The actual election isn't for another ten months. But the parties begin the process of nominating their candidates tonight--in Iowa. Don't complain, city slickers. The network news divisions, Hollywood, Washington, DC, and the publishing industry are all light years from Des Moines. Let them have this. When it comes to caucuses, Democrats have more fun--as this CNN.com article demonstrates--even though Republicans are more Caucasian. The quirky rule of eliminating candidates with less the fifteen percent of the vote, and allowing their supporters to chose another candidate, could really make the supporters of Kucinich, Gravel, Richardson, Dodd, and Biden the kingmakers in the Hawkeye state.

Mitt Romney stands to lose the most over the next five days. He was the frontrunner in Iowa until last month, and he was the frontrunner in New Hampshire until last week. Now he's getting beat by a former fat guy from Arkansas and a septuagenarian whose candidacy was pronounced dead with last year's amnesty for illegals legislation. Next to Romney, Hillary Clinton has the most to lose. The uber favorite to win the nomination, Hillary is now in the fight of her life with John Edwards and Barack Obama. Should either man beat Hillary, the veneer of invincibility and inevitability that has been fueling her support will shed. Because Fred Thompson's candidacy began with such high expectations, poor showings in the first two contests could make for a quick exit. Duncan Hunter, an excellent conservative congressman, should be gone soon too. Among the Democrats, Iowa could make quick work of Senators Dodd and Biden. By outperforming polls, and media annointed frontrunners like Fred Thompson and Rudy Giuliani, Ron Paul could send a message to doubters that his candidacy is for real.

Predictions? I haven't a clue, but here goes...

Democrats: 1. John Edwards 2. Barack Obama 3. Hillary Clinton
Republicans: 1. Mike Huckabee 2. Mitt Romney 3. Ron Paul

This Huckleberry thing is depressing me. If some form of common sense doesn't materialize amongst Republican voters and by some quirky quirk of fate this guy gains enough momentum to become the nominee, what in the hell are we supposed to do in the general election?

I'd be surprised if he won. I still think it's Rudy McRomney's to lose! Anyhow, if Huckabee wins in Iowa, and then McCain or Romney wins in NH, and then Rudy wins some of the larger states, things will really, really get interesting for Republicans. Other than Hunter and Thompson, the field will not thin out for a while.

One thing conservatives can do if Huckabee gets the nomination is what I intend to do: not vote. Or vote for a third-party ticket, if there's a satisfactory alternative.

WHAT? Abstain from voting, and let the Democrat win? Well, the Democrat is going to win anyway. If every conservative in the country voted for Huckabee (which would make no sense, because he's such a liberal), Huckabee still wouldn't win, because he can't win over anyone other than mindless Republican drones. He doesn't know anything about current events or foreign policy, and when he talks about those subjects he sounds hopelessly naive (which he is). And he has a horrible record on issues where Republicans have traditionally enjoyed a natural advantage over Democrats--like crime and immigration.

So the independents have no reason to vote for him. Nominating the Huckster would mean forfeiting any chances of winning the general election. In that case, why fight it? Let Huckabee go down to his richly deserved defeat. This man is a blend of Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, Pinocchio, and Barney the Dinosaur. Why on Earth would we want him to be president?!

If we nominate Huckabee and he loses the general election, then yes, there'll be a Democratic president, but don't just think about this year. Think about the long-term health of this once conservative party, too. The Democrats will wind up back in the White House SOMEday. Let's let them win when the GOP nominates a lousy candidate. Then we might actually come back with a conservative next time.

If we nominate Huckabee and he wins the general election, we'll get a president who's even more of a "compassionate conservative" (read: liberal) than George W. Bush--and then, inevitably, a Democrat will be elected after Huckabee, because Huckabee will make a lousy president, by everyone's lights. If what we care about is getting conservative policies enacted, we should choose the path that leads to the most conservative results. And that means dumping the RINOs at every opportunity.

Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense, who has been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how old he was, since his birth-records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape when Reagan left office.

He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as:
Knowing when to come in out of the rain; why the early bird gets the
worm; life isn't always fair; and maybe it was my fault.

Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don't
spend more than you can earn) and reliable strategies (adults, not
children, are in charge).

His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well-intentioned but
overbearing regulations were set in place. Reports of a 6 -year-old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate; teens suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch; and a teacher fired for
reprimanding an unruly student, only worsened his condition.

Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the job that they themselves had failed to do in disciplining their unruly children.

It declined even further when schools were required to get
Parental consent to administer Car pool, sun lotion or a band-aid to a
student; but could not inform parents when a student became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion.

