It’s not so much Rudy’s strategy that was poor, but more the way the campaign jig-saw puzzle was set up. Where should Rudy have made his stand? Months of flesh-pressing in Iowa, only to run into, and be embarrassed by, the Huckabee evangelical buzz-saw, or the Romney TV blitz? A pro-choice candidate choosing a 60 percent evangelical state to begin the campaign?

New Hampshire, to go against the loved McCain, and the neighboring Gov. Romney?

South Carolina, where the hero McCain and Pastor Huck had solid constituencies, while Romney again had the $$ to saturate TV?

Rudy could never out-military the pro-surge/war hero McCain, never outspend mucho-bux Romney, and could never dent Huck’s evangelical base.

Then we find out NYC is paying the security tab for his affair with Judith – ewww! In
retrospect, it was pretty hopeless from the get-go.

I 100% approve of your rankings today.

Now if Paul can pull off a few more 2nd place finishes it would solidify his chance of effecting the party platform at the convention.

I also agree with the current rankings.

But if Mitt wins FL – the FIRST winner take all GOP state with 57 delegates – then McCain is expressed to AZ.

No matter who gets it, FL is a huge deal. My question is, who drops out if they don’t get it?

I’m guessing just Thomposon (if he’s not gone before then) and Giuliani – despite Huckabee’s cashflow troubles, he’s doing well enough that not sticking it out until Super Tuesday doesn’t make much sense. He’d still be able to wield a decent bit of influence if he captures many delegates from the Bible belt.

Yes I did. I just think Edwards’ candidacy is a complete joke that belongs in triple digits. I hope he stays in, spends a ton of his own $$, cuts a desperate deal at the convention, and walks away empty-handed after a GOP win.

To paraphrase an ancient Chinese saying: “We live in interesting political horserace times.

How the rankings have changed. In the GOP, nearly everybody had ruled that old warhorse John McCain out a few months ago, when his campaign ran out of money and he conducted those massive staff layoffs.

He said he would operate a “lean and mean” campaign, going door-to-door himself if need be. Most laughed. It worked. McCain is now at the top of the power rankings, proving that even seasoned horses can still run hard. And the hay is coming in to feed his campaign warchest.

And Ron Paul, scorned by so many as a mere Libertarian pony, now is in front of show horse Rudy G., who most had as number one just a few short months ago. With Fred T dropping out, Rudy now dwells at the bottom. Do I see a glue factory in Fred’s future, by the way. And Rudy, will he stop the “I am Ronald Reagan incarmate” “horsing around” and get real?

And Mike Chuckabee (Chuck Norris -plus- Mike Huckabee=Chuckabee), a solid number one just a few weeks ago, is now a lowely number three–with many saying if he doesn’t win South Carolina his days are numbered. We know Huckabee can run hard, but in many ways he’s a mere pony compared to McCain.

His picture-partner–and number one supporter–Chuck Norris can’t even muster a better reason as to why he’s for Mike–other than McCain is old and might die in office–as an explanation for his support for Mike. Chuck says a vote for McCain means whomever is VP will become President. Guess he isn’t thinking about Mike as a potential VP running mate for McCain. But, that’s a horse of a different color.

Over on the Dem side, Hillary is now number one. Like a seasoned female horse in an all male horserace, she’s “found her voice,” and has inched her way ahead of the young, hard running, thoroughbred Barack Obama. Her trainer, Bill Clinton, worked overtime–like all good trainers do–to ensure his horse would pull ahead.

Obama remains a close second however, and we might find him back at number one if he wins big in SC. (Big being by 8-10 points at least.) But Hillary seems far from the glue factory, as evidenced by her performance in last night’s debate.

Speaking of the glue factory, it’s no suprise Edwards remains in third. And he thanks pony Dennis Kucinich for staying in the race so that he doesn’t have to be in “last” place.

Like a gelding in a race with thoroughbreds, Edwards runs hard, and performs well in debates, but just can’t get any traction. Placing a lagging third in the state of his birth, South Carolina, will only lend further credience to that gelding image. Note to Fred T: save a stall at the glue factory for John.

