Attacks on Palin Blamed on Obama

The MSM, liberal bloggers and Obama campaign continue to hit Governor Palin hard and tonight we'll see how well she can take a punch. I suspect she can take one quite well ... and will fire off a few of her own.

I'm not surprised at how vicious the attacks have been on Governor Palin. And as the days go by it is becoming more and more clear the source of the attacks. It is clearly the work of the Obama campaign surrogates. Did anybody see Campbell Brown's interview with Tucker Bounds Monday night? Brown's bias toward Obama leaped through the television screen into every home that watched. CNN -- and especially Campbell Brown -- are clearly in Obama's corner.

Brown asked Tucker Bounds to name an accomplishment of Governor Palin. Has Brown ever asked the Obama campaign to name one of his accomplishments? I'm sure she hasn't because she knows that Obama can't name one accomplishment of his "experience" in the Illinois state lesgilature or during his short tenure in the U.S. Senate. The MSM -- including CNN and Campbell Brown -- will never ask the tough questions of Obama.

Last night I watched Fred Thompson's speech on Fox and then switched over to see the coverage on other networks. MSNBC wasn't even broadcasting Fred's speech! That speaks volumes about the media bias in this election. Despite this overt attempt to keep Fred out of many Americans' living rooms, I do hope millions of Americans heard Fred's question: Who can we trust with the presidency? The events of the last week make the answer to that question abundantly clear.

While Governor Palin is the frontline of the attacks, the target really is mine and your values. The Obama campaign -- with the help of the MSM and liberal bloggers -- are attacking heartland values. And I think this attempt to assasinate Governor Palin's character in this first week after she was announced will backfire on the Obama campaign.

All across America there are millions of families who either have dealt with a teenage pregnancy, have relatives who have dealt with one or know friends who have dealt with one. Those families -- and voters -- will not appreciate what the Obama campaign is trying to do to Governor Palin and her family. It will turn them off, and at the same time will feed the energy of the conservative, religious base of the republican party. In the last 5 days I've seen more energy and excitement from friends and family about the election than I have since the primaries began. They're mad about these attacks on Governor Palin and her family, and their anger is directed at the Obama campaign.

There's nothing new about the MSM being in the tank for the Obama campaign, but it certainly has taken on a new dimension in recent days. And the result will be an uprising by the conservative grassroots that the Obama campaign cannot withstand.

Jerome

Time for Evangelicals to Rally

I've been astounded at the attacks by the democrats, the liberal media and the Obama campaign on Governor Palin. It has been overly distasteful but quite revealing. They have sunk to a new low. I trust the American people will see their efforts for what they are -- attacks on family values and the character of a truly great woman. Why are they attacking Governor Palin so viciously? Because they are scared of her.

Governor Palin was announced as John McCain's running mate Friday and in the span of three days the democrats, liberal MSM and Obama campaign have jumped on Governor Palin with both feet with: (1) a claim that her down syndrome child (Trig) is not hers but her daughter's; (2) her husband received a DUI 22 years ago; (3) Governor Palin committed a misdemeanor some years ago by fishing with a gillnet without a license or permit; (4) her daughter is pregnant out of wedlock; and (5) she lacks the experience to be vice president.

Come on! Is this the best they can do? Oh the horror if this woman becomes vice president!

This is laughable. Is there anybody out there who really believes that Governor Palin faked a pregnancy to cover for her daughter's pregnancy? Seriously. And those of you with medical backgrounds help me out. Isn't it more likely that an older woman will have a downs baby than a teenager?

Does the Obama campaign really want to debate the experience issue? I wish the McCain campaign would challenge the Obama campaign to have Governor Palin debate Joe Biden more than once and for her to debate Barack Obama. I suspect she'd eat Obama's lunch. And while they're at it, how about Governor Palin against Obama and/or Biden in a marksmanship contest, a fishing contest, basketball one-on-one and a bible drill!

