Nope. Y’all are doing fine all by yourselves.

Giuliani, McCain, Romney, Brownback, I’m just going to sit back and enjoy the show.

McCain is detested among most establishment Republicans, to no small degree because of this co-authoring of the McCain-Feingold election finance “reforms”, which, in comparing their purposes to their results, are starting to resemble the Volstead act of the early 20th century.

In addition, Senator already is far too old to be given credibility in a presential campaign. He was born in August 1936, when I was two years old. He will be 72 years old during the election late next year, and 76-1/2 years old when he finishes his term, if he does not die in office. All this would make him the most geriatric of all US presidents, I think, in a culture which has little or no use for the aged.

He also is known to have an all but uncontrollable and raging temper, which he has displayed on numerous occasions — some quasi-public. The obvious strategy that will be used against him at any debate by professional handlers who know their stuff and are heavily paid for it, will be to induce him to pop his cork on prime time television before a viewing audience of scores of millions of persons.

Any other bright ideas for the Republicans in this coming election?

Arnold Harris
Mount Horeb WI

I’d rather ask George W. Bush but it wouldn’t exactly prove your point.

As for Giuliani, I’m not sure McCain’s attack dogs have even begun to work on him yet. His nomination is not assured by any means. Before they’re done with him, people might actually believe he was flying one of the jets that hit the WTC on 9/11.

It’s Giuliani who may have peaked — his margin over McCain is already narrowing in the latest polls.

And if he does survive the primaries and gets the nomination, I’m not so sure he’ll run to the center — not if he wants the base vote. I used to think that voters would be turned off when they discover that RG was really a “crazy, mean, dangerous authoritarian” as mayor of New York. But, as Andrew Golis points out, this may be the very reason that Republicans give him the nomination. In other words, don’t be surprised if he dominates the the anti-Muslim niche in the Republican party.

Am I sure Hilary Clinton will be the Democratic Party nominee? No. But I do think Senator Barack Obama’s popularity is in the process of peaking. And part of that has been caused by the Clinton machine’s major connections in all parts of Demcrat World, and their willingness to play rough in campaigns that challenge them directly.

What about John Edwards? This man’s current status is that of a losing vice presidential nominee, from an election that will be four years old next year. He gave up his US Senate seat to pursue the vice presidency. How many people remembered Jack Kemp, Dan Lloyd Bentsen, Geraldine Ferraro, Sargent Shriver, Thomas Eagleton, Edwin Muskie or William Miller?

The presidential elections are the biggest league of all, and they are totally unforgiving for losers. Besides, Cheney, a careful, well prepared and dryly didactic debater, made Edwards sound like some BillyJoeBob from the backwoods during the vice presidential campaign debate in the summer of 2004. At one point, Edwards was reduced to making whooping hoo-hahs while Cheney was talking, and I am certain these were recorded on the videotapes for posterity, and that the Clintonistas will put them to appropriate use if Edwards’ presidential run seems threatening. Act like an idiot even for a second while on television, and it follows you to the grave. As Howard Dean.

Arnold Harris
Mount Horeb WI

It looks to me like McCain is trying as hard as he can to be the electable “conservative” candidate, and I don’t think he will have much hope when it comes to picking up left leaning voters. His ardent support for the War effort disqualifies him on that front.

And good God Ron, do you ever sleep?!

What I find stupendous however, is that both Rudy and McCain are frontrunners for the Republican nomination. The idea of having two practical and intelligent Republicans dueling for the nomination was something I feared had been discarded in the last few years.