Official 2008 Election thread

[FlameOfCallandor]

Looks like all of ou guys have something in common with Chuck Norris
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=59348


Winner of presidential Christmas ad is Ron …

"Are you about worn out by all the television commercials you've been seeing, mostly about politics? Well, I don't blame you," said GOP presidential candidate Mike Huckabee in the opening of his Christmas television greeting to Iowans.

"At this time of year, sometimes it's nice to pull aside from all of that and just remember that what really matters is the celebration of the birth of Christ and being with our family and friends."

A few decades ago, those descriptive Christmas words would be as benign as Santa making a list and checking it twice. Today, however, they are regarded as Christmas cultural and political sparring jargon.

Immediately upon release, political pundits began trying to punch holes in Mike's goodwill cheer, while the other presidential candidates purchased festive clothes and scurried to produce competing Christmas commercials.

Like a World Combat League fight, the Christmas ad war had begun.

When the Christmas culture war hits the presidential race

Of course, in today's political climate, no Christmas broadcast is a simple yuletide greeting. Even it is dissected for a malevolent motif and ornamental fluff.

Critics from the right and left started swinging at Mike, accusing him of sending subliminal messages in cross-shaped window panes and rallying the religious right by his call to focus on "what really matters." Complaints from religious intolerance to Christian jihad flew out from both camps.

Some regarded the publicized Christmas wish as an appeal to evangelicals and an indirect attack on Mitt Romney's Mormonism.

Others like rival Republican candidate Ron Paul labeled it with these extreme comments to Fox News, "It reminds me of what Sinclair Lewis once said. He says, 'when fascism comes to this country, it will be wrapped in the flag, carrying a cross.' Now I don't know whether that's a fair assessment or not, but you wonder about using a cross, like he is the only Christian or implying that subtly. So, I don't think I would ever use anything like that." (I think very few Americans would agree with Paul's summary as a "fair assessment" of Mike's heartfelt Christmas salutation.)

Huckabee's response to his critics was simply to explain that he referred to Jesus Christ in his unscripted Christmas commercial because, "considering the meaning of the holiday, 'I don't know what else to say about Christmas.'" Should he have spoken about Santa or reindeer?

Are yall ready for the Huckabee administration of theocracy? Maybe Chuck Norris will be our secretary of homeland security and just kick all the terrorists ass himself.

[Gay Boy]

why do you care? Paul is going to win NH and sweep the primaries!

Huckabee will lose the general to Hillary, no big problem. If he starts outpolling her then I'll worry.

[FlameOfCallandor]

Huckabee will lose the general to Hillary, no big problem. If he starts outpolling her then I'll worry.

Huckabee will get raped by hillary with a giant black strap on dildo. I cant believe he surging in the polls.

[Gay Boy]

Cause republicans love only one thing more than neocons, right wing christians.

[Human Snorenado]

Cause republicans love only one thing more than neocons, right wing christians.

WHAT ABOUT THE GOLD STANDARD???

[APF]

Glenn Greenwald is writing for Pat Buchanan?

[Mandark]

Anti-war liberals like Greenwald need to keep some distance between themselves and the paleocons.

Even if AmCon publishes some good stuff and there's some cross-ideological agreement on the war and government's use of police powers, there's still a really icky undercurrent of reactionary cultural politics.

Take a clue from Alexander Konetzki and get out.  Good lefties don't legitimize people like Buchanan and Steve Sailer.

[APF]

It just solidifies the fact that Greenwald is more an opportunist and polemicist than a "good lefty."

[Eric P]

there's an interesting article on the hillary haters

http://men.style.com/gq/features/landing?id=content_6249

APF is on page 4 or 5.

[Gay Boy]

A new American Research Group poll in Iowa shows Sen. Hillary Clinton expanding her lead in the last week.

Clinton now leads with 34%, followed by John Edwards at 20%, and Sen. Barack Obama at 19%.

Well that Obama surge was fun while it lasted.

[APF]

there's an interesting article on the hillary haters

http://men.style.com/gq/features/landing?id=content_6249

APF is on page 4 or 5.

lol, I'm a legitimate supporter!

[FlameOfCallandor]

Since Raoul closed down the ron paul thread, I guess I'll post ron paul stuff in here for the next 24 hours.

