Bhutto's Assassination and Why Huckabee won't get the Nomination

When the Republicans went out to look amongst their very interesting field of candidates they were posed with a very difficult decision. The conservative values base that put George W. Bush into office didn't like the leading contenders both who are (or where) pro-choice non-religious candidates. They looked to good old Senator McCain with his good old experience but he just was either to old or too moderate at the time and Fred Thompson well lets just say Law & Order seemed to be a better gig for him. Frustrated with their lack of choices, values voters gave birth to a new candidate one that stood for them and with them former Iowa governor, Mike Huckabee.

His quick rise came as people soon realized Rudy couldn't win in Iowa and New Hampshire and well they didn't want Romney to steal the show. Huckabees publicity grew as value voters continued to push him along up the chain and in many polls is seen as a top contender in Iowa but even with all that loss of weight and his executive experience Huckabee lacked an important understanding, Foreign Policy. On several occaisions Huckabee was stumped by the press on recent foreign policy developments which he had no briefing or understanding for. Not only did Mr. Huckabee not have an understanding of most any foreign policy he also rarely knew about latest developments where he would respond to reporters with a puzzled look and a lack of understanding.

Now going down the list of top tier candidates although Giuliani has no street credentials on foreign policy he does typically know whats going on and bottom line knows how to attach it to his policies; national security. Romney is quite well versed on foreign policy compared to most republican candidates and has released many policy papers on important international issues as well. McCain having served time in Vietnam and long time senator is probably the most well versed on foreign policy with good ideas for implementation.

With the tragic assassination of Former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, this has dominated the news cycle meaning if a candidate doesn't have anything good to say regarding this issue it probably won't be covered. With the Pakistani elections right dab in the middle of early primary/caucas season this will be a huge time share on the network news cast with presidential politics meaning foreign policy becomes the trump card.

With polls still showing Huckabee in the lead, a number of news outlets are starting to scrutizinize candidates foreign policy and once these come under the microscope there is a good chance that the Huckabee campaign will come to a collapse. Most campaign officials are even admiting a lack of understanding on the issue.

So what does this all mean for Mike Huckabee and the Republican nomination? Although recently Mr. Huckabee has had a huge rise to almost the top Huckabee will not be able to gather the support for the Republican nomination. He may win Iowa at best and maybe a smooth talker but not understanding an international political situation in an ally and nuclear power in the middle of the Iraq and terrorism conflicts is something that just won't be overlooked.

Common Ground - Raj Verma

The Race Behind the Race

There can only be one winner. Well, usually. On its face, the debates showcase competing egos and differing ideologies all with the aim of securing the most powerful position in American government. A subtle look at the presidential debates reveals a different race for other coveted posts, and is something to debate about. As you watch the Presidential debates and discuss the various differences on foreign policy, domestic issues, and character traits, be aware that some of those on stage are vying for desirable and high-impact positions in the winner’s administration. If the polls, at this point, suggest that Hillary Clinton will win the Democratic nomination and gain the Presidential nomination, does candidate Bill Richardson return as Secretary of Energy? Will Edwards be appointed to a post in the administration? Perhaps Clinton will nominate Obama for a position on the Supreme Court. Similarly, if Giuliani grabs the nomination on the Republican side, do we see Mike Huckabee appointed as Secretary of the Interior? Perhaps John McCain is interested in a post in the State Department. Is he preparing himself for such a position?

One has to remember that although the candidates present themselves in the most ‘presidential’ manner as possible, there can only be one president, and all the candidates bring various strengths to the table that better equips them for a position they currently hold (senator, governor) or a position they may seek (Secretary of State, Vice President). All the candidates brandish strong credentials. But take a closer look at the debates and identify who is vying for an alternative position. One clear example of this appears to be the well-orchestrated positioning of Joseph Biden and Bill Richardson, two darkhorse candidates who have virtually little to no shot at winning the presidency. In a recent debate, Biden and Richardson both admonished Obama and Edwards indirectly for attacking Clinton’s integrity and character. Was this a noble gesture? Or a subtle hint to Clinton—‘I’ll protect you now, you find a position for me later’? The next time you watch the Presidential candidates during the debate, be aware of the jockeying, the kind of positioning that will help each candidate win, in ways that you may not expect.





Raj Verma, JD/MPA
Blog Contributor

Raj Verma is the President of the Future Leaders Council for USINPAC. He currently resides in Washington DC.

Poll: Obama, Huckabee take lead in Iowa

Obama, Huckabee on upswing in Iowa

Republican, Democratic races still a dogfight as 2008 caucuses near

Would an Obama victory mean a generational shift in the political activism of the Indian American Community?

The Democrats within the Indian American community have supported the campaign of Sen. Clinton in overwhelming numbers, the support that Sen. Obama has received has predominantly been from the 2nd generation of the Indian American community. If Sen. Obama would end up winning it would mean a generational shift iwithin the Indian American community since the 2nd generation would have come on its ownn by being very active in the campaign and also providng contributions to his campaign. Today the 2nd generation of Indian Americans who are professionals like lawyers, accountants, venture capitalists and others have the desire and the means to be politically active and understand the political system!.

GOP Candidates Trade Barbs during CNN/You Tube Debate

The Republican Presidential candidates squared off tonight in Florida debating typical conservative issues such as illegal immigration, taxes, gun control, and gays in the military. However, with the unique You Tube format, candidates were grilled by ordinary Americans. One of the things that struck me was when a guy from Dallas, held up a copy of the Bible and asked, “All of you should be judge on one question only, do you believe every WORD in this book?” Giuliani answered first saying that many of the stories act as metaphors, however, Romney answered that he believes the Bible is the word of God, implying that he believes in the literal sense of the book.

