New Hampshire

Sports fans across the country stayed up to watch the LSU Tigers deny the Ohio State Buckeyes the national title (OSU also made it to the Championship game last year only to lose to Florida). While a large number of us were debating the BCS system and LSU's two losses this season... the political machine in New Hampshire was entering its fourth quarter. At midnight the first votes were cast, and this very important and historic primary officially began.

There are many assumptions of how today is going to turn out, but a couple things seem clear... Obama is likely to increase his shot at the Democratic nomination, while the Republican field continues to be wide open (contrary to media portrayals).

This whole dance is interesting if a bit disturbing.

Hillary teared up yesterday as she expressed her "heartfelt" desire to protect the country with her ideas of socialism. We always knew when Bill was being fake, he'd bite that bottom lip... but Hillary is a bit more varied. Sometimes she'll act like its her lone fight against the evil Republicans, sometimes she'll change her accent to placate an audience, and now she'll feign tears to get the vote. If the nomination doesn't work out at least we know she'll fit right in with her actor friends in Hollywood.

Watching Hillary doesn't stop being amusing there. She apparently lost her mantle as the heir-apparent, at least with the media who have been comparing Barack Obama with John F. Kennedy and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (insert audio track: I knew Jack Kennedy, Jack Kennedy was a friend of mine, You Sir are no Jack Kennedy) The Clinton Campaign hasn't taken that lightly and has began attacking against the crowning of OBama by the media and these larger than life comparisons.

Hillary watching isn't the only thing that is a bit interesting and unsettling as of late. Just consider the coverage of the GOP field. The media (Fox News included) seem to act like the race is almost over yet by every poll the only thing certain is that the field is wide open. Fred Thompson had a better showing than anticipated in Iowa yet he is completely dismissed. He also had delegates in Wyoming which some of the "front runners" did not... but where is the coverage of that? Huckabee is still high in almost every poll, yet his winning of the Iowa Caucus is treated as more of a fluke than a victory. Romney is fighting for his life... the media seem to get this right... but considering how no one has swooped in to take clear front-runner status... I don't believe his fight is over. McCain was all but counted out a few months back and now the media is trying to give the crown back to him. And Giuliani, virtually invisible as of late, is promising a strong showing in Florida and other Super-Tuesday states. Ladies and Gentlemen, the field is WIDE OPEN, don't let the media dictate otherwise. Polls, pundants, and the resulting groupthink should not dictate who the GOP nominee is. Policies, character and results should.

Ahhh... it should be an interesting day... this thing is only just beginning.

Significant Event?

At least once every five minutes some commentator mentions how significant it is for a black man to win the Iowa Caucus for the democrats. And that's on Fox News.

It is historic, but how significant is it really? Maybe its the perception of my red state glasses, but before you crown him king for such a monumental feat shouldn't the accomplishment be weighed against the competition? Yes an African American man has won the first caucus of the 2008 election, but against who? A former first-lady who is loathed at an almost 3 to 1 margin and claims her experience as wife makes her the perfect Commander-in-Chief, and a former ambulance chasing trial lawyer with a $400 haircut.

Maybe my disgust for Hillary and Edwards is blinding me from seeing the real achievement?

I don't want to discredit Obama at all, but he didn't win an open race on his own. Obama was propelled by an anti-Hillary sentiment and the lack of an alternative choice. To put it plainly, in an open field in a general election, I don't believe Obama gets more than a third of the Iowa vote.

Congratulations to Barack Obama on the win. There is no question that we have come far as a nation when a black man is probably the front runner for the democratic nomination. I think its great, but lets not make more out of it than it is. When he racks up three or four more primaries (which he probably will) then it will be a significant statement. If he get the nomination it will be an even greater statement. And if he wins the election, it would be a clear signal that broadscale racism is virtually dead. But the whole horse race is left, we've only just cleared the gates.

The Man Can Give A Speech.