[FlameOfCallandor]

Ron Paul rap to the tune of baby got back

lol
[youtube=425,350]tZArWe8o_hI[/youtube]

[FlameOfCallandor]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/honkywill/happycatrp2.gif

[FlameOfCallandor]

[FlameOfCallandor]

New TV ad
[youtube=425,350]4AmY-fW3gdc[/youtube]

[Human Snorenado]

Since Raoul closed down the ron paul thread, I guess I'll post ron paul stuff in here for the next 24 hours.

Or you could, I don't know, NOT annoy on us baby jebus day.  Go fuck your girlfriend or something. 

I find it funny that despite claims to the contrary you have stepped up your insanity.

"Guys, I'm not gonna be Mr. Ron Paul so much anymore."  Then you come back after a couple of days even more obnoxious, absurd and oblivious.

"Guys, don't worry, we're getting rid of high speed internets at my house, I won't be around so much."  No discernible difference in posting frequency as a result.

I can only hope and pray that you stick around when Paul goes down in flames in a couple of weeks.  It will truly be slightly less fun without you.

[FlameOfCallandor]

Or you could, I don't know, NOT annoy on us baby jebus day. 

You could put me on ignore.

[FlameOfCallandor]

[Human Snorenado]

Or you could, I don't know, NOT annoy on us baby jebus day.

You could put me on ignore.

So there's not a reality where your purpose in life is to post Ron Paul shit on a message board where no one cares and most of the people that interact with you are exceedingly hostile and abusive to you?  If you're this into humiliation IRL, I know some people who will pay top dollar to do unimaginable things to you... ok, TVC could probably imagine most of them, but the rest of these plebes have no clue.

[FlameOfCallandor]

So there's not a reality where your purpose in life is to post Ron Paul shit on a message board where no one cares and most of the people that interact with you are exceedingly hostile and abusive to you? 

Id prefer yall not be hostile and abusive toward me if thats what you are asking.

[Howard Alan Treesong]

Since Raoul closed down the ron paul thread, I guess I'll post ron paul stuff in here for the next 24 hours.

I don't think that's how it works

[FlameOfCallandor]

Since Raoul closed down the ron paul thread, I guess I'll post ron paul stuff in here for the next 24 hours.

I don't think that's how it works

[Gay Boy]

FoC you know this is a COMMUNITY right? Not a hellhole to spam Paul stuff. If there is no paul thread then you dont post paul stuff.

[FlameOfCallandor]

FoC you know this is a COMMUNITY right? Not a hellhole to spam Paul stuff. If there is no paul thread then you dont post paul stuff.

better make a paul thread then

[FlameOfCallandor]

Is this true?
http://americanresearchgroup.com/?=

IOWA
Republicans   Dec 16-19   Dec 20-23
Giuliani   13%   14%
Huckabee   28%   23%
Hunter   -   2%
Keyes   1%   2%
McCain   20%   17%
Paul           4%   10%
Romney   17%   21%
Tancredo   1%   ni
Thompson   5%   3%
Undecided   11%   8%

[Howard Alan Treesong]

the purpose of locking the thread was to give us 24 hours off from Paulmageddon. it would be nice if you respected that. we can go back to your regularly scheduled insanity on Dec. 26.

[FlameOfCallandor]

the purpose of locking the thread was to give us 24 hours off from Paulmageddon. it would be nice if you respected that. we can go back to your regularly scheduled insanity on Dec. 26.

You could not enter an election thread. Since, you know, ron paul is running for president.

[Gay Boy]

the purpose of locking the thread was to give us 24 hours off from Paulmageddon. it would be nice if you respected that. we can go back to your regularly scheduled insanity on Dec. 26.

You could not enter an election thread. Since, you know, ron paul is running for president.

except this thread was made specifically to discuss non ron paul related political events in the 2008 eleciton.

THis is not a plain election thread. It's a haven to NOT talk about ron paul.

[FlameOfCallandor]

THis is not a plain election thread. It's a haven to NOT talk about ron paul.

Then dont don't discuss ron paul

[Gay Boy]

THis is not a plain election thread. It's a haven to NOT talk about ron paul.

