Is Obama The Right Candidate?

The New York Times has listed the top search terms used most for the presidential candidates. This tally tells one what the topics users were most interested in. The top search terms used by views for McCain are health care, environment, oil prices, education, global warming; For Obama it was abortion, education, global warming , heath care, and immigration.

Talking heads are still resurrecting Hillary as a possible veep for Obama. After all she did carry half the Democrat votes and half the delegates, especially in non caucus states. The recent article in Vanity Fair argues that Hillary lost because her major advisor, Mark Penn, tried to turn her into a tough talking male type and avoid the softer woman's image. The article by Gail Sheedy also makes a case that Bill was totally off the reservation, with disastrous results after South Carolina.

Poor John McCain does his thing with a trip to the nation of Columbia, and the major story there is the release of the long held hostages. Appearing with Joe Lieberman later, he looked very old.

Obama must be convinced that he has the liberal vote locked up. In the last several weeks, he has so turned to the right that one can't figure out what is happening to the campaign. He promised a new poltics, but we are getting the old Bill Clinton-Dick Morris trangulation where the Democrats take conservative positions. As Harry Truman once said if the Amerian people have a choice between the Republicans and Democrats who talk like Republicans they will choose the real thing.

That Sad Face Couldn't Get Thompson a Presidency

David Brooks of the New York Times has highlighted the work of Alexander Todorov of the Woodrow WIlson School at Princeton University who shows that rapid judgments of competence based solely on the facial appearance of candidates is responsible for the outcomes of gubernatorial elections senate and house about 70% of the time. Such rapid inferences influence voting choices. Tough news for those of us in public policy and political science.

Fred Thompson dropped out. After being hailed as another Reagan, he ended not with a bang but with a whimper. He was so tired looking that his debates and speeches were better than Ambien.

What this proves is that one must almost maniacally want to be president, which may not be good for the republic in the long run.

New Hampshire: The Morning After

John McCain, war hero and maverick Republican senator, had been pronounced dead in his campaign for president. Now he has won a major victory in flinty New Hampshire overcoming Romney, Huckabee and Giulani. He has always run well in that state and he gave an impassionate and patriotic victory speech. Meanwhile. Hillary Clinton also overcame the pundits and talking heads and beat Obama. She apparently drew large numbers of women, a group that had somewhat deserted her in Iowa, and carried the large working class cities of Nashua and Manchester. As the nation slips into recession, the bread and butter Democrats are more likely to turn out over the inspirational Democrats. Clinton is the only major Democrat in the Michigan campaign; McCain and Romney will have a major battle there.

What the Iowa Results Mean for the Candidates

Iowa voters chose Governor Huckabee and Senator Obama in their caucuses tonight. In defeating Governor Romney, Huckabee won very substantial numbers of Republican fundamentalist Christians. Obama's victory was due to strong support of young Democratic voters in a state where the young are leaving in droves.

Now what is in store in New Hampshire? Senator McCain has resurrected his campaign and looks strong in the Granite State. Can Romney afford to lose there too? He will not carry South Carolina. Hillary has a strong national organization and lots of money, but the myth of invincibility is gone. In Iowa, at least people of both parties voted for change over alleged experience.

A Military Man For Vice President

For either Hillary or Obama, General Wesley Clark would make a good vice president candidate. A former career officer who ran for president, Clark would add to either ticket a miltiary and security dimension and also an aspect of international relations due his record in Bosnia.

Neither Clinton nor Obama has the credentials to face the increasingly difficult morale issues among the brass since the catastrophes of Don Rumsfeld. Neither has the credentials as logistical planners capable of removing the USA from Iraq's sesspool

Corzine Headed for the Treasury?

New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine's friends are saying that his early support for Hillary will land him a cabinet post like Treasury or the FED.

For some reason this month's Atlantic magazine has decided to prop up Obama in its newest issue. Still he comes off as an imperious young candidate who is stand offish in private conversation and yet is compelling on the stump as he was in the recent Jefferson Jackson Day dinner.

When in Arkansas...

Former co head of the 9-11 investigatory committee, Governor Thomas Kean, is supporting Senator John McCain for president. It may be that he knows how unprepared New York City was before 9-11 and under Rudy.

For two weeks Obama lacerated Hillary for her evasive answer on the issue of driver's licenses for illegal immigrants. Then he was asked the same question and he goes into a Daffy Duck routine.

Mike Huckabee insisted that he was one of the people; then it was found out he was a big present getter when he left the governorship. Mike argued that he was following the norms of Arkansas. Why couldn't Bill use that argument for his transgressions?

Obama Sinking In Hillary's Wake

It looks like Barak Obama is tanking faster than Ellen DeGeneris' tearful dog adoption show. Why did a man of such charisma and promise sink? Some will say that it is because Hillary has a tremendous organization, but she also has a high set of negatives. Still, Hillary comes across as rather informed on the public policy issues before the nation. You see? Ideas still matter. Her well thought out medical care proposal won plaudits, especially in her party and among many voters concerned about costs. Yet, her proposal was very similar to John Edwards' earlier proposal which no one read. And one cannot see what Obama believes about universal medical costs; he seems preoccupied with criticizing her record on voting to give the president powers to go into Iraq. Ok, you have made the point, get on with running a campaign that is meaningful to more people.