So there you have it; a very different snapshot in the power rankings than just weeks ago. This horserace is so fluid, that this snapshot could change just as dramatically in a few weeks as it just did today.

Romney can’t be ruled out…He will fuel his race with lots of green hay. If Rudy G. wins Florida–which I doubt–it’s a whole new ballgame. Perhaps its time for Rudy to put on the dress and heels and just be himself. After all, it worked for J Edgar Hoover for decades.

And, will Chuck Norris attempt to induce a heart attack in John McCain by challenging him to spend 30 minutes on one of those Flex exercise machines he hawks on TV? Only camp “Chuckabee” knows that. (What’s with Norris’ wife? She inches herself into every Mike Huckabee photo op? She is the Selig of campaign 2008. Is this a plan to get the men who are into blondes vote?)

Meanwhile, its neck-and-neck between Hillary and Obama. Time for Barack to bring Oparah back we think. She would remind Dem woman voters that “not all” woman are for Hillary. Oprah also out “Bill Clintoned” Bill in Iowa.(Oprah runs harder than all of the horses in this race. They’re lucky she isn’t running. As an African American woman she would also solve the Democratic party rank-and-file dilema of whether to nominate the first woman or the first black man for President.)

But I digress…

Further…will Bill Clinton implode, have a complete anger meltdown in defense of his wife–and in anger towards Obama? Will that nose turn bright right red in anger one two many times?

This is real in that if voters percieve BIll, as the husband, doing all the defending of Hillary, they just might wonder if he will need to do the same if pesky terrorists attact, or Putin insults Hillary, or if the press disses her as President…and on and on.

But enough horsing around…Lunch is over, and it’s time to get back to work. Obama and Romney had better do the same.

Stay tuned!

“Is this a plan to get the men who are into blondes vote?”

You are not a man if you are not into blondes…and brunettes and redheads etc.

“will Bill Clinton implode”

Gary Null (super-genius) predicted Bill’s health breakdown and was right. He thinks Bill will take a permanent dirt nap within three years.

This is why Hillary has been pegged to win this election. (1) She needs Bill to make her win seem realistic. (2) When Bill dies, she will evolve into Queen status. It will seem as if God has smited the adulterous husband and rewarded the devoted wife with divine ruling authority.

And as the USA morphs into the North American Union…Hillary will assume her divine ruling position.

Bwahahhahahahahahhahaa…yes, I just kidding around.

Lazlo, a name right out of the Maltese Flacon. (Peter Laurie RIP.)

In fact, this entire 2008 Presidential campaign has “potential death” all over it–both GOP and Dem.

There’s Rudy G. with his tailpipe cancer; ditto for McCain and Thompson.

Bill Cinton, who’s wife may be just a heartbeat away from being President, but who personally is just one heart-attack away from a bipartisan funeral.

Then there is Elizabeth Edwards. Enough said.

Romney and Obama seem to be the only two candidates with fairly high actuarial tables in their favor. Hillary’s are moderate. Ron Paul’s are short.

But at least Dr. Paul is still in the race dispite his advanced age–The others(accepting Mitt of course)need him in case they collapse at an upcoming debate event.

“eddy,

The public loathes Hillary more than any candidate yet she is at the same time the most qualified to lead.”

The most qualified Democrat to lead is more like it. When you look at Obama and Hillary you see two people who are the most unqualified candidates in history. Combined they have 8 years in the Senate. Hillary is an idiot if she thinks being a wife to someone in power equals experience.

Don’t count Rudy out yet… Florida has been voting absentee for a couple weeks. The polls are now pointless with Fred dropping out and Huckabee “ignoring” (had to throw that in since it’s the perception Guiliani got for doing the same in the earlier states) Florida and focusing his attention elsewhere. Those votes have to go somewhere.

NOPE!!

With huckabee and thompson gone, the conservatives will rally behind romney.

McCain will lose with Giuliani because they will split the indepenant vote.