The liberal media doesn't care to report about Obama's connections with Bill Ayers, ACORN and many other fringe organizations. Or the fact that Joe Biden spends more money on AmTrak tickets than most people earn in a year. If you get a chance, pick up a copy of David Freddeso's book, The Case Against Barack Obama. Freddeso really covers ground that the MSM refuses to cover.

What I like about Governor Palin is that she appears genuine and authentic. Her family faces the same problems and issues that I see regular, every day people face. There is no pretense with her. Unlike the Obama campaign which is just one big shell game.

It is time for evangelicals to rally to the McCain campaign and Governor Palin. They deserve and need our support. It is time for evangelicals to get excited about the prospects of a McCain - Palin administration rather than fearing an Obama - Biden one. So let's get going.

Jerome

Sarah Palin for VP

I haven't been interested in posting to this blog in quite some time because the presidential race hadn't been exciting. With the most liberal senator in the senate running against a moderate republican, there wasn't much about which evangelicals could be excited. But the selection today by John McCain of Sarah Palin as his running mate changed that.

We are living in very historic times. We are watching history unfold before our eyes. Sure Geraldine Ferraro ran on Walter Mondale's ticket in 1984, but they had no chance of winning. Mondale's selection of Ferraro was viewed by many as a "hail mary". But in less than 24 hours we have seen two historical events. Barack Obama's nomination was historic but also is McCain's selection of Sarah Palin. In November we will either have the first African American as president or the first woman as vice president. Hopefully the latter.

And if you follow that out over the next 4 or 8 years, Sarah Palin could very well be the republican nominee for president in either 2012 (if John McCain only serves one term) or 2016. Wouldn't it be great for the first woman president to be a republican?

By all accounts, Sarah Palin should excite the social conservative base of the republican party. Already many religious leaders like Richard Land, James Dobson, Tony Perkins and Mat Staver are singing her praises.

McCain Palin 2008!! Time for evangelicals to get on board!

Jerome

History Made in Madison County

We're watching history being made in Madison County. The filing deadline was yesterday for the county mayor's race and only Jimmy Harris and Don McLeary filed petitions. Both men are running in the republican primary in February. Jimmy Harris was appointed mayor effective July 1, 2007, making him the first republican to ever hold the office. But with Harris and McLeary running in the republican primary, and no other candidates, one of these men will be the first republican elected to hold the office of Madison County Mayor. That will be history.

Jerome

What is Driving the Huckabee Surge?

The short answer is "social conservatives". But is there a longer answer? Mike Huckabee has little if any money and certainly doesn't have the infrastructure in Iowa that Mitt Romney has. So how is he getting his message out?

This Washington Post article implies that there is a grassroots network of "pastors, parents who home-school their children, and other Christian conservatives." It appears that there is a broad based support among social conservatives in Iowa for Huckabee. Even Tim LeHaye, co-author of the popular Left Behind series of books is making campaign appearances with Huckabee.

Huckabee has also tapped into the network of Christians that was compiled by Redeem The Vote. RTV has an impressive list of 71,000,000 names and e-mail addresses of Christian voters. 71,000,000! And even though RTV offered access to the list to all candidates -- democrat and republican alike -- only Huckabee took them up on it. And it appears to be paying off for him in Iowa.

Huckabee has recently condemned the push polling by an organization called Trust Huckabee, stating that it doesn't represent what his campaign is about. And the Weekly Standard's Dean Barnett admits that he underestimated Huckabee. Even Grover Norquist of Americans for Tax Reform seems to have softened to Huckabee.

But can Huckabee's momentum last? Assuming he performs well in Iowa (finishes first or second), New Hampshire is a much bigger test. And Huckabee's position on social issues important to evangelical voters won't play as well there as it has in Iowa. Then there is Michigan and Nevada. But after that is South Carolina and Florida. If Huckabee looses his footing in New Hampshire, he very well could regain it in South Carolina before the Super Tuesday primaries on February 5.

