May 15, 2011

Mike Huckabee: Factors Say Go, Heart Says No

Local favorite for President, Mike Huckabee became the latest to drop out of the field for 2012.  After a lot of speculation from supporters, close insiders, and political analyst Mike cleared the air on Fox.  “All the factors say go, but my heart says no,” said Mike from his Fox show Saturday evening.  The end came after a reported ten emails went out saying he would make his decision known Saturday night.  Some hoped for Mike to make the announcement on live television much like a famous Republican California Governor did a few years back.  Sadly for supporters though the expected fanfare and “I like Mike” posters and stickers will have to go to the back burner for now.  What supporters can hope for now is that Mike is playing the “wait” card much like another Arkansas Governor did back in the 1980’s.  Many supporters wanted that governor to run against George Bush, Sr. in the late 1980’s.  That Arkansas Governor chose to wait and run when the odds were better for a win rather than take on a vice-president supported by Ronald Reagan, arguably the most popular President of the last century. 

There are still going to be those sitting on the sideline though scratching their heads and saying, “Why not run now?”  After all, the country is an economic disaster zone, there is a war on terror still going on, health care is a potential mess, the current President is not as popular as he once was among voters, and the growing Patriots,  and Tea Party groups do not support him.  It would appear that a Republican Presidential potential would have huge amounts of support to win the White House.  However, those wanting Mike to run forget a basic rule of politics, “Voters have a six month memory.”  It’s a fact and if you don’t believe it ask former President George Bush, Sr.   President Bush saw the fall of the Berlin Wall, the fall of Communism, and he oversaw one of the most successful war efforts since World War II with the Gulf War.  Those events all occurred early in President Bush’s term.  By the end of his term the economy was bad, gas prices were higher, and food prices were jumping out of the consumer’s grasp (remember the “how much does a loaf of bread cost” question?).  The end result was a successful President Bush became a one-term President.  Obama knows this.   Obama will do what the nation considers to be his best work during the last year of his term as President.  Voters will see this and they will not look back at the mess of health care and all the other things that Republicans, Tea Party Groups, and Patriot Groups have been yelling about since 2009.  For the American voters it will appear that Obama is doing a fine job by the time it is time to go and vote.  Obama knows this, but more importantly to the Republican supporters of Mike Huckabee, Mike also knows about this potential factor. 

Make no mistake about Mike.  He is still a future candidate for the Republican Party.  He will continue in the eyes of the nation on Fox News, he will continue to attack the radical, country destroying ideas of the Obama Administration, and he will watch.  When the time is right, and the nation is ready again, he can step up to the line and run, but he must run when he can win.  Running for President is a strategic battle that must be fought on a timely basis.  We need a Mike Huckabee in the White House.  We need him desperately, but he is no good to our nation if he runs against an Obama political machine backed by nearly a billion dollars, a television station (remember the 24-7 shows against McCain?), and a voter view of the past six months to only become another Republican casualty in 2012.  As for me, I’ll put my “I like Mike” signs up and wait with Mike.

May 1, 2011

President Bush comments on Bin Laden 5-1-11

Earlier this evening, President Obama called to inform me that American forces killed Osama bin Laden, the leader of the al Qaeda network that attacked America on September 11, 2001.  I congratulated him and the men and women of our military and intelligence communities who devoted their lives to this mission.  They have our everlasting gratitude.  This momentous achievement marks a victory for America, for people who seek peace around the world, and for all those who lost loved ones on September 11, 2001.  The fight against terror goes on, but tonight America has sent an unmistakable message:  No matter how long it takes, justice will be done.