Then dont don't discuss ron paul

that means you too. You aren't exempt from following what the discussion has been for the past 12 pages. This is less a ron paul thread as the outside link forum is. Go take the youtube videos and shit there in the mean time if you cant control yourself for one day. Jeeze.

[FlameOfCallandor]

that means you too. You aren't exempt from following what the discussion has been for the past 12 pages. This is less a ron paul thread as the outside link forum is. Go take the youtube videos and shit there in the mean time if you cant control yourself for one day. Jeeze.

[brawndolicious]

can a mod ban him until the other thread is unlocked?

nobody else respond to him in this thread.

[FlameOfCallandor]

http://www.usadaily.com/article.cfm?articleID=207908
Ron Paul will win by a landslide

Analysis/Opinion-Republican presidential candidate and Texas Congressman, Ron Paul, can win the presidency. Contrary to the pundits and media propaganda, Ron Paul is best positioned to win the GOP nomination.

Ron Paul has more money than his opponents and is just starting to gain momentum. As a result of massive popular support Paul’s donor base is huge and donors are not close to reaching contribution limits. Paul’s opponents are going broke and their donors are maxed out. Ron Paul may raise 20 million this quarter and chances are he’ll raise more the next quarter.
To get an idea of how strong Paul’s support is consider this. Ron Paul received donations from over 123,000 people this quarter. If one out of 100 voters donate to a presidential candidate that means Paul has the support of over 12 million primary voters. My guess is that less than 1 out of 100 voters donate in a primary.

Of Paul’s opponents, John McCain and Mike Huckabee are broke and don’t have the funds to compete on Super Tuesday. Both candidates appear to be media creations in this election and don’t have that much popular support. If it weren’t for undeserved free media they wouldn’t be on the radar screens.

Giuliani was forced to go with his big state strategy because he ran the risk of getting creamed in early primaries. He appears to be a lead balloon and runs the risk of losing some of those big states to Paul. Thompson just hasn’t taken off. There is a chance he could get revived in South Carolina but he may not make it that far.

Romney is self financing his campaign and can go the distance, but how much of his personal wealth is he willing to squander?

Recent commentaries and political talk have mentioned the possibility of a brokered convention. This is an early admission by pundits that Ron Paul can’t be stopped, and a hope that he won’t have 50% of the delegates allowing his opponents to broker a deal to deny him the nomination.

Paul is unique among GOP candidates because his support is national. He can compete in every state.

The primary calendar has been frontloaded which was deliberate to keep second tier candidates (candidates not bought and paid for) from having a shot at winning the nomination. It is doubtful that when planning the schedules anybody had a clue that Ron Paul would be one of the only candidate that could be competitive on February 5th

Iowa, Wyoming, New Hampshire, Michigan, Nevada, South Carolina, Florida, Maine are all up for grabs prior to Super Tuesday which is on February 5th. Given the low expectations Paul only needs to win one of these to show that he can win prior to Super Tuesday.

The Iowa caucus on January 3rd will be a tough start for Paul. He hasn’t spent that much time in Iowa and may not have the organization that Romney does to win the caucus. Placing in the top five is all that is needed there. A third place would be huge.

Two days later on January 5th is the Wyoming Caucus. This state is a neighbor of Utah and Romney may have a strong organization here as well. Paul may do well here though.

January 8th in New Hampshire is where the campaign really starts for Ron Paul. He doesn’t need to win it but he probably will. Buchanan won this state in 1996 running on similar campaign themes with 27% of the vote. Paul’s support is much broader.

Paul’s odds look good for Michigan on January 15th. The state is a foreclosure war zone and Paul’s blaming of the Federal Reserve for creating a housing crash may resonate well.

January 19th Nevada and South Carolina are up for elections. Paul should win Nevada and has an outside shot at South Carolina.

On January 29th Florida is up. This is the state where Giuliani has circled his wagons. If he’s still in the race it will be an uphill battle for him especially if Paul has momentum generated by a couple victories. There is evidence of Paul support in Florida on the ground just by observing bumper stickers and yard signs on residences but Giuliani also has some visible support.

Of course, if Paul wins New Hampshire the momentum generated from that victory is likely to steam roll his campaign through all of the above mentioned states setting him up for the knock out punch on Super Tuesday.