A few days ago we were talking about a Giuliani-Huckabee ticket. But will there soon be talk of a ticket with Huckabee on top?

Jerome

Polling Started in Madison County Mayor's Race

I received a call tonight from a polling company that asked questions about the Madison County Mayor's race. I was interested to learn that one of the candidates is spending money on polling. My best guess -- and after talking to a reliable source -- is that the Jimmy Harris campaign may be the one polling. My source doubts that Don McLeary's campaign has enough money to be spending on polling. The pollster even mixed in a few presidential campaign questions for good measure.

The Madison County Mayor's race is an important one and will likely be decided in the republican primary. The qualifying deadline for all candidates for the mayor's office is December 13. So far only McLeary and Harris have picked up petitions. No democrats and no independents. If that holds true, then we will know who the next mayor will be in February even though the general election isn't until August.

I haven't found anyone -- republican or democrat -- who understands Don McLeary's thought process or strategy for jumping into this race. Earlier I opined that McLeary's strategy could only be for democrats and independents to vote in the republican primary in February. After talking to some democrat friends I'm convinced that this scenario won't happen. Most local democrats are mad at McLeary for switching parties and won't lift a finger to help him. In fact, I heard from a reliable source that some democrat lawyers in town called a republican lawyer and asked what they could do to help Harris beat McLeary. Interesting.

So if the crossover vote isn't going to happen, what is McLeary's strategy? Could he be hanging his hat on name recognition only? Is he hoping that republicans who aren't hard core party members will vote in the republican presidential primary; then see his name on the ballot for mayor and pull the lever for him because they recognize his name? Surely that isn't his strategy but what else could it be?

And what will McLeary do if he looses? There is no way the leadership of the local republican party will get behind him in any other race in the future after he's challenged Jimmy Harris. If he looses this race, then I suspect McLeary will be finished in local republican politics.

Jerome

Madison County Mayor Primary Contest

An interesting development has occurred in Madison County regarding the county mayor's office. Earlier this year Jimmy Harris was appointed county mayor when the previous mayor was elected mayor of the City of Jackson. Harris became the first republican to hold the office of Madison County Mayor in the history of the county. Harris has been business partners with the grandfather of the Madison County republican party, Jimmy Wallace.

Now comes word that Don McLeary will challenge Harris in the republican primary on February 5, 2008, which coincides with the presidential primary. You remember Don McLeary, right? He ran as a democrat and defeated long time republican state senator Bobby Carter. Then he switched parties and ran as a republican in 2006, losing to the democratic challenger, Lowe Finney.

What is McLeary's strategy for running against Jimmy Harris for this seat? Harris will certainly have the backing of Jimmy Wallace (close personal friend of Fred Thompson, by the way) and the republican establishment. Harris says that Lt. Governor Ron Ramsey will be in town in December to campaign for him. So if McLeary can't expect the backing of the republican base, who does he expect will vote for him? The only possible scenario I see is that he hopes for a lot of democrats and independents to vote in the presidential primary election, pick up a republican presidential ballot rather than a democratic one and vote for him. (Word on the street is that some democrats/independents have solicited McLeary to run but no concrete proof of this has surfaced yet.) If that is the strategy, I'm not sure I follow the logic. If the democratic presidential primary is still close after Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina, won't the local democrats want to vote in the democratic presidential primary? If they do, then they can't vote in the local republican mayoral primary. And with Fred Thompson on the republican presidential primary ballot, won't a lot of republicans go to the polls to vote for him -- and vote for Jimmy Harris? It would not surprise me in the least that if Fred Thompson makes a campaign stop in Jackson between now and the primary that he has Jimmy Harris on the stage with him and encourages voters to support Harris.

Certainly McLeary can't run as a democrat or independent in the August, 2008, general election because he will loose all credibility having already switched parties one time.

