Showing posts with label Thompson. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Thompson. Show all posts

Monday, December 3, 2007

"Rose is a rose is a rose is a rose"

"The first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers." So said Shakespeare's King Henry VI, who never had to run for political office to rule his country. But for those who must be elected head of state, it can be a source of pride to tout the lawyers in your camp -- unless you're Hillary Clinton.

The magazine published by the American Bar Association, the ABA Journal, reports on rafts of high-powered attorneys and law school professors signed up to assist Rudy Giuliani, Fred Thompson, Mitt Romney, John Edwards and Barack Obama. All of these candidates also happen to be lawyers themselves, as is Hillary.

Hillary, however, "didn't get back to" the Slate.com reporter who compiled the lawyer information. Maybe she is still putting it together. Bill doesn't count, given that the Supreme Court unanimously revoked his bar license -- even his own nominees voted to disbar him.

But we don't need her list to make this safe prediction: If Hillary is elected, count on her being the only attorney with a regular view of the White House garden with any Rose Law Firm experience.

Please note: The postings of "G. Morris", written by John K. Bush and which end in 2016, stated his views as of the dates of posting and should not be understood as current assertions of his views. The postings, which have not been altered since they came to an end, remain on this blog to preserve the historical record. In 2017, Mr. Bush took a position that precludes further public political comments or endorsements. He will no longer be contributing to this blog.

Wednesday, November 21, 2007

Bet On Mike Huckabee To Place

With the Iowa Republican presidential caucus a little over a month away (January 3, 2008), the remaining campaign period resembles Derby week: a crowded field of entries; jockeying for the best post position; and fear and loathing of the favorite.

Here's a betting tip, based on the latest Iowa poll numbers: Mike Huckabee to place, and not just in Iowa. Look for Huckabee to be the Republican vice presidential nominee.

In the ABC/Washington Post poll of the Iowa Republican caucus, conducted November 14-18, Mitt Romney held onto first place with 28% -- virtually unchanged from the last poll. But the real news is that Huckabee has surged into second place, with an astounding 24%. Next was Fred Thompson, with 15%, followed by Rudy Giuliani, who remains in fourth with 13%.

These numbers suggest Huckabee's dark horse candidacy remains viable, but a more likely outcome would be for him to be picked as second on the Republican ticket.
Despite their recent campaign attacks, Romney and Huckabee remain on good terms. Though they may seem an unlikely exacta, these candidates became friends while Governors of Massachusetts and Arkansas, respectively, and worked together closely as members of the Republican Governors Association. They have more in common than their respective campaigns may let on, and at the end of the day, a Baptist Southerner would bring nice balance to a ticket headed by a Mormon Northeasterner.
A similar argument could be made for the pairing of Huckabee with Giuliani, a Roman Catholic New Yorker.
And what if Thompson, the Tennessee Presbyterian, were to win the Republican nomination? Though having a Protestant Arkansan and Tennessean on the same presidential ticket may seem redundant, recall that this combination worked well for the Democrats in 1992 and 1996.
But don't count on that scenario happening because Thompson, with sinking poll numbers, has faded even before the stretch. The same can be said for John McCain, who polled only 6% in the latest Iowa count.
The only Republican presidential candidate making a move is Huckabee, and though he remains a long shot for the presidential nomination, Huckabee may be best horse to ride if one wants to support a Republican presidential candidate with the best chance of being somewhere on the ballot in November 2008.

Please note: The postings of "G. Morris", written by John K. Bush and which end in 2016, stated his views as of the dates of posting and should not be understood as current assertions of his views. The postings, which have not been altered since they came to an end, remain on this blog to preserve the historical record. In 2017, Mr. Bush took a position that precludes further public political comments or endorsements. He will no longer be contributing to this blog.

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

Giuliani Leads Clinton In The Bluegrass

Lost in the Democrats' ballyhoos of last week's election were some poll numbers that show Kentucky is likely to remain Republican in the '08 presidential election, at least if Rudy Giuliani and Hillary Clinton are the nominees. The latest Rasmussen poll in the Bluegrass, conducted November 1, shows Giuliani defeating Clinton 47% to 41%. His lead was outside the margin of error (+/- 4.5 %).

The percentage of surveyed voters who viewed Hillary unfavorably was an even worse number for her -- 47%, compared to Rudy's 38%. His favorable rating was 54%; hers, 48%.

The same survey found Fred Thompson in a statistical dead heat with Clinton, 44% versus 43%. The poll apparently did not study the match-up between Mitt Romney and Clinton or between a Republican and any of the other Democratic contenders.

Hillary Clinton's latest poll numbers in Kentucky are less than the highest percentage that Bill Clinton achieved in the Commonwealth -- 45.84%, in the 1996 election. (In 1992, Clinton received 44.55%.) For Democrats who are still spinning Steve Beshear's victory last week, the sober fact remains that not a single Democratic presidential nominee has garnered more than 50% of Kentucky voters in a general election since the days of Jimmy Carter.

Please note: The postings of "G. Morris", written by John K. Bush and which end in 2016, stated his views as of the dates of posting and should not be understood as current assertions of his views. The postings, which have not been altered since they came to an end, remain on this blog to preserve the historical record. In 2017, Mr. Bush took a position that precludes further public political comments or endorsements. He will no longer be contributing to this blog.