Pensivity

So, John McCain won Florida. Florida's a winner-take-all state (for Republicans, at least; I don't know about Democrats), so he's now in the lead as far as the delegate count goes.
I suppose I could live with McCain (although, Senator, if you want to keep any ideological conservatives on your side at all, use your common sense and do not tag Huckabee for VP). He's not conservative on taxes. Or illegal immigration. Or... lots of things.
A McCain-Huckabee ticket isn't enough to make me not vote, much less vote Democrat. But it's enough to make one cringe in the voting booth, is it not?
This has not been an enjoyable race so far. Reagan's commandment was broken from the get-go. Huckabee was (and is) plainly disgusting and calculating. The only enjoyable things I can remember are Thompson smacking down debate moderators and watching the Clintons self-destruct, and that's saying a lot for a politics junkie. Oh, and Ron Paul. The man has no shot at the nomination, but he's been nothing if not fun to watch.
Oh, how glad I will be when the nomination has been decided-- on both sides. Then at least it's a clean fight, without all the hypocrisy that inevitably besets the primary season. Candidates go for the jugular within their own parties and trash each other-- right up until they concede the race and start angling for VP, at which point they can't say enough good about whomever they believe to have the best shot at getting them some sort of office in the West Wing.
Can you tell I'm fed up?

Well, that settles that

I could never decide whether I wanted to vote for Mitt Romney or Fred Thompson, but I see that Fred has dropped out. I'm kinda relieved not to have to choose, actually. I really liked Thompson's positions on just about everything. It would have been nice, however, if he had had a little get-up-and-go. I would have even settled for some get-up. Or some go, or anything. I also see that his mother is in intensive care. though, so maybe that had something to do with it. I hope his mother is okay and that he doesn't disappear-- he is phenomenal when he gets going. In any case, I am now decided. Vote for Mitt!

Life

It's good, folks. Very, very good.

You must watch this.

I didn't think this was quite possible.
You've got to wait for the voice change.
Hat-tip: Jonah Goldberg on the Corner.

How to understand James

I know there are some people who will think that this is a joke.

It isn't. Go and read it.

UPDATE: I apologize for the cuss word in there. At least there's only one!

New Hampshire

McCain and Hillary win. Darn it, I KNEW it was too early to dream about Hillary dropping out of the race.

McCain did pretty well in NH-- I'm impressed. It will be interesting to see who registered Republicans went for though-- NH allows independents to vote in their primary, and independents tend to love McCain. I'm not a McCain kinda gal myself-- I don't particularly trust him on taxes or immigration. I do respect him though, which is more than I can say for Huckabee, who regrettably is polling rather well in South Carolina...

I'm still pulling for Obama to win the Dem's nomination. On top of the fact that he's so much more likable, he has next to no experience and is even more liberal than Hillary, which does wonderfully in primaries and terribly in general elections.

We shall see. In any case, I am off to eat snickerdoodles.

On a brighter Iowa-note:

Hillary's looking to come in third. Gotta look for the silver-lining somewhere.

?!?!??

Mike Huckabee: The candidate who is conservative per abortion and gay marriage, liberal per everything else, sees foreign policy as a wonderful chance to treat homicidal maniacs like your sibling or best friend, and doesn't understand the concept of separation of church and state.

THIS MAN WON THE IOWA CAUCUS BY 9 FREAKING POINTS?!?


To any Republican-primary-goer who may chance to read this: Do you realize that if Huckabee becomes the Republican nominee for president, we will lose? Not only lose, but lose badly. Are we really so invested in identity politics that we'll vote for a guy just because he's a Baptist preacher?? 'Cause really, that's all he has going for him (other than a fantastic oratory presence. Gotta give credit where credit is due).

The man pardoned or otherwise helped to free over 1,000 criminals while governor of Arkansas-- more than his four predecessors combined (including Bill Clinton). And some of the most loathsome, dangerous criminals he helped because they had "found Jesus" in jail.

He's a taxer.

He isn't strong vs. illegal immigration.

He thinks people like Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Kim Jong Il should be treated like siblings or close friends.

He's running as the anti-Mormon candidate.

He's a liar.

Fellow GOP-ers, if this man is your choice, be afraid, come November. Be very afraid. Not only will he go down spectacularly, but the entire party will go with him.