It is an intriguing development in the local mayor's race and it will be interesting to see how the dynamics play out. And if McLeary looses I suspect he won't find the backing of the local republican establishment in any future races.

UPDATE: After I posted on this subject, an anonymous source told me that republican state senator Bobby Carter tried to recruit Don McLeary to run as a republican in 2002 for the state senate and that Bobby Carter would have stepped aside and supported McLeary. Instead, McLeary opted to run as a democrat. So the chronology of McLeary's involvement with the local republican party since 2002 is: (1) Refused Bobby Carter's overture to run for state senate as a republican; (2) ran as a democrat for state senate and defeated an ailing Bobby Carter; (3) switched parties and ran as a republican in his re-election campaign, loosing to Lowe Finney; and (4) Is now running in republican primary for county mayor against Jimmy Harris who supported McLeary in 2006 in his state senate re-election campaign. Also, there are some who believe that unless and until McLeary actual files his petition to run in the republican primary that he may actually file to run as an independent or democrat. This theory is based on who is recruiting McLeary to run, per my source.

Jerome

What Will Be Impact of NRLC Endorsement?

There will be many articles and blog posts today and tomorrow about what impact the NRLC endorsement might have on the Fred Thompson campaign. David Fredoso has a pretty good piece on National Review Online where he interviews some people from Iowa. They basically say they'd like to see the reasoning behind the NRLC endorsement before they line up behind Thompson.

I pointed out in my earlier post the rationale contained in the NRLC press release, but is there something we're missing? Why did NRLC issue its endorsement now? Was it to sway voters away from Giuliani and toward Thompson? I don't think so. Giuliani is running in fourth place in Iowa and has basically written off the Iowa caucuses. So Thompson doesn't need the NRLC's endorsement to beat Giuliani in Iowa. What about Romney? Could be. Romney's pre-presidential campaign conversion on the abortion issue has pursuaded some evangelicals and pro-lifers to follow him but not many. Most still can't get past Romney's faith. I think the real reason for the NRLC endorsement and the timing of it has to do with Mike Huckabee. Huckabee has been making great strides in recent days mainly because of his showing at the Value Voters meeting in D.C. A strong showing in Iowa -- primarily among evangelicals and the pro-life community -- would give Huckabee tremendous momentum going into New Hampshire and South Carolina. So Thompson needs to finish ahead of Huckabee in Iowa to keep Huckabee from taking the momentum from there and beating Thompson in South Carolina. And that's what I think is the reasoning and timing behind the NRLC endorsement. Thompson needs the bump to finish ahead of Huckabee in Iowa and NRLC is trying to deliver that for him.

Jerome

Mike Huckabee Moving Up

Mike Huckabee continues to move up not only in political polls but also on Technorati. Technorati maintains most popular lists and "Mike Huckabee" is the 7th most popular search phrase. Click on Huckabee's name and you can see numerous blog entries about Mike Huckabee.

Huckabee is now polling at 7.7% in the Real Clear Politics Average and his best showing is 12% in the Rasmussen poll. Back in the summer, Huckabee was polling at 2% or 3%. Guiliani still leads with Thompson second, McCain, Romney and Huckabee in fifth place. The Iowa caucuses are only about 2 months away and a strong showing there could really propel Huckabee into the top tier.

The media (even international media) continues to report that Fred Thompson's campaign is uninspiring. It will be interesting to see if Thompson's campaign gains some traction in the next few weeks ahead of the Iowa caucuses. I hope he does.

Jerome

Thompson Closing in on Guiliani

New poll numbers are out and the soon-to-be-candidate Fred Thompson is closing in on Guiliani's lead. Here are some numbers. Rasmussen has Thompson in a tie with Guiliani. These poll numbers has Thompson in second place among the GOP field.

George Will asks whether Fred Thompson's bubble will burst like the dot come craze of the 1990's. Is Thompson all charm and no substance?

