead to the most exiting election season in modern history.
December 19, 2005
Patriot Act Opinion
What is your opinion of the Patriot Act? Is it violating the rights of American citizens? Can we fight terrorism without it?
December 18, 2005
Eavesdropping on American Citizens without Court Orders
Should the government be allowed to eavesdrop on American citizens without court approval? What is your opinion?
December 16, 2005
Should America Torture Terrorists for Information?
Since 9/11 a question has been floating around about whether or not America should torture terrorists to extract information. There are two camps on this issue. John McCain, who was tortured himself as a P.O.W., says that torture is immoral and should not be allowed. The other camp says that torture should be allowed in some circumstances.
This is a very complicated issue, and many things have to be considered when reaching a conclusion about whether or not torture should be allowed. Here are a few questions to consider.
If America tortures terrorists, will it deter potential terrorists from attacking Americans?
Does legalized torture of terrorists hurt America’s international standing?
Does legalized torture of terrorists put our troops in more or less jeopardy?
Is the torture of terrorists beneath the dignity of America?
If we had captured Mohamed Atta, at 11:00PM on September 10, 2001, would it have been okay to torture him to find out which flights his fellow terrorist were going to hijack?
If a terrorist group hid a dirty bomb somewhere in Manhattan, and the FBI had one hour find it, would it be okay to use torture to find the bomb?
Please think about these questions and post your thoughts, by clicking on Comments below.
This is a very complicated issue, and many things have to be considered when reaching a conclusion about whether or not torture should be allowed. Here are a few questions to consider.
If America tortures terrorists, will it deter potential terrorists from attacking Americans?
Does legalized torture of terrorists hurt America’s international standing?
Does legalized torture of terrorists put our troops in more or less jeopardy?
Is the torture of terrorists beneath the dignity of America?
If we had captured Mohamed Atta, at 11:00PM on September 10, 2001, would it have been okay to torture him to find out which flights his fellow terrorist were going to hijack?
If a terrorist group hid a dirty bomb somewhere in Manhattan, and the FBI had one hour find it, would it be okay to use torture to find the bomb?
Please think about these questions and post your thoughts, by clicking on Comments below.
December 15, 2005
The Green Party: A Nut Dish for the Democrats
With the Democrats trying have the best of both worlds by riding the fence on many liberal issues, many Democrats are becoming increasing disillusioned with their party. The more conservative Democrats are defecting to the Republican Party, but there is a large percentage of disgruntled Democrats that would rather be dead than red. These Democrats can sometimes find things in common with the Reform Party, but they generally find that party too conservative as well. As a result, the most liberal Democrats are defecting to the Green Party.
The Green Party is the perfect place for an extreme liberal, because the Green Party is a place where liberalism is honored and celebrated with pride. The party is anti-military, pro-abortion, anti-business, pro-tax, anti-gun, pro-welfare, anti-religion, etc. This party essentially worships the doctrines of socialism and is not ashamed to admit it.
If you are a devout liberal and the Democrats are just not liberal enough for you, the Green Party is the place to be. No matter how crazy you are or wish to be in the future, the Green Party has a place for you.
It is absolutely wonderful that we live in a country with so much freedom that parties like the Green Party can exist. People that hold these radical beliefs need a place to be heard, and the Green Party is providing them a platform. A lot of people think the Green Party is a joke, but its numbers are growing, and the party is becoming a significant political force.
It is truly sad that we have so many socialists in this country, but the fact that they are permitted to organize is a testament to American liberty.
Green Party, I salute you. Let your freak flag fly!
The Green Party is the perfect place for an extreme liberal, because the Green Party is a place where liberalism is honored and celebrated with pride. The party is anti-military, pro-abortion, anti-business, pro-tax, anti-gun, pro-welfare, anti-religion, etc. This party essentially worships the doctrines of socialism and is not ashamed to admit it.
If you are a devout liberal and the Democrats are just not liberal enough for you, the Green Party is the place to be. No matter how crazy you are or wish to be in the future, the Green Party has a place for you.
