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On January 3 is the Iowa Caucuses; January 8 is the New Hampshire Primary. I wrote earlier that I would endorse Presidential candidates for the primary and guess what? Here we are. To help your own decision, take this quiz.
Since I believe in the two party system (unlike the folks at CNN, HuffPo or Daily Kos), I will endorse one Republican and one Democrat (even though I vote February 5 in the Republican California Primary). I hope all Blogs follow suit. It's lazy just to pick your own side, but also be positive about the opposition too as the race gets heated.
First, the Democrat side. As I mentioned here, I distrust Hillary Clinton. She goes after personal attacks when policy would do fine. She hasn't said anything on what she will do with the Presidency. And can someone name me one bill she passed in the Senate?
In my posts, I bring up issues that I hope would be expressed and taken up; Surprisingly, one Democratic candiates camapign read my post on American Exceptionalism (The GOP believes in it, Democrats don't). I was happily surprised to hear Senator Obama talking about the subject in terms I would use. Here is his speech in April 2007 in front of the Chicago Council on Foreign Affairs. His attacks against President Bush do not sound like he believes it; He understands you have to cross party lines to get work done (unlike some Speakers and Senate Majority Leaders of the 110th Congress I could name).
The Valley endorses Senator Obama in the Democratic Primary.
Now, the moment you have been waiting for: The Republican Primary. I will go down the list and explain why I am not voting for some of the others, and then why I have chosen my candidate.
Gov. Huckabee is the Clinton's candidates for the Republicans. In California, the Democrats interfered with the Republican primary in 2002. Why should we give them that power? And was it a coincidence that Newsweek and the New Yorker highlighted Huckabee three weeks before the Republican caucus' during the same week?
Rep. Ron Paul allies himself with isolationists and thinks we are in 1919 again. His supporters are off the GOP Reservation and are cheered on by the Democrats and Andrew Sullivan. Again, I don't want Democrats choosing my candidates.
Senator McCain is a great man; However, he created McCain-Feingold which limits grassroots supporters from getting involved in campaigns. Too often, he attacks other Republicans and is not a support in the Senate when things get tough. The purpose of the Primary is to have a handshake between grassroots and establishment; McCain disdains the grassroots. May he be the Secretary of Defense in the Republican Administration though.
Governor Romney seems to be the Establishment's candidate this year, as evidenced by Hugh Hewitt's backing. I don't dislike Romney because of his Mormonism (and religion is not something I would judge a candidate on anyway) but because he does not stand for anything. Anyone can Youtube what Romney said in his campaign against Senator Kennedy (as Tim Russert did this morning on Meet the Press) and see he holds contradictory views to what he believes today. If it's Tuesday, he believes something different than Monday. However, what worries me more is that he cannot respond to Democratic attacks quick enough; he would get devastated in the General.
I choose Mayor Giuliani for the Valley endorsement. On the political side, he can fight tooth and nail against a media that doesn't like Conservatives or Republicans; He takes the fights to the Democrats and gives no quarter.
On the policy, he took an ungovernable city and made it business and tourist friendly again. No one talks of crime in Times Square or gangs on the subways anymore. His tactics were tough, but against an enemy NGO that believes death is preferable to compromise (Sounds like the modern Democrats, I know), he could rally and fight. He kicked out Yassir Arafat from Lincoln center (even with his Nobel Prize) because of Arafat ordered the murder of Leon Klinghoffer. What Democrat ever stood up to an Arabic despot? And no Democrat should attack his personal life, since that argument was declared moot in the 1990's.
Giuliani's a good pick. I think he's my second choice, although he lost a little respect with his recent campaign fumbles.
ReplyDeleteYou're magnanimous to endorse a Democrat. I'd endorse Hillary too, if I was voting on that side. I think she's qualified, and I've called on conservatives not to demonize her. Oppose them, but don't stoop to the dirt. I think running a respectable campaign is the way to go, but you know it's going to get nasty.
JSF, good choices. We like Obama for at least one of the same reasons. Bipartisanship is something that has been entirely nonexistant for too long (though I still think banning political parties themselves would be the quick fix to that problem). But please stop calling imperialism "exceptionalism." You're just trying to put a a dress on a pig and that's so undignified.
ReplyDeleteYour endorsement of Rudy is no surprise to me. You are a socially liberal New Yorker. While I find Rudy's authoritarianism to be an issue (as I do with Hillary and Bush), and I don't think he's play nicely with the legislative branch (like Bush), I am Italian-American and if we had to have another republican, it would be nice if he was a paisan. Plus an authoritarian social liberal would be better than an authoritarian social conservative. It's not like a twice divorced guy who has crossdressed on stage would have much leverage trying to tell us what we can watch, listen to or do with other consenting adults in our bedrooms.
So what the hell, our blogs have matching endorsements!
Of all the recent endorsements the most intriguing to me, is Senator Lieberman's endorsement of Senator McCain.
ReplyDeleteI wonder what effect the endorsement will have on the Independents.
Chess, if by intriguing you mean completely and entirely irrelevant, I agree 100%. The only effect that this endorsement has is in the blogosphere where people like me can sarcastically spew about it. In the grand scheme of things, barring some miracle McCain just doesn't have the political capital to matter anymore in these primaries and with Lieberman's track record, his endorsement will probably cost McCain a few more points.
ReplyDeletePerhaps, but I am an old man I have seen a number of darkhorses actually win.
ReplyDeleteFor example in 1990 Ann Richards was initally considered a darkhorse before winning the governorship of Texas. Likewise in 1994 President Bush was considered a darkhorse in his first gubenatorial campaign against then Governor Richards.