Is it time?

What a disappointment this primary season has been. The end result is going to be two main presidential candidates who both hold very liberal positions. Conservatives have essentially been shut out.

Is it time to consider a new political party? The Republican party, nationally, seems to prefer being "Democrats Lite" with a strong leftward shift on policy issues from federal spending to abortion. Conservative voters have been marginalized in the primary process, and many cannot and will not vote for McCain as a matter of conscience.

I've started looking into the American Conservative Party. If things don't change in the Republican party, perhaps a strong conservative coalition will bring balance to this out of balance political situation.

McCain a Democratic Candidate?

I fully expect massive quantities of vitriol for even considering this topic.

I'm quite concerned that the general population follows media reports in this primary season like lemmings following their leader and hurling themselves over a cliff to their own destruction.

Today's media darling is John McCain. He's taken the forefront in the media's attention, and his poll numbers have gone up proportionally. What this reveals to me is the naiveté and intellectual laziness of a large portion of the Republican populus. McCain's record has been forgotten and all that is heard is what he is saying today. John McCain is one of those senators whom one wonders why they have not switched parties. His positions on domestic issues read like the Democratic playbook.

Can McCain be considered a true conservative? Is he really the candidate to carry the Republican banner? Many say "NO" because of his clearly liberal positions based on his record in the Senate.

McCain had been a fierce opponent of Bush until after the 2004 elections. During that election cycle, McCain had been approached about the possibility of being Kerry's running mate.

Rick Santorum maintains that a McCain presidency would be dangerous for the country. From the article:

“It’s amazing to hear what John McCain is trying to convince the voters he is all about. The bottom line is, I served 12 years with him, six years in the Senate as one of the leaders of the Senate, trying to put together the conservative agenda, and almost at every turn, on domestic policy, John McCain was not only against us, but leading the charge on the other side.”

Santorum cited the campaign finance reform bill sponsored by McCain, the McCain-Feingold Act, which limits campaign contributions and has been called by some an “incumbent protection act.”

Santorum called the act “an affront to personal freedom and liberty in this country, and what we’ve seen as a result of this misguided attempt to placate the New York Times and to help his stature within that community … is that special interests have absolutely taken over the political process, and individual candidates, unless you’re a billionaire, and parties have very little voice in the process.

“It’s a shame, but he was obviously out front on that.”

The former Senator also criticized McCain for voting against the Bush Tax cuts — he was one of only two Republicans to do so.

“The reduction in [tax] rates and lowering the rates on capital gains and dividends … did so much to get this economy up and going. [But] we would have had a much bigger tax cut if it were not for John McCain.”

Santorum pointed to McCain’s opposition to conservative positions on drug re-importation, federally funded embryonic stem cell research, immigration, the questioning of terror detainees and other issues, and said he has a “big fear” of a McCain presidency.

He asserted it would create a “huge rift” in the Republican Party, and told Levin’s listeners:

“I think he’s been solid in the war on terror … but on domestic policy, he’s very, very dangerous for Republicans.

“There’s nothing worse than having a Democratic Congress and a Republican president who would act like a Democrat in matters that are important to conservatives.”

I hope my readers will take time to really examine McCain's record. At this point in the primary season, poll show that either McCain or Huckabee could win against a Democratic Candidate. As my readers know, I support Huckabee's effective and proven leadership.

I guess Fred is done!

Well, stick a fork in him! Fred has done everything but bow out of the presidential race. Are we surprised? Not really, for Fred Thompson has not approached this campaign as anything but a walk on a path in a lovely Southern Plantation - he's not worked for the role of being President. Here is the article about what he said today:

Thompson says he's interested in serving, not running for president

WILLIAM THEOBALD • GANNETT NEWS SERVICE • December 29, 2007

Burlington, Ia. -- Fred Thompson said today he does not much like the modern form of presidential campaigning and that he "will not be devastated" if he doesn't win the election.

"I'm not particularly interested in running for president," Thompson said, but rather he feels called to serve his country.

"I don't know if you have a desire to be president," Burlington attorney Todd Chelf told Thompson during a question-and-answer session raising an issue that has dogged his campaign.

"I am not consumed by personal ambition," Thompson responded. "I'm offering myself up."

Given the volatile state of the world, the actor and former Tennessee senator said he was not "sure it is a good thing if a president has too much fire in his belly."

"I'm only consumed by a few things and politics is not one of them," he said.

Chelf said after the event that it was "almost refreshing to hear that approach."

"I think there is a passion there," he said. "I think its sort of a Southern gentleman passion."

Thompson also had stops scheduled today in Washington, Williamsburg, Montezuma, and Newton.

I have no doubts that Fred is a nice guy with good traditional southern values who got lucky enough to get name recognition from being a TV star. But I also have no doubt that he is not presidential material. Maybe he will get an acting role as a president some day, and he'll do a great job of that!


12-30-07 UPDATE

I'm being bashed by Fred Heads. They've linked me to one of their blog sites (which I won't show here) Whatever! Their candidate, nice guy that he is, is being denigrated by the actions of his followers. I wish Thompson had been more aggressive as a campaigner, for I once was a Thompson supporter and turned away from him because of his 'walk in the park' method of campaigning. I really don't think he has the energy or drive to hold the highest public office in our nation.

Another Huckabee supporter in New Hampshire

Here is an article from the Milford Observer which I shall publish in it's entirety for your convenience. Any highlighting is my own for emphasis of important points:

Posted Saturday, November 3, 2007

Supporting Huckabee
By Loreen Daniels
Milford

It is very important for me to help the people of this area to understand the importance of knowing that the purpose of a primary is NOT to vote for the most popular person who they think has a good chance of winning the election, unless of course, that person has all the qualities to lead our country; but the purpose of a primary is to vote for the best person who one thinks will make the best president, no matter how much or how little press he gets.

There are candidates out there with little money to spend, but would make much better candidates for the presidency than all the ones with the big bucks that make the headlines every day! The one I am supporting is Gov. Mike Huckabee. He has no baggage, has genuine integrity, a real vision for America and the most COMMON SENSE I have seen in a candidate so far as well as successful experience in his home state of Arkansas as governor. You can go on the internet and find out what Mike is all about and I encourage you to do so via his website: Mike Huckabee.com, so you can make an informed decision come primary day.

I encourage you to do the same regarding any other candidates that are running but not getting any press because they are considered an "underdog". Voting in a primary or in the general election shouldn't be a popularity contest! It's the time to vote with your heart of who the best candidate for the job should be. Choose who you think should win, not what the press envisions as the winner.

Thanks to Loreen Daniels for her honest article!