Captain Ed calls it the "None of the Above" election and Jules Crittenden called it the "Over my Dead Body election or his preference of "Hold My Nose".
So, in the spirit of things, my two cents.
The Bend Over election.
We start with the Rasmussen poll (linked above):
Among the leading Presidential candidates, New York Senator Hillary Clinton and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney have the highest level of core opposition among voters. Forty-seven percent (47%) say they will vote against each of these candidates no matter who else is on the ballot.
At the opposite end of the spectrum is Arizona Senator John McCain. For the second straight month, McCain finds himself with the smallest level of core opposition--just 33% say they will definitely vote against him. That figure is unchanged from a month ago, down from 39% a two months ago and a peak of 42% in June. These results are just one part of the reason that it is a good time to be John McCain.
From Captain's Quarters:
Skip the lede of this story and check the numbers at the link. Even the best showing for the candidates, Barack Obama (-6%) and John McCain (-11%) have bigger negatives than positives among all voters. This doesn't bode well for the 2008 campaign in either the primaries or the general election. Not only has no one really caught fire, but no one has managed to convert more voters than they've driven off.
From Jules Crittenden:
On the positive side of the ledger, Rasmussen puts Hillary, Giuliani and Romney in a general election dead heat, which confirms partisanship is alive and well, and it’s really more “Over My Dead Body” than “None of the Above.” Trying to stay positive, I’m more inclined to call it a “Hold Your Nose” election and glad to see coronation of the other Clinton is anything but the foregone conclusion so many people seem to think it is:I see from Boston.com that in New Hampshire, McCain is closing in on Romney (GOP) and Obama has taken the lead from Clinton (Dem).
My two cents is this. I hear quite a bit about voting for someone that can "reach across the aisle" and work with the opposite party, but that, in politic speak, means somebody that will bend over so that bad legislation can be jammed through the two houses and then signed by a president.
We all lose.
Yes the partisanship is horrible and no one is happy with the constant bickering and no, nothing is wrong with compromise....to a point.
That point is when people start selling out their own party and their core values and principles, just to be able to say "we passed" this or that bill. We know Hillary will bend over for that "next vote", she will tell one audience what they want to hear, then head down the road and tell another audience the opposite thing because it is what they want to hear, so if it is truly is a bend over election, Hillary has it hands down. John McCain, on the other hand, is good about working with the opposition and yet standing on principle and yet those that endorse him, like the Des Moines Register and the Boston Globe, both write more about where he transcends partisanship that they do about his core principles.Don't get me wrong, I like John McCain, but the GOP does not need someone that will bend over, they need someone that will stand up for us, their supporters, and fight the battles that are the most important to us.With that said, the only person I believe will work with the opposition party without betraying our core principles in the process, is Fred Thompson.
Check out Fred Thompson's Christmas video (hat tip to Stop the ACLU).
Personally, I DON'T see Fred bending over for anyone.
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