It is absolutely wonderful that we live in a country with so much freedom that parties like the Green Party can exist. People that hold these radical beliefs need a place to be heard, and the Green Party is providing them a platform. A lot of people think the Green Party is a joke, but its numbers are growing, and the party is becoming a significant political force.
It is truly sad that we have so many socialists in this country, but the fact that they are permitted to organize is a testament to American liberty.
Green Party, I salute you. Let your freak flag fly!
December 14, 2005
What’s Wrong with the Libertarian Party?
The Libertarian Party has been in existence since 1971, and it has never presented a considerable challenge to the Republicans or Democrats.
The unfortunate thing is that the Libertarian Party—philosophically—is closer to the ideals of our Founding Fathers than any other party on the current political scene. The question is: If the Libertarian Party is the most traditionally American party, why does it do so poorly in national elections? The answer is simple: The Libertarian Party is too extreme.
Most American do not know much about the Libertarian Party, and they hear about only the most controversial elements. For example, the Libertarians are extremely liberal on the drug issue. This issue alone alienates the vast majority of potential Libertarian voters. How many mainstream Americans really want to be associated with a pro-drug party?
This is the problem. Libertarians just take things too far and are unwilling to budge on anything. The Libertarian Party platform does have a clear and consistent philosophy of freedom and minimal government, but most Americans are not ready to swallow the whole Libertarian pill. The country has gotten too far from its original structure, and through the generations, people have lost touch with the concept of true liberty. Americans have grown comfortable with having the government involved in every aspect of their lives. The prospect of full freedom just sounds like anarchy to most people.
If the Libertarian Party wants to be viewed as a serious and viable party, they have no choice but to adopt an incremental approach. The party needs to show some flexibility by backing off of its most unattractive positions and work toward the big picture of becoming a mainstream national party.
The Libertarians have some very good ideas on many issues such as gun rights, taxation, free speech, and free trade. In many ways, the Libertarian views on these issues match the views of millions and millions of Americans. If the Libertarians would just get focused on a few key issues and put the rest of their platform on the backburner, they could gain tremendous national support. There are millions of disillusioned Republicans and Democrats looking for a place to go. If you Libertarians get your act together, a lot of those voters could be yours.
The unfortunate thing is that the Libertarian Party—philosophically—is closer to the ideals of our Founding Fathers than any other party on the current political scene. The question is: If the Libertarian Party is the most traditionally American party, why does it do so poorly in national elections? The answer is simple: The Libertarian Party is too extreme.
Most American do not know much about the Libertarian Party, and they hear about only the most controversial elements. For example, the Libertarians are extremely liberal on the drug issue. This issue alone alienates the vast majority of potential Libertarian voters. How many mainstream Americans really want to be associated with a pro-drug party?
This is the problem. Libertarians just take things too far and are unwilling to budge on anything. The Libertarian Party platform does have a clear and consistent philosophy of freedom and minimal government, but most Americans are not ready to swallow the whole Libertarian pill. The country has gotten too far from its original structure, and through the generations, people have lost touch with the concept of true liberty. Americans have grown comfortable with having the government involved in every aspect of their lives. The prospect of full freedom just sounds like anarchy to most people.
If the Libertarian Party wants to be viewed as a serious and viable party, they have no choice but to adopt an incremental approach. The party needs to show some flexibility by backing off of its most unattractive positions and work toward the big picture of becoming a mainstream national party.
The Libertarians have some very good ideas on many issues such as gun rights, taxation, free speech, and free trade. In many ways, the Libertarian views on these issues match the views of millions and millions of Americans. If the Libertarians would just get focused on a few key issues and put the rest of their platform on the backburner, they could gain tremendous national support. There are millions of disillusioned Republicans and Democrats looking for a place to go. If you Libertarians get your act together, a lot of those voters could be yours.
December 13, 2005
The Third Party
Assuming the Reform Party is not going to be a viable, long-term party, which party do you think will rise up and become serious competition to the Republicans and Democrats?
December 12, 2005
Reform Party Opinion
What is your opinion of the Reform Party? Does the party have a substantial future in politics, or are its best days behind us? Please click on Comments to leave your thoughts.
December 8, 2005
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