If Ron Paul doesn’t have the nomination sewed up on Super Tuesday, Paul’s delegate rich home state of Texas will be the final nail in the coffin come March.

The point is it is already too late to stop Paul. He’s going to win the Republican nomination.

As a general election candidate Ron Paul will win a 50 state landslide against any Democratic nominee.

Ron Paul’s opposition to the war in Iraq, and defense of the Bill of Rights, and Civil Liberties, may actually dig deeply into the Democratic vote and overwhelmingly attract independents to his campaign.

His support for secure borders as an integral part of national defense is also a very popular issue that transcends parties.

If Ron Paul is the GOP nominee it won’t matter if Bloomberg or anybody else runs as a third party candidate. Once people go to Paul’s website and review his issues and record they either reject Paul’s ideas or they are sold. Paul will not lose any supporters to another candidate once they are in his camp.

Unlike media propaganda, the ideals of peace, freedom, and prosperity, are very mainstream. To the aging baby boomer population now on fixed incomes, Ron Paul’s challenging of the Federal Reserve’s ‘Inflation Tax’ is most welcomed. To the rest of America feeling the double whammy of an ‘Inflation Tax’ and progressive federal income taxes, Paul’s calls to end the income tax are a cause for celebration.

In fact, Paul’s calls for reforming the monetary system, the income tax, foreign policy, and protecting the Constitution, are a lot more mainstream than pre-emptive nuclear war, no borders, and a police state are.

Those media generated polls are as valuable as the media propaganda that pushed the nation to war in Iraq. People should have as much faith in polls as they do the Easter Bunny and computerized voting. Ron Paul is going to win by a landslide

[Gay Boy]

http://www.usadaily.com/article.cfm?articleID=207908
Ron Paul will win by a landslide

Analysis/Opinion-Republican presidential candidate and Texas Congressman, Ron Paul, can win the presidency. Contrary to the pundits and media propaganda, Ron Paul is best positioned to win the GOP nomination.

Ron Paul has more money than his opponents and is just starting to gain momentum. As a result of massive popular support Paul’s donor base is huge and donors are not close to reaching contribution limits. Paul’s opponents are going broke and their donors are maxed out. Ron Paul may raise 20 million this quarter and chances are he’ll raise more the next quarter.
To get an idea of how strong Paul’s support is consider this. Ron Paul received donations from over 123,000 people this quarter. If one out of 100 voters donate to a presidential candidate that means Paul has the support of over 12 million primary voters. My guess is that less than 1 out of 100 voters donate in a primary.

Of Paul’s opponents, John McCain and Mike Huckabee are broke and don’t have the funds to compete on Super Tuesday. Both candidates appear to be media creations in this election and don’t have that much popular support. If it weren’t for undeserved free media they wouldn’t be on the radar screens.

Giuliani was forced to go with his big state strategy because he ran the risk of getting creamed in early primaries. He appears to be a lead balloon and runs the risk of losing some of those big states to Paul. Thompson just hasn’t taken off. There is a chance he could get revived in South Carolina but he may not make it that far.

Romney is self financing his campaign and can go the distance, but how much of his personal wealth is he willing to squander?

Recent commentaries and political talk have mentioned the possibility of a brokered convention. This is an early admission by pundits that Ron Paul can’t be stopped, and a hope that he won’t have 50% of the delegates allowing his opponents to broker a deal to deny him the nomination.

Paul is unique among GOP candidates because his support is national. He can compete in every state.

The primary calendar has been frontloaded which was deliberate to keep second tier candidates (candidates not bought and paid for) from having a shot at winning the nomination. It is doubtful that when planning the schedules anybody had a clue that Ron Paul would be one of the only candidate that could be competitive on February 5th

Iowa, Wyoming, New Hampshire, Michigan, Nevada, South Carolina, Florida, Maine are all up for grabs prior to Super Tuesday which is on February 5th. Given the low expectations Paul only needs to win one of these to show that he can win prior to Super Tuesday.

The Iowa caucus on January 3rd will be a tough start for Paul. He hasn’t spent that much time in Iowa and may not have the organization that Romney does to win the caucus. Placing in the top five is all that is needed there. A third place would be huge.

Two days later on January 5th is the Wyoming Caucus. This state is a neighbor of Utah and Romney may have a strong organization here as well. Paul may do well here though.