Then there is this recurring question of whether Guiliani can win the nomination? In order to do so he'll have to win over the conservative Christians in the republican party.

And if John McCain's campaign is out of money, then will the republican primary come down to a horse race between the late starting Thompson campaign and the pro-choice campaign of Rudy Guiliani? So far it doesn't seem like and second tier candidates such as Mike Huckabee can gain any traction.

Jerome

Fred's In (Probably)

If you haven't already heard, the word on the street is that Fred Thompson is definitely running for president. He is expected to announce around the Fourth of July. Also, check out this article. There are several articles today on this topic. This blog questions whether Fred really wants it. Another article debates whether he will play well outside of the south. And still another discusses what other republican candidates a Thompson campaign will hurt (and this one does too). This recent buzz was generated as a result of a fundraising conference call Thompson had recently with large donors.

Frankly, I'm glad he's getting in. I think it will give some energy to the republican primary that is lacking so far, and if he wins the nomination I think he has the ability to beat any nominee the democrats put forward.

Jerome

Fred Thompson & Abortion

Many bloggers have already covered this ground but I also wanted to mention it here. When Fred Thompson announced on Chris Wallace's show that he was considering a run for the White House, he curtly answered "pro-life" when Wallace asked him his position on abortion. Since then, this video has been posted on YouTube, and this survey from Thompson's 1994 senate race was posted on Project Vote Smart.

If he decides to run (and indications are that he is leaning that direction), then Thompson will need to clearly and succintly clarify his position on abortion. Is he absolutely pro-life and opposed to abortion under any circumstances or does he believe there should be some exceptions? I think that it is clear he is not pro-choice as most would define that term. His voting record in the senate was completely pro-life. But I think that he will need to clarify his position for evangelicals and the religious right. The issue is important to many in the republican party even if they are not one issue voters.

Jerome

Will Abortion Issue Decide Primary?

Has the GOP become a one issue party? Some believe that and are warning against it. They say that although Rudy Guiliani is pro-choice the party should still nominate him for the White House in 2008. I disagree.

The republican party must not give up the pro-life plank in its platform. It is too important. We must faithfully support the santity of human life and that includes the battle against embryonic stem cell research as well as against abortion.

There are many articles today on what impact Guiliani's decision to solidify his pro-choice position will have on the republican primary. E.J. Dionne writes that Guiliani's position will challenge the pro-life republicans. Dionne says that if pro-lifers are serious, then they must oppose Guiliani the same as they did John Kerry. Jack Kelly says that he supports Guiliani because he believers Guiliani's leadership qualities trump his position on abortion. The New York Daily News editorial today says that Guiliani's position brings the republican party to a crossroads. Does it spurn Guiliani because of his position on abortion or does it embrace him because he is electable? Cal Thomas challenges Guiliani's position in his article today and suggests that the republican party can certainly win the White House in 2008 while nominating a pro-life candidate. It did so with Reagan, Bush I and Bush II.

And the battle continues on the front lines between abortion and pro-life activists. The Washington Times has a two-part story ending today on the battle among the two groups that will impact the 2008 race. Both sides realize that control of the White House leads to nominations to federal court benches (particularly the supreme court) which is really what the battle is all about.

I do hope that the republican party not only reaffirms its pro-life position but advances it.

Lastly, Jerry Falwell passed away today. He was one of the leaders in the religious right movement of the 1980's. He was vilified by some and revered by others. There's no doubt he spoke his mind and influenced many people. Whether you loved him or hated him, there is no questioning the fact that he had a huge impact on national politics over the last 25 years.

Jerome

Is He In or Not?

More Fred Thompson. The Weekly Standard has an interview with Fred Thompson that is really enlightening on several topics. One that is important to me is that Thompson affirmatively states that he is pro-life. There have been reports since Thompson's senate campaign years ago that he was pro-choice -- at least in some instances. He tries to clear that up in this piece. Also, Bill Frist is quoted as saying that the story about Thompson's lymphoma needed to get out early -- before Thompson announces that he's running.