Common Sense lost the will to live as the Ten Commandments became
contraband churches became businesses; and criminals received
better treatment than their victims.

Common Sense took a beating when you couldn't defend yourself from
burglar in your own home and the burglar could sue you for assault.

Common Sense finally gave up the will to live, after a woman failed to realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot. She spilled a little in her lap, and was promptly awarded a huge settlement.

Common Sense was preceded in death by his parents, truth and trust; his wife, discretion; his daughter responsibility; and his son, reason.

He is survived by his 3 stepbrothers; I Know My Rights, Someone Else Is To Blame, and I'm A Victim.

Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone. If
you still remember him, pass this on. If not, join the majority and
do nothing and kissing your Freedoms good by.

Today we have an opportunity to bring Common Sense back to life in this country.
It is time for us to rise up and take our country back by electing Duncan Hunter as President of the United States.

Today, it seems some have forgotten our beginnings. Instead of Americans with a shared vision, we have become a nation divided. We have become a nation of individuals and groups, each with a special interest vision, often without thought for what is best for the nation. We are, however, a nation that at one time had an immutable vision for all. Duncan Hunter is a man that has a vision for the nation, a vision that includes all men and it’s the same vision that our Founding Fathers held for this nation.

So, I say to you, as a Reagan Republican, I will vote for Duncan Hunter and work to put him in the White House 2008. Please take time to give Duncan Hunter another look, as I did. There is much work to be done. Time is short. Let’s begin - in earnest - and may God Bless our efforts.

PS:
I invite you to join the Duncan Hunter team for America at http://www.gohunter08.com/index.asp and help put him in the White House in 2008. I ask you to donate all you can for America and Freedom, donate to the candidacy of Duncan Hunter.

Respectfully,
Russell M. Scott

This Iowa caucus stuff is a waste of time and money.

All it does is give the news media something to talk about.

Both Iowa and Vermont are just two piss-ant, bull shit states - who needs them/who cares!

To give any particular candidate an edge is really pushing the envelope.

It might give Iowans warm and fuzzies (also Vermontians), but bottom line this is not the big picture. This is not a microcosim of the US nor a clear representation of a cross-section of the US.

Get real and do away with this nonsense!

The Republican Party is a sick joke, and the people of this country are fed up with them.
From Nixon to Bush, and from Scooter to Larry "Toilet Stall" Craig, the Republicans have proven themselves to be a bunch of lying, corrupt, evil, perverted, over-spending crooks.
When you look at all the money Bill Clinton left this country, it makes us all cry to know that Bush spent it all.
When the money was gone, Bush went to China for help.
Just think, we owe money to China!
That is the Bush way.
Cheney is no better.
You can't trust either of them.
No one does.
Why are we in Iraq?
The war should be on terror, not in Iraq.
Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11, and yet Bush has spent all that money to fight "his" war.
Yes his, because many Republicans have backed off from the war.
By the way, the war in Iraq has cost the U.S. almost five hundred billion dollars.
Forget Rudy.
Rudy Giuliani is no hero.
While he is often called the hero of 9/11, the truth is that Rudy was a terrible leader during his years as mayor of New York City.
He made bad decisions and took a girlfriend while being married.
In fact, he even wanted his lover to live in the same house with his wife.
Most people would call this perverted.
New Yorkers were so sick of his antics, that they wanted him out of office.
Then came 9/11.
The only reason people call Giuliani a hero today, is because he just happened to be NYC's mayor during that bad time.
Any mayor would be looked at as a hero if they showed their face under those circumstances.
If there was no 9/11, Rudy would have become a joke.
This is not the kind of leader we want in the White House. In closing, the New York Post reported in their paper on April 23, that Giuliani spent more than $48,000 dollars of campaign money on posh hotels while claiming to have spent the least of all the Republican candidates.
Rudy is a good time leader, and does it with other people's money.
Forget Mitt.
His ads look bad.
He can't seem to get his facts right, and will say things to make himself look good.
Red flags go up around him.
I spoke with his son Tagg at the New Hampshire debates back in June (2007), and while he seemed like a nice man, Tagg could not get his facts right either.
The worst Republican as of late, though, is Larry Craig.
He is a lying pervert who wanted gay sex with a strange man on a dirty toilet seat.
He pled guilty, then said he was not guilty.
Say what?
He is another Republican moron.
Did you hear about Washington State Republican Rep. Richard Curtis?
He offered $1,000 to a young man for unprotected sex while dressed in women's lingerie.
This sort of thing just goes on and on with them.
Remember Mark Foley?
Here is a letter I wrote that was in many newspapers and Web sites:

Once again, the Republicans have turned my stomach with shocking and repulsive behavior.
Mark Foley, a Republican member (now ex-member) of Congress, has sent many e-mails with perverted sexual content to a sixteen year old boy.
This is the same man who while in Congress, backed a bill that was meant to protect children from child predators.
Foley himself, is a man who preyed on a child with lust.
What is also incomprehensible, is the fact that some Republicans knew of Foley’s behavior, and yet, did not take a hard stand against this until it became public news. If I had a teenage son and/or daughter, I would not want them to go near any Republican leader for fear of either or both becoming a victim of a sick Republican pervert.

