"Ut--"O"?"

As in "zero"??? Really??

I couldn't believe the results from Dixville Notch, the first of the first to vote in this year's primaries. 17 residents; 100 percent turnout. From the Concord Monitor, the results:


Obama, McCain carry Dixville Notch

Submitted by Primary Monitor on Tue, 2008-01-08 00:10.

Dixville Notch got the voting under way. The results:

John McCain 4 votes
Mitt Romney 2 votes
Rudy Giuliani 1 vote

Barack Obama 7 votes
John Edwards 2 votes
Bill Richardson 1 vote

When they didn't call Hillary Clinton's name, I immediately shouted, "WHOA!". Good thing wifey didn't wake up!

GOOD NEWS FOR HILLARY THOUGH-----Dixville Notch has a not-so-stellar record of their victors going onward to big victory.

I had to get up and post quickly before going to sleep; I couldn't believe my ears or my eyes.

This is really.....

.....for a political junkie like me, a very interesting season.

I found myself watching current Presidential political ads being aired back to back on C-SPAN tonight.

What in the world is going to happen? I offer a very humble opinion. Nothing more than a 40 year old blowhard typing, so don't take any stock in this.

DEMOCRATS:

---Hillary Clinton: The good news for her, she is nowhere near out of the race. The bad news is, she showed more of "herself" last night during the ABC debate than, in my view, I've seen in public before. There was some hateful eye cuts, let me tell ya.

***---The question regarding Al-Qaeda and going into Pakistan if there is "actionable intelligence"....she was the last to be able to offer her view, but the first part of her answer, if people really listened, did her no good.

SEN. CLINTON: Well, I think it's important to get back to your question, because obviously that's the most direct threat to the United States. We did take action similar to what has been described about 10 years ago based on what was thought to be actionable intelligence, sending in missiles to try to target bin Laden and his top leadership, who were thought to be at a certain meeting place. They were not taken out at the time. So we have to be very conscious of all the consequences.

First off, to her credit, the bin Laden team knew putting a playground on site would lead us to halt the attack, as not to attack innocent children. But the missles they did send did nothing. Note, though, her phrase...."...based on what was thought to be actionable intelligence....".

Sounds like Iraq???

Now to when John Edwards dropped the bomb on her, forcing that "look", or series of "looks"....

....earlier in the debate, Mrs. Clinton, noting the "change" theme that everyone is touting, discussing the frailty of Social Security and Medicare.....

"But I don't think you make change by, you know, calling for it or by demanding it. I think it is a result of very hard work, bringing people together, stating clearly what your goals are, what your principles are, and then achieving them."

After the Edwards' "shot over the bow", mentioning he finished second in Iowa and as he put it regarding status quo (i.e. Clinton), saying, "I didn't hear these kinds of attacks from Senator Clinton when she was ahead"....her frantic response was...

"Wait a minute now, wait a minute. I'm going to respond to this because obviously -- making change is not about what you believe. It's not about a speech you make. It is about working hard."

"Making chance is not about what you believe"......WHAT??? WHAT???

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---John Edwards: With Obama winning the "change" game, and sporting that razor-thin second place finish in Iowa, really had no choice but try to nuke her. The backlash was "he started it" (a la 5th grade fight). And he backed up on the "negative sound of politicians bickering" part in his next response. But that was his card, and I give him kudos for at least having the guts to go there.

---Barack Obama: He was shaky to begin with, got stronger as time went on, but did not come across as the most authortative. In his defense, none of them won that contest.

OH, and Bill Richardson.....has been a Clinton crony forever. We know he's dropping out late Tuesday night. Lots of Richardson supporters in Iowa, once their numbers of supporters dropped below the "threshold" to stay in the caucus, flooded to the Obama camp, MUCH to the shegrin of the Clinton folks.

So I have a feeling there was a reconciliation deal between Richardson and Clinton, i.e.----if they gang up on you on the "change" issue, I'll ask why "experience" has become a leper.