January 8th in New Hampshire is where the campaign really starts for Ron Paul. He doesn’t need to win it but he probably will. Buchanan won this state in 1996 running on similar campaign themes with 27% of the vote. Paul’s support is much broader.

Paul’s odds look good for Michigan on January 15th. The state is a foreclosure war zone and Paul’s blaming of the Federal Reserve for creating a housing crash may resonate well.

January 19th Nevada and South Carolina are up for elections. Paul should win Nevada and has an outside shot at South Carolina.

On January 29th Florida is up. This is the state where Giuliani has circled his wagons. If he’s still in the race it will be an uphill battle for him especially if Paul has momentum generated by a couple victories. There is evidence of Paul support in Florida on the ground just by observing bumper stickers and yard signs on residences but Giuliani also has some visible support.

Of course, if Paul wins New Hampshire the momentum generated from that victory is likely to steam roll his campaign through all of the above mentioned states setting him up for the knock out punch on Super Tuesday.

If Ron Paul doesn’t have the nomination sewed up on Super Tuesday, Paul’s delegate rich home state of Texas will be the final nail in the coffin come March.

The point is it is already too late to stop Paul. He’s going to win the Republican nomination.

As a general election candidate Ron Paul will win a 50 state landslide against any Democratic nominee.

Ron Paul’s opposition to the war in Iraq, and defense of the Bill of Rights, and Civil Liberties, may actually dig deeply into the Democratic vote and overwhelmingly attract independents to his campaign.

His support for secure borders as an integral part of national defense is also a very popular issue that transcends parties.

If Ron Paul is the GOP nominee it won’t matter if Bloomberg or anybody else runs as a third party candidate. Once people go to Paul’s website and review his issues and record they either reject Paul’s ideas or they are sold. Paul will not lose any supporters to another candidate once they are in his camp.

Unlike media propaganda, the ideals of peace, freedom, and prosperity, are very mainstream. To the aging baby boomer population now on fixed incomes, Ron Paul’s challenging of the Federal Reserve’s ‘Inflation Tax’ is most welcomed. To the rest of America feeling the double whammy of an ‘Inflation Tax’ and progressive federal income taxes, Paul’s calls to end the income tax are a cause for celebration.

In fact, Paul’s calls for reforming the monetary system, the income tax, foreign policy, and protecting the Constitution, are a lot more mainstream than pre-emptive nuclear war, no borders, and a police state are.

Those media generated polls are as valuable as the media propaganda that pushed the nation to war in Iraq. People should have as much faith in polls as they do the Easter Bunny and computerized voting. Ron Paul is going to win by a landslide

its christmas day and you are trying to get us pissed off by posting paul nonsense in a non-paul thread.

You are perhaps the rudest and most self-absorbed member on this entire board.

[APF]

Ted Rall + Ron Paul == a winning combination in anyone's book.

[Howard Alan Treesong]

its christmas day and you are trying to get us pissed off by posting paul nonsense in a non-paul thread.

You are perhaps the rudest and most self-absorbed member on this entire board.

A-men. Can't even take 24 hours off out of decency to his fellow men. Shows what kind of supporters Paul has, I guess. Sad, really. I had pegged FoC for an insane and stupid cultist long ago, but I had thought that maybe there was a shred of decency in him as a human being, despite that.

[Human Snorenado]

its christmas day and you are trying to get us pissed off by posting paul nonsense in a non-paul thread.

You are perhaps the rudest and most self-absorbed member on this entire board.

A-men. Can't even take 24 hours off out of decency to his fellow men. Shows what kind of supporters Paul has, I guess. Sad, really. I had pegged FoC for an insane and stupid cultist long ago, but I had thought that maybe there was a shred of decency in him as a human being, despite that.

Come on now, we know he's from Texas.  There's not a shred of decency in that state.

[Howard Alan Treesong]

its christmas day and you are trying to get us pissed off by posting paul nonsense in a non-paul thread.

You are perhaps the rudest and most self-absorbed member on this entire board.

A-men. Can't even take 24 hours off out of decency to his fellow men. Shows what kind of supporters Paul has, I guess. Sad, really. I had pegged FoC for an insane and stupid cultist long ago, but I had thought that maybe there was a shred of decency in him as a human being, despite that.