George Vreeland Hill

There were more than three hundred such letters in newspapers in 2007 alone.
Many of them in New Hampshire.
There are thousands on the Internet.
No lie.
THOUSANDS!
This does not even include articles, ads, radio, TV and other areas where the public takes notice.
In fact, one Republican in California wanted me stopped once, because I was hurting some Republicans in their elections.
I just want to do my part in helping to get rid of every Republican scumbag.
From phone scams to the Union Leader (NH) covering up for Republicans, the garbage never ends.
But the Republican Party will end.
Did you know that George W. Bush once made fun of the issue of Weapons of Mass Destruction?
He did, and in front of some shocked people during a black-tie event in 2004.
He said.... (While looking under a piece of furniture) "Those weapons of mass destruction have got to be here somewhere."
Then, while pretending to look out of a window, Bush laughed as he said..... "Nope, no weapons over there."
While he was laughing, there were men and women fighting and dying in Iraq because of WMD.
George W. Bush should be removed from office because of that alone.
Face it, Bill Clinton lied about having sex, and was impeached because of it.
George W. Bush however, did far worse, as he laughed at the very people who are fighting for the United States of America!
That about sums it all up!
(By the way, this Bush/WMD was part of an article and letter I wrote as well.)
This leads us to John McCain.
All he seems to do is attack other candidates.
His Woodstock ad against Hillary Clinton was boring and without the facts.
He tells of Hillary wanting to spend a million dollars on a museum while he (McCain) supports spending more on the war in Iraq.
He wants you to believe that the Democrats are the big spenders, while it is McCain's Republican Party that has spent all the money Bill Clinton left us to a point where Bush had to borrow money from China.
Think about that again.
We owe to China.
That is the Republican way.
Also, it must be noted that McCain even laughed at war.
Remember when McCain changed the words of a Beach Boys song to Bomb, Bomb, Bomb, Bomb, Bomb, Iran?
McCain even laughed when he was done.
He thought starting a war with Iran was a laughing matter.
That is the real John McCain.
He just can't be trusted.
He is another George Bush, and you know what we got with him.
The Republican Party is a mess, and getting worse.
People do not trust any of them, and we are all tired of their act.
I am doing my best to make sure that no Republican wins an election.
Thank you for your time.

George Vreeland Hill

I have family in Arkansas, they say Huckabe is for Bigger Government, Higher Taxes, and More money etc to Illegals.
But I have One Question: Is this basically the Primary for Iowa? Or do they have a Real Primary where everyone votes. If this is there Primary, it really makes Iowa Irrevelant Period

Well, there it is. Huckleberry comes out of nowhere and with that cowpone, aw shucks, Southern Baptist syle, this sleeze dazzles the ethanol rich hicks in Iowa.

A political operative friend of mine says not to worry because New Hampshire will be the correction to this debacle. I hope he's right.

Worse on the Democrat side when you consider that, unlike the GOP, their front runners are a conglomeration of inexperienced leftist boobs and that the guy who wins the caucus wouldn't even be in the field if he were a 46 year old, one term white Senator.

And let me just say that any weaner who uses three names (George Vreeland Hill) doesn't surprise when he spouts hateful leftist junk. You're completely wrong of course and, as we see with how f'ed up our Democrat dominated Congress is, a country run by the Donkeys would be a disaster.

GVH,
Are you saying that both major parties aren't a couple of 4-12 teams? I'm an independant and it seems there is enough crap on both sides of the aisle to make any clear thinking person ask "Is this the best we can do?".

BTW, who do you think (out of the current crop of hopefuls) should be leading the country? I see you spitting out a lot of vitriol but don't see you put forth much in the way of alternatives.

4-12 seems kind. Democrats vs. Republicans is reminiscient of '06 Raiders vs. '07 Dolphins.

Still wanting for a response, GVH. Or are you just a typical bomb thrower?

He's long gone. Sackless in Seattle I suspect and just dropped in to throw out a lib screed.