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Frankly, my head is still scratching regarding the Republicans. I will say this:

---Ron Paul needs a reality check and I look forward to his exit.
---Rudy Guliani has a strange strategy.
---Fred Thompson seems like this is a hobby.
---Mike Huckabee becoming the nominee would be a disaster (sorry to my evangelical friends). I think he would become a lightning rod, not to the extent of Hillary, but watch the anti-religion voters come in droves).
---Mitt Romney is a robot.
---At this point, John McCain, I think, is the most electable Republican. I cannot believe no one has mentioned age (i.e.--President Reagan).

MUCH more to come. It's gonna be a LONG year.

Political strategy in the Men's room......

So, I stop by the restroom before I leave the office tonight, and someone had left a newspaper on the floor.

Who do I see? Nancy Pelosi (plus Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid). You may insert your own joke here, I will resist the urge.

Nancy says Congress will not allow the President to send in more troops to Iraq.

Which got me to thinking......like a politican..........

The LAST thing that ANY of us should politicize is the situation in Iraq. It puts our troops in more danger, first of all, and secondly, we are talking about the most sensitive region in the world (always has been, always will be).

Will "politics" inevitably come up in a frank, honest dialogue on the subject? Sure. What I'm speaking of is "using politics to further your political career/agenda/ambitions".

So, I started thinking like a politican who only wants to look good and get re-elected.

Let's say I'm George W. Bush. I hear the cries of the new majority on Capitol Hill and say, "Okay, let's do it your way."

Bush goes to the Iraqi Prime Minister and announces that all United States military personnel will be out of Iraq no later than December 31, 2007. So, they've got a year to get their own house in order.

Now, we know the following would most likely occur:

1) Terrorists and terror sympathizers would continue their sectarian attacks and count down the days until 01/01/08. More and more Iraqis will die.

2) After January 1, 2008, when we are "gone", it's most likely that the government there now could last, say, 30 days. So therefore, all-out chaos ensues and contributes to the destabilization of an already destablized region. Plus, with no blanket protection by the U.S. and coalition forces in their way, the attacks become bombardments.

3) So, by the 2008 political conventions, it could be argued that there would be more Iraqi deaths in the chaotic first half of 2008 (as well as maybe a threatened invasion by Iran, Syria, or both) than there were in 2007, or in 2006, or in 2005, etc......when the U.S. still had a presence.

Hmmmm.....now, to score possibly debilitating points to Hillary, Barack, whoever......the GOP can, at their convention, point to the Middle East and say, "Look how all hell has broken loose since our forces left. Yes, there were big problems while we were there, but there was some level of stability. There is none now. We have the Democratic Congress to thank for our role in the year of hell that is 2008 in the Middle East."

The Dems nominee would (correctly) remind the electorate that it was the GOP that led us into Iraq in the first place (which McCain, Guliani, etc. could retort that Democrats such as Hillary Clinton and John Edwards voted for the war, too).

I don't like thinking like a political think-tank. My above logic is only trying to protect my political future, and not the deaths of innocent people.

And, oh, by the way, while we continue to disintegrate as a society pointing fingers......who's minding the store called "Friends of Israel"?

God forbid........

Quick news and notes......

This morning's Richmond Times-Dispatch front page concerning the death of President Ford was incredibly classy and touching. Probably the best obituary front page photo I've ever seen them published (and I delivered their papers for 14 years).

John Edwards is running for President. Yawn. Joe Biden will get a double yawn.

There were, like, three more bowl games today. Why? A friend at work mentioned all the empty seats at a bowl game in California last night between Florida State and UCLA. I guess so. Do you think fans of schools of that caliber are going to go to San Francisco to see an Emerald Bowl? (Note the "spin" on the attendance figure in paragraph two of the story on the game's website.) Apparently, UCLA fans weren't even excited by the fact they didn't have to leave the state to see the game!

Now, what's the over/under on Miami fans flocking to Boise, Idaho for the MPC Computers Bowl?? 500? Am I being generous??

R.I.P. to my one and only Mama, who passed four years ago tonight. Doesn't seem that long. I continue to miss her, and always will.

In conclusion, 17 days until the return of Jack Bauer and "24"!!!! Therefore, you'll know what over half of the blog entries will be effective January 15th!!

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Third annual New Years Eve blog, "year in review", coming Sunday night. Insomniacs rejoice!!