Congrats to Barack Obama tonight. I just watched his victory speech, and I've got to give it to him, he can deliver a speech and carry an audience. I know its easier when you've won... but I was much more impressed with Obama's speech than tonight's other winner, Mike Huckabee. Granted I didn't agree with anything Obama said, but as an orator and politician, he does have something special.

Stevie Wonder's "Signed, Sealed, Delivered" as a closing song? Nice touch.

Iowa Results & Clinton Reality Distortion

I worked from the laptop while taking in the Iowa results from my periphery. The Huckabee win is not a surprise, but the margin might be. Same goes for Obama's win for the donkeys. I'm also not surprised by Fred Thompson's third (or maybe fourth) place finish... that's been expected for a while. The only thing that did surprise me tonight was something that also shouldn't have. Hillary's post-caucus speech was just another moment of the Clinton-Cameleon effect... something her husband perfected in the White House. When you've been beaten, take on the mantle of the victor, claiming the cause and the win as your own. Her husband was a master of that, and she certainly can claim she learned that from him, even if her other "experience" is questionable. It does sit a bit disingenuous when someone claims experience and 35 years of politics (yes that is the number she used) yet claims to be the agent of change. But whatever, the Clintons continue to live in their own private reality.

And So It Begins... The Choice is Clear.

If you are a political junkie, your adrenaline has been ratcheted up a notch and you probably found a way to watch the news at your desk. If you are like me, you've recently moved away from your desk, because the tv mounted to the wall is too distracting. I can't exactly remove it, so I might as well remove me (or so the theory goes).

In a time where my industry is less than pleasant, politics generally provides a welcome diversion. Diversions don't pay the bills. So while I'll rant for a bit here, I can't exactly give up the day job.

And now that Iowa is upon us, I've finally made a choice. Not a bit too soon either (I should have made it some time ago honestly). Fred Thompson is my guy, no question. If you have been keeping score, I've been waffling between Fred and Mike Huckabee for months. As a Christian, when I look at America today I can't help but lean towards the Southern Baptist minister whose monologues remind me of one of those invigorating Sundays in church. When a fire & brimstone sermon is moving, challenging, and a bit funny... you know its a good afternoon. But once you get past Huckabee's Christian foundation, what's left? Sadly, something a bit too liberal to coincide with my Christian Conservative convictions.

You see, we agree on abortion and most social issues. But time and time again, Governor Huckabee walks a fine line between Christian Values and Liberal Propaganda. And on Meet the Press this weekend he seemed to want to placate and play politics a bit more than he wanted to stand fast in his beliefs. I found myself yelling at the TV... and while he didn't fully back down from his beliefs, he did seem to side step a bit. That's not what I want in my pastor and its not what I want in my President.

Only one man has been consistent on message and has said what needed to be said, politics be damned. Is it odd that the man who has proven to be true to his convictions is the actor and not the pastor in the race? To me that's very telling.

I like Governor Huckabee. And while I'd enjoy having a glass of sweet tea and discussing the news with him, he is not the consistent conservative voice that can lead us forward. That man is Fred Thompson.

Fred doesn't back down from a fight, doesn't placate voters or change his message based on his audience. Fred doesn't take cheap political shots by showing an attack ad that he's decided not to run. His accent doesn't change based on his audience and his policies don't change based on polls. Fred Thompson is the one man in the race who can take on the tough issues, cut the fat in Washington, and bring us into a better tomorrow while making us stronger in the process. From illegal immigration to taxes and national security, Fred has the most detailed and best conceived plans and he put them out in a time when everyone else just had platitudes and sound bytes.

Strong. Consistent. Conservative. The answer is clear. Fred Thompson is the best choice for America.

Fred Thompson's Message To Iowa

I'm not sure how you can be a conservative and not vote for this guy. I would be. Based on the polls, an Iowa victory might be a long shot, but its not too late for a good showing. If the embedded video below doesn't show up, click here to watch the video.