It certainly sounds as though Thompson is running. Some firmly believe that he is not. While others are even more certain that he is. My best guess is that he is leaning toward running. I think he must announce before the end of June. He is way behind in fundraising and has a lot of ground to make up.

So while all of the republican candidates are swarming all over Iowa, Fred Thompson is sitting at his home outside of Washington waiting for just the right moment. We'll see when that is.

Jerome

Stem Cell Funding Headed for Another Veto

The senate today voted to authorize federal funding for stem cell research that would lead to -- either directly or indirectly -- the destruction of human embryos. The president is expected to veto it. I hope he does. If allowed to pass, the federal funding would result in the destruction of embryos for scientific purposes. It would result in the further disrespect of the sanctity of human life.

There are other promising scientific discoveries that should be pursued instead of embryonic stem cell research. Adult stem cells should be further researched as should the recent discovery of stem cells in amniotic fluid. I'm interested to see what Professor Robbie George will have to say about this most recent attempt by the democratic controlled senate.

I recently read an article about other stem cell research that would not promote the destruction of embryos. This research which some republicans seek to fund would allow research on embryos which scientist determine are not capable of surviving in the womb. This opens another interesting discussion -- and scientific avenue -- which must be considered instead of embryonic stem cell research.

The debate about embryonic stem cell research is an important one. It will (at least should) be an important part of the debate in the upcoming presidential election. If a democrat is elected president, and we still have a democratic controlled congress, then we certainly will see federally funded embryonic stem cell research. All the more reason to support (and elect) a conservative republican back to the White House.

Jerome

Richard Land Warms to Possible Thompson Candidacy

Much of the political news this week was about the fundraising by Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. Obama won the first round but they both raised a ton of cash. And cash is what it takes to run an effective campaign. Both should continue to be very formidable throughout the primary. John Edwards continues to hang around but Clinton and Obama will soon be chasing all other democratic candidates from the race.

In the midst of the reporting over the democratic fundraising, this article ran quietly. Richard Land, the president of the Southern Baptist Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, had positive comments to say about Fred Thompson. This is on the heels of James Dobson negative comments last week. Dr. Land had no praise for Rudy Guiliani or Newt Gingrich.

Also, this article brought Rudy Guiliani's liberal social views back to the forefront. As Dr. Land pointed out, most social conservatives will have trouble pulling the lever for Guiliani in the primary.

Senator Lamar Alexander was in Jackson today and spoke at a small gathering at the Old Country Store. The stop was part of his tour across the state announcing that he plans to seek reelection in 2008. Much of the talk in the room was also about a possible Fred Thompson campaign for the presidency.

The grassroots drive to draft Fred Thompson continues to grow. He must make a decision in the next couple of months, though. He is falling behind on fundraising -- although Thompson has the ability to raise money quickly. Mitt Romney had a huge first quarter in fundraising and it will take a lot for Thompson to catch-up to Romney in that area -- if he gets in -- given how late in the race it is. But from this poll that shows Thompson in third place in the republican field -- ahead of Romney -- you wouldn't know that Thompson isn't even in the race yet.

Jerome

Catching Up

I was out of town most of last week and have been catching up on some reading since I returned. There was an article in Friday's Wall Street Journal that, as a writer, interested me. It was written by Carl Bialik, The Numbers Guy, about online bestseller lists like Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble. The article certainly doesn't explain how the sales rankings, particularly Amazon, are created but it is interesting to read how those are manipulated.

The article quoted Rick Frishman who I heard at the Mega Book University earlier this month in Los Angeles. Frishman is a bestselling writer but also heads up the New York PR firm Ruder Finn. Frishman is connected with Mark Victor Hansen of Chicken Soup fame, and claims that for a mere $10,000-$15,000 he can get a book propelled to the on-line bestseller lists. Frishman, Hansen, Alex Mandossian, and the other marketing professionals I saw at Mega Book are certainly successful and I wouldn't discount anything they say. Obviously they are trying to make money but what they say about the publishing industry and marketing carries a tremendous amount of weight.

