NH Primary:Two Combacks/no frontrunner

Although John McCain and Hillary Clinton won the first Primary in the nation; neither one can claim to be the clear front-runner of their Party.

(Republicans..Grin and bear it)
McCain was expected to win in NH. Enthusiasm was high as more Independents voted for him than they did for Obama. Surprisingly Mac also picked up registered Republicans in a sign that could repeat itself in other States.

Despite the backing of the establishment for Mitt Romney, he placed second and picked up another "silver" as he likes to say in his concession speeches. McCain is on to Michigan where he's favored to win in the state where Mitt's father was Governor for 8 years. If Romney loses here he should seriously consider throwing in the towel but his personnal fortune would enable him and his ego to go on indefinitely. He's failed to connect with voters, I suspect because he's the original "change on a dime" guy and simply can't be trusted to be truthful about anything at this point.

(What the Huck?)
Huckabee, the winner in Iowa, came in a distant third in NH. That's better than anticipated by just about every one. People like him more when they get to know him. He's a regular guy; one of them; a religious popularist. However, Huckabee isn't given a snowball's chance in hell to become R-Nominee, I think it's the hick factor.

If McCain is the nominee it won't be because Republicans of every stripe rally around an inspirational leader; or even that they're pleased with his nomination; it will be because he's the best selection in a field of misfits...John McCain will be R-Nominee by default. Sad, but true.


Democrats..In the Cards

(Aces high)
The big story of the NH Primary was Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. Before Obama's momentus win in Iowa and her third place finish, Hillary was expected to win in NH. Instead Obama's win catapulted him into a Media frenzy that eagerly prepared to write the obituary for the Clintons' iron grip on the Democratic Party. A dysfuntional status quo government would be transformed by an inclusive generational movement led by an inspiring black man that could be President.

Barack Obama lost. All pollsters, including each campaigns' inside polling, and the TV 24/7 coverage got it terribly wrong. What happened?

(Queen of Hearts)
Hillary's teary moment, combined with the glee the macho media took in piling on the little woman was a significant factor in getting out the women voters to rescue Hillary from the big bad bullies. Hillary's breakdown was all about her. She wasn't crying for the poor children without health care or the homeowners facing foreclosure due to the sub-prime mortgage crisis; she was feeling sorry for herself, period.

(Hold 'em)
That snipit was aired over and over again just before the vote and after polling had wrapped things up. If that entire moment was shown instead of the first few seconds of it, people would have seen Mrs.Clinton recover like a bat out of hell and land lethal blows on her nemesis.

From the brief glistening of the eye and softening of the voice, she skillfully rapped her opponent for lack of substance compared to hers. It was a self-promoting sound bite that she knew would reach it's target audience...older women, who had experienced the frustration of glass ceilings of the past. Older women came out en mass to vote for the reliable old feminist, Hillary.

(Plays the Race Card)
Another theory that reared it's ugly head has racist over tones. Seems NH voters lied to pollsters about voting for Obama and then when they drew the curtain and couldn't be seen, thousands couldn't bring themselves to vote for a black man. That one I don't buy.

Bill Clinton was looking ahead to SC and floated that poisonous idea into the political atmosphere in order to generate doubt among the 50% of blacks in SC that white people would never elect a black President; therefore, a vote for Obama is a waste. Vote for my wife Hillary, and I, Bill Clinton, the first black President, will take care of y'all like we've done before.

(Fold 'em)
This tactic is not beneath Bill and Hillary or the Left-wing establishment of Democrat Party. They'll be taking the gloves off now that they've tasted a bitter loss in Iowa and their possible extinction in NH. Let's hope that Democratic voters see through the dirty tricks and support the man that can truly free the Democrats from the Clinton Machine of the past and inspire all Americans to hope for change of the status quo in the not too distant future. "Yes we can!"