The past year we have all read and listened to media pundits telling us which candidates were likely to be the front runners.


As the primaries begin to loom large, voters in both parties have begun analyzing positions and listening to speeches and debates. Not surprisingly, the "front runners" have begun to drop in the polls in the primary states. Clinton and Giuliani had been the chosen ones. Things are becoming murky.


The leftist media elites have continued to cling to their misplaced and delusional nostalgia about the Clinton glory days, ignoring the fact that voters may have different memories. HRod hoped the country would repress the memories of her standing by her philandering husband and blaming conservatives for the "lies" that were distracting him from doing his job. (Oh, if only he had worried more about his job and less about...) She hoped they would forget about her health care debacle, her luck with investments and even her inability to find papers that were sitting on her coffee table. She hopes the voters are stupid.


These same media elites would prefer a President Giuliani to a President Romney, or President Huckabee or a President McCain. For months, Huckabee and Romney couldn't get play from the major national media. It was Giuliani, Giuliani, Giuliani... If you were a Democrat, which Republican candidate most reflects your positions? Probably a pro gun control, pro-choice Giuliani. Now, as voters pay attention to their local primaries, things are finally getting interesting. Giuliani has been put on a pedestal by the media for obvious reasons. While he handled September 11th wonderfully, and clearly shows great leadership, he is not the typical conservative. His moderate views play better to moderates and liberals than to conservatives.

The media elites hope to influence the Republican process to pick a nominee. Anyone who watched the YouTube debates should be aware of this truth. The old media has more influence in a macro world than in the micro world. Primaries bring it all home.


Conservative voters need to be cautious of the subtle manipulation attempted by the press on the candidates. Huckabee has some interesting positions but has some red flags as well. His religious background attracts Evangelical Christians but will scare those on the left who fear religion in government. His training as a minister creates a serious campaign issue, particularly if he ultimately captures the nomination. Huckabee must address the fears and distortions of his record as a minister in much the same way Romney has to address concerns about his embrace of Mormonism. Romneys speech was a start but there will be more questions to come if he continues to rise in the primary contests.

Has Huckabee's growing support been encouraged by the press because many on the left believe that he has no shot of winning the ultimate race? Is the real threat to liberals Romney? Has the press tried to shut down media coverage of Romney to limit the possibility he becomes the nominee?

On the Democratic side, the candidates are also struggling for the lead. HRod is actually less predictably liberal than Obama- which is why the Illinois Democrat is gaining in the polls. HRod and her hubby are always willing to compromise principles when it is politically expedient. The far lefties don't appreciate that. Also, HRod has a stern, yet whiny, edge that is not attractive to voters. Perhaps she should practice the Elvis-like smirk perfected by our former President. Any candidate who has higher negatives than positives has a pretty serious problem.

Additionally, if the former President continues to make appearances like the recent one on Charlie Rose, HRod will need to reevaluate his "help" and make some decisions about whether or not he can be kept on a short leash.


So while HRod watches her ship begin to sink, her anger rises. Obama should watch out: things will get ugly if he becomes much more popular.


Sadly, for Democrats, their bench is not full of talent. Obama may be interesting, but his resume hardly seems Presidential:

• He was a community organizer in the mid 80s



• He graduated from law school in 1991 and practiced as a civil rights attorney for a couple of years



• He spent eight years in the Illinois state Senate



• He has been a U.S. Senator for almost 3 years (at least 2 of those years he has been busier campaigning than he has been working for the people of Illinois.)

Wow! It's no wonder he has maintained his youthful exuberance!

At the risk of being vilified for noting that fact that people seem afraid to mention: If he were a White guy running with his background he would have he would be laughed at and stopped at the door. If he were a White guy saying exactly the same things, doing the same things, would Oprah be standing behind him? Even if one supports Affirmative Action at some level, reasonable people should agree that the principles should NOT be applied to the most important position in the world.


After Obama, the Democrats are left with John Edwards, whose hair is great but ... Then there are the people who have been unlucky enough to share the debate stage because they needed to have warm bodies make things a little more interesting: Bill Richardson, Chris Dodd, Joe Biden, Dennis Kucinich and Mike Gravel. Of the candidates, Bill Richardson seems to be one of the most qualified of the pack but his politics are not left enough for the Democratic base. His positions seem all over the place but actually may verge on Libertarian. A smart Democrat would draw him in as VP to add credibility to the ticket and attract the valuable moderates in the middle.

The Democrats are faced with choosing between the corruption of the past rearing it's ugly head and the inexperience of a guy who has learned how to talk an interesting talk.

Conversely, as Republican voters start to examine the positions of the candidates, they are faced with several strong choices. The Republican bench has more depth and as a result the fight will be more interesting and possibly last longer. It could also be bloodier.

Here's hoping for decorum as these candidates moderate their positions in their quest to run the big race.