On a different front, I continue to be amazed and pleasantly surprised at the interest in a Fred Thompson presidential campaign. It has been over two weeks now since Thompson said he was considering a run, and he still garners more attention on the web and in the media than any of the republican candidates who have announced that they are running. Robert Novak mentioned Thompson in his article this week. One blog has had several posts about Thompson's position on abortion I haven't posted in over a week, but I still have hits on my site from people all over the country (and from some outside of the country) looking for information about Fred Thompson's positions on different issues and about his faith. It will still be several months before Thompson decides to run but he is already sucking air out of some of the other candidates campaigns.

Personally I hope Thompson gets in. It will make the republican primary interesting and if he wins, he will be tough to beat in the general election.

Jerome

Fred Thompson for President?

One former senator from Tennessee decided not to run for the White House but The Hill is reporting this morning that another former senator from Tennessee might be interested. And another former senator from Tennessee is lining up support. The story in The Hill is that former senate majority leader Howard Baker is on capital hill lining up support for a Fred Thompson campaign. Many of you remember that Thompson got his start by serving as the chief republican counsel on the Senate Watergate Committee in 1973. Later he successfully ran for the senate and later left public office. He is now an actor on the NBC show "Law & Order" where he plays the lead district attorney general.

Thompson's interest in the White House tells me that there are still a lot of republicans who are not satisfied with the current list of potential nominees. Howard Baker still commands a lot of influence. He successfully lead President Bush's legal team during the 2000 election recount in Florida. It will be interesting to see if Thompson jumps in.

On a different note, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is blogging this week about The Watchers by Mark Andrew Olsen. Please follow these links to read reviews and to find out more about Mark's book.

Jerome

Who Will Fill Conservative Void?

The question that many are asking so early in the 2008 presidential campaign is who will fill the conservative void? What Robert Novak and other pundits are asking is who is the real conservative who will step to the front of the republican candidates? The consensus is that so far there isn't one. John McCain or Rudy Guiliani can't fill the void although Guiliani plans meet with some conservative leaders tomorrow. Mitt Romney is certainly trying to secure the conservative base into his camp.

I've mentioned Mike Huckabee often as a potential candidate who could secure at least the social conservative votes. Some are trying to solicit him to run for the U.S. Senate rather than the White House. Another name that I ran across yesterday but had completely forgotten about is Jim Gilmore. I don't know anything about him other than what is on his exploratory committee website but he seemed to make waves at the Conservative Political Action Convention in Washington this week.

I think it is important that we have a true conservative in the top tier of the republican candidates but no one seems to be stepping up at this point.

On a different note, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is bloggin this week about A Valley of Betrayal by Tricia Goyer. I hope you get a chance to read the reviews and purchase Tricia's book.

Jerome

Is Jerry Falwell Still Relevant?

Reuters has an article where Jerry Falwell stated that he would like to have a like minded republican elected president in 2008 and at least one more conservative jurist on the supreme court. I would like to see the samethings. But I wonder whether Jerry Falwell still has much influence among conservatives and the republican party. It seems to me that the mantle of the religious right is now in the hands of personalities like James Dobson, Tony Perkins, Richard Land and Gary Bauer. I don't hear much about Jerry Falwell or Pat Robertson unless they are making some outlandish statement that the networks pick up on.

Electing a conservative republican to the White House in 2008 is extremely important. Having a conservative jurist appointed to fill a vacancy on the Supreme Court is also very important. I'm just not sure that Jerry Falwell can make either happen.

And I doubt even Falwell is feeling inspired by the crop of republican candidates: John McCain, Mitt Romney and Rudy Guiliani. But perhaps there is still hope of a true conservative emerging who will energize the religious right base of the party.

Jerome