Come on now, we know he's from Texas.  There's not a shred of decency in that state.

I'm from Texas!

Well, not really. My family lives there now and I went to high school there but I sure don't self-identify as a Texan (and, in fact, go well out of my way to obfuscate my connection to Said State.)

[Olivia Wilde Homo]

its christmas day and you are trying to get us pissed off by posting paul nonsense in a non-paul thread.

Ron Paul fans are perhaps the rudest and most self-absorbed on the entire internet.

I fixed it for you.

Anyway, for the GOP Iowa Caucus, I expect Huckabee to win.  The evangelical force is coming out and pushing him.  33% or so of Iowans are evangelicals and in a state where it is pretty much 50/50 for GOP and Democrats, give or take a few percentage points (in favor of Democrats at the moment), Huckabee could win with about 30-40% of the total votes counted.  Giuliani would probably get about 20-25% and Romney and McCain will be nipping at his heels.  Then the remainder (Tancredo, Hunter, Paul, Thompson, etc.) will receive the leftovers.  For candidates like Hunter and Keyes, they might even get less than 1%

The most interesting thing will be the Democrat caucus.  It could really go to either Edwards, Clinton, or Obama.  All three have a good shot at winning it.  The rest won't even have the slightest chance.

[Phoenix Dark]

btw at Christmas I casually polled many of my family members at it seems like most support Hillary. All my grandparents support Obama but my uncles, aunts, etc all said Hillary. A couple cousins said Obama. Anyone else have political convo's at dinner last night?

[CajoleJuice]

There was a convo about global warming and space. One of my uncles was spouting some crazy sci-fi shit about manufacturing steel on the moon and in orbit and then lowering it through the atmosphere with a massive crane.

But no political discussion.

[Gay Boy]

I was talking politics with my republican uncle today. He says hillary is the next president.

[Phoenix Dark]

GAF is exploding over Obama's latest speech:
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1207/7577.html

My response from GAF:
Why? Because he can give an amazing speech or two a couple times a year? So far his campaign hasn't brought anything exciting to the table, and he seems to be playing catch up with Hillary except when it's not the most politically expedient thing to do. I think Obama is a great guy, but being a great guy isn't apart of the litmus test for presidency. Until he proposes or - better yet - does something worthy of the heroic image he has cultivated in public speeches, I'll remain pessimistic and disappointed

[Van Cruncheon]

says the home schoolie backing mike huckabee

[Phoenix Dark]

,

[Mandark]

PD's too busy writing presidential slashfics to put any work in and learn himself some policy.

[Gay Boy]

Obama is in third in Iowa, I dont think there is enough time left to regain his momentum at all.

[FlameOfCallandor]

 

spoiler (click to show/hide)

[close]

[Mandark]

You have an entire thread for that stuff, bubelah.

[FlameOfCallandor]

The dude looked just like someone who could be your 5th grade best friend. 

[Mandark]

At your age, you probably shouldn't have a 5th grader as a best friend.  People might talk.

[Mupepe]

At your age, you probably shouldn't have a 5th grader as a best friend.  People might talk.

the kid can't talk with all that sausage in his mouf

[FlameOfCallandor]

 

[FlameOfCallandor]

Judicial Watch says two presidential candidates from each party have made its 2007 list of Washington's "Ten Most Wanted Corrupt Politicians."

The public-interest group says former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani were the two Republicans on the list, while Senators Barack Obama (D-Illinois) and Hillary Clinton (D-New York) made the list from the Democratic side. Judicial Watch president Tom Fitton says Mrs. Clinton has a long and "sordid" ethics record dating back to when she first entered public life -- and in 2007 the scandals continued.

http://www.onenewsnow.com/2007/12/four_presidential_candidates_a.php

[Phoenix Dark]

WILLIAMSBURG, Iowa (CNN) — Barack Obama told an Iowa audience Friday that his wife Michelle thinks he should not run for President again if he loses in 2008.

“One of the things I offer in this race is that we still remember what it means to be normal," said the Illinois senator.

"My wife and I were talking the other day. And she said 'We're not doing this again'. And those of you who met her know she doesn't mince words,” said Obama. “She meant that in eight years, I'm not sure we'll be the same people we are now."