Another question that stuck out was when a user asked what the Confederate Flag means to the candidates. Surprisingly, an issue I thought that could be pivotal for voters in the South was very answered decisively. Romney immediately argued that a symbol that divides the country so much should not be tolerated, even attacking John Edwards in the process. “Every time I hear Edwards talk about two Americas, I want to throw something at the TV. We are one country and should be united.” Knowing that South Carolina is a key primary state for him, it was sort of reassuring that a man who changes his mind quite a bit came out so strong. Former Tennessee Senator Fred Thompson also spoke out against the flag, in a mush softer manner, saying that it should not be flown individually in public places.

The candidates were asked to create a 30 sec You Tube ad for their campaigns, but Thompson’s clearly stood out being the first and only attack ad. Many insiders afterwards sense this was a sign of desperation for his campaign.

Another interesting thing about the debate was that the name Bush was only mentioned twice. Virtually all the candidates, aside from Ron Paul, agree with Bush on the vast majority of things such as Iraq, taxes, gun control, religion in public life. It’s funny that though he still has over a year in the White House the candidates pretend he doesn’t exist (no credit to him). Given Bush’s popular rating, I think not differentiating themselves can come back to haunt the Republican candidates in the general election.

Finally, the winners of the debate were declared by CNN’s panel. Conservative commentators said that Romney came out the strongest, but all analysts voted Mike Huckabee (and I agree) the winner. Huckabee came out ready to answer challenging questions with thought provoking explanations, all in a funny/witty manner. In terms of losers, internet darling Ron Paul was extraordinarily weak today and there was a sigh of disappointed when he said he would not run as an independent (perhaps a sigh of relief as well.)

Stay tune for some video postings of the debate that we’ll post on the blog.


Anay Shah

Clinton vs. Giuliani: "Hillary's already won it..."

Source: Real Clear Politics

As national media focuses even more on the top to candidates as the race gets closer to the early primary states, Hillary vs. Rudy seems to be the topic of every discussion. Giuliani seems to attack Hillary in almost every speech pretty much telling the republican base, I can beat her! As national polls continue to match up Hillary vs. Rudy, even most republicans believe that only Giuliani is strong enough to beat Hillary.

In what seems to be the first attack from the Clinton Campaign against her leading GOP competitor, Mark Penn, leading startegist for Hillary for President, says essentially Hillary has already beat Rudy.



"We started in New York about seven or eight [percentage points] behind; when he dropped out we were seven or eight ahead," Mark Penn said, referring to — and perhaps overstating — polls from Clinton's 2000 Senate race against Giuliani. "We have gone through a cycle with Giuliani."

From Politico Article

This is very interesting attack on the Giuliani as it makes Republicans remember this element of Giuliani's history that Rudy hopes they forget. Nothing would energize the Republican base more than Hillary Clinton as the Democratic Nominee, to them she represents all things Liberal. The Republicans though are in it to really win it, stick it to Hillary and in turn Bill as well, a vision that many conservatives I'm sure dream about. Rudy is suppose to be that guy, being the protector of NY, a vision for a safe terrorist free America and with lower taxes what Republican won't love him? Well as great as all those elements are if there is any light into the fact that the Republcian Nominee CAN'T beat Hillary they will lose hope.

This isn't good for Rudy, with Romney leading in the Early Primary States and Huckabee and McCain growing in popularity I think the schedule works against Rudy from the getgo. Then bringing light to the fact that Giuliani has already lost a battle to Hillary in NY will surely turn off many conservatives. As we continue to move forward what you see is that the Republican race is very much in the air. These next few months really will show if the strong national support Rudy has can translate into key state primaries and with republican heartland voters.


-Varun

Brownback Drops Out, Huckabee to Gain?

Several news sources are reporting that Senator Brownback of Kansas is dropping his bid for the Whitehouse. This is the the second recent GOP candidate to drop, the first being Former Health & Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson.

The race is really starting to enter prime time as the money end of the game is really starting to take over. By Friday Senator Brownback isn't expected to have more than $95,000 cash on hand and although only plays 2% of the polls, really drummed up a great deal of the support with the Evangelical Christians. This foundation of the republican party has yet to find a solid candidate that aligns with their views and identity and it seems that Mike Huckabee is picking up from the demographic.

Huckabee has all to gain from Brownback dropping out in both votes and financial. He has consistently been second to Romney in Iowa polls, whose success is credited to the over 10,000 ad spots his campaign has purchased to raise awareness and profile for Mitt Romney. Huckabee appeals to the conservative voters and as governor of Arkansas can claim to have the executive experience needed to run the country.

Can Huckabee gain from this? What do you think?

-Varun

3rd Quarter Fundraising Amounts – Dems Win, Again

The 3^rd quarter fundraising results are out with a huge disparity again favoring the Democrats. The WSJ reports that for the year, the top Democrats have raised $239.7 million to the $160.5 million raised by the top Republicans.

On the Democratic side, the race is on between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. Obama surprised many by raising $20 million in a typically slow quarter. The next day, Clinton topped that by raising $27 million.

Republicans Mitt Romney and Rudy Giuliani sharpened their rivalry with both reporting similar fundraising amounts of $10.5 million and $11 million. Newcomer Fred Thompson came in third with $9.3 million. Ron Paul shocked many by raising $5 million in the last 3 months. This was $4 million more than rival Mike Huckabee and a million less than John McCain, who has recently had a comeback in the polls.

Why is there such a disparity between the two parties? Well looking at recent polls, Hillary continues to dominate her party’s nomination race, but the Republican race is still in the air with some candidates the winning in the national polls, others winning in the primary states, and key groups like evangelicals unsure of who to support.