theclosetconservative.com

We’ve all heard the cliche that no matter what happens this is supposed to be the Democrat’s year. George Bush’s poll number’s, Iraq, the slumping economy, ect.
But this was also supposed to be the year of Hillary Clinton. I maintain that THAT still may happen. The math doesn’t look as good unless she has a three-state-sweep of Texas, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. But all is not well with some members of the liberal commentariat when it comes to Barack Obama. Cokie Roberts referred to the senator from Illinois as this “Cute young man whispering sweet nothings pushing her out of the way.” And a lot of women are looking at this and saying “There goes my life.”
I then proceeded to pick my jaw up the floor. I saw the SNL debate sketch on YouTube which was a great laugh for obvious reasons. The media that so loved the Clintons has had a new love this year, but Cokie Roberts doesn’t seem too happy about it. On the same program George Stephanopoulos referred to Obama as a reflexive liberal. And after trying to appear sweet herself at the Texas debate Senator Clinton seems to be taking the gloves off in Ohio. If she didn’t have an after Super Tuesday strategy before, I think one is coming together now.

I also can’t end this post without commenting on the John McCain New York Times episode. If their own public editor blasts the paper about the Dan Rather in print style hit job on the presumptive Republican nominee, I don’t think the story’s boomerang effect on the newspaper is going to end soon, and I seriously doubt the story will come back to haunt John McCain, (Juan Williams’ insistence otherwise notwithstanding.) If John McCain shows his scrappy side with the Times, conservatives may start warming to him in spite of themselves.

In closing, I’m not going to go out on a limb with any predictions this week. I’ll just say I’m looking forward to some good tv!

As anyone who’s read my previous entries would know, John McCain was my second to last choice to lead the Republican ticket this year (after Mike Huckabee). But events can alter the electoral landscape (usually faster than conventional wisdom will catch up.) If Hillary Clinton does not win in Texas, Ohio, and Pennsylvania then the only way she gets the nomination is with some backroom dealing with the superdelegates, and even they seem to be slowly inching away from her. If the trend continues and Barack Obama IS the Democratic nominee for the White House, this presents a possible opportunity for the senator from Arizona.

Here events play a part. Al Queda has been reconstituted in parts of Pakistan. Iran is despite some reports closer to being a nuclear armed nation than most would wish to admit. D.N.I: Mike McConnell’s testimony is tough to impeach. He’s served in both the Clinton and current Bush administrations so acusations of “fearmongering” or that he’s a political hack fall flat. And the refocus on national defense would put McCain at an advantage over Obama. Senator Obama is in the “Get out of Iraq NOW Club!” McCain can articulate as well as any Republican why such a scenario would be a disaster. Even some of my own liberal friends have said they like Obama, but “not in a time of war.” Some on the left apparently agree that grown-ups need to be in charge of issues this serious.

If John McCain can expose just how vacuous Barack Obama’s rhetoric really is, OR he can get him to articulate how he would accomplish his big government leftist dreams, he has a shot in November. McCain isn’t the best spokesperson to have on taxes and economic issues but at least he seems to be memorizing his cue cards more effectively. A strong conservative on the ticket could help.

The headlines are predicting that Hillary Clinton cannot catch Barack Obama in the delegate count. Dick Morris predicts Hillary has all but lost the nomination. Rush says Bill and Hillary will use the super delegates, get Michigan and FLorida back in the mix even though Obama wasn’t on the ballet in Michigan. Upshot: For the Clinton’s the ends justify the means. The Clintons historically have prospered even as their party lost seats in the 90’s. They usually get more loyalty than they give. How this all ends up I don’t even want to predict at this point. My guess we don’t even know all of the cards they can play. A good year to remember is 1968. Lyndon Johnson had such tight control over the party that his vice president: Hubert Humphrey became the nominee even though it was reported that Senator Eugene McCarthy won more primaries.

On the Republican side, is John McCain mending fences with Conservatives? Lots of running mate predictions out there, but knowing that he’s unlikely to put Mitt Romney on the ticket with him another good choice would be Former Senator George Allen of Virginia, a favorite of conservatives despite the “Macacca” controversy in 2006 that was a pure leftist media witch hunt from the get-go. With national defense and the economy presenting some things conservatives can still agree on in spite of all that’s past, and considering who our opponents are, it’s a good time for Senator McCain to redouble his efforts at finally closing the deal. He’s got the nomination, now he needs to get to work.