He said that he and his wife had only recently finished paying off their own student loans and started saving for their kids' college education. He also said that, until recently, he would do the family's grocery shopping himself. He said Michele told him, "eight years from now we will have lost touch with what ordinary Americans are going through" and that "we'll be in a different orbit."

"I think when you're in Washington for a long time you lose touch" and "it becomes harder to relinquish power,” he added.

But he told the audience in this blue-collar town, "my wife still shops at Target."

In the new issue of Vanity Fair, Michelle Obama tells a reporter that when it comes to her husband's White House bid, “it’s now or never.”

“We’re not going to keep running and running and running, because at some point you do get the life beaten out of you. It hasn’t been beaten out of us yet," she tells the magazine. "We need to be in there now, while we’re still fresh and open and fearless and bold. You lose some of that over time. Barack is not cautious yet; he’s ready to change the world, and we need that.”

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/

Yeah, right

[Phoenix Dark]

(CNN) -- Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee's understanding of foreign affairs has again been called into question after his comments reacting to the assassination of former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto.

Huckabee, whose foreign policy credentials have been under a microscope since he admitted that he was unaware of an intelligence report that Iran had suspended its nuclear weapons program, appeared to make another gaffe Thursday when he seemed to suggest incorrectly that Pakistan was under martial law.

At an Orlando, Florida, press conference, the former Arkansas governor told reporters that the United States' first priority should be to find the responsible parties.

"But the most urgent thing to do is to offer our sincere sympathies and concerns to the family and to the people of Pakistan, and that's the first thing we would be doing other than, again, trying to ascertain who's behind it, and what impact does it have on whether or not there's going to be martial law continued in Pakistan, suspension of the constitution," said Huckabee. "Those are concerns that the United States certainly should have."

Later Thursday, at an event in West Des Moines, Iowa, Huckabee told CNN that "it was not that I was unaware it was suspended, two weeks ago, lifted. ...The point was, would it be reinstated, would it be placed back in? All of the aspects of martial law have not been completely lifted even now. There's still a heavy hand Musharraf has used."

Conservative critics immediately pointed out that Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf lifted the country's state of martial law roughly two weeks ago.

The slip "ought to be really bad news for Huckabee," said the National Review's Jim Geraghty, writing on the magazine's Web site. "I'm not sure how big assassination-related news will play in the first primary states. Still, I think those misstatements will exacerbate the Huck/Not Huck divide in GOP circles." The National Review has endorsed Huckabee's Republican rival Mitt Romney.

But CNN senior political analyst Bill Schneider said the debate over whether Huckabee has command of the nuances of Pakistan crisis would have little impact on his support.

"Mike Huckabee is a populist. His comments on Pakistan reflect a populist understanding of the crisis, which, is to say, not much," Schneider said. "Sure, the political establishment is snickering, but I doubt that his misstatements bother his supporters much."

http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/12/28/huckabee.foreign.policy/index.html

His chief of staff needs to tell him to STFU on foreign policy in unscripted environments lol

[Mandark]

[youtube=425,350]nOPp9K1JUCs[/youtube]

As vast as Huck's ignorance seems to be, stuff like this is just as wrong and is premeditated to boot.  Jihadists are all about a caliphate, and include Iran!  Wait...

He's also thrown the Muslim Brotherhood in with Hamas, Hezbollah, and Al Qaeda.



PS This is also the most bizarre campaign commercial in recent memory, thanks to the complete incongruence between the message and the tone.  The setting, music, and line delivery all suggest bland optimism, but the words are about insane people trying to kill us.

[Gay Boy]

I was watching CNN. They talked about yet another Huckabee Pakistan gaff.

Huckabee said roughly 600 Pakistani's came into this country illegally last year. When CNN asked for his source  because they never heard anything that that he said he thinks it was the CIA. It turns out it was a newspaper article. And the 600 number? The amount of pakistani refugees turned away by America. Not how many got in illegally. There is no way to track how many come in illegally. Because its illegally done lol.

[Phoenix Dark]

His flip flopping and pandering is more annoying than McCain's imo. Romney has perfected the art of red meat bingo, even moreso than Rudy who's card only seems to include phrases like 911, crime, and Hillary Clinton