A SNAPSHOT OF MY PICK FOR PREZ ...

So who’s my pick for the Republican nomination in 2008 right now? Well, before answering that question let’s establish the fact that there is a difference between who I think SHOULD be the nominee and who I think will actually get it. I’ll answer both questions though in this blog …

The man I think who is the most likely to actually win the nomination is John McCain. The reasons I say this are because Hillary seems to be almost the de facto Democratic nominee at this point. The MSM really, really, really wants to see Hillary on the top of the ticket – and won’t rest until she gets there. The poor Dem’s have little choice in the matter it seems.

As Hillary becomes more of a factor – the Republicans will start to breathe a little easier with regards to their base – knowing full well they can nominate a liberal Republican and still count on the right-wing vote. John McCain is the beneficiary of this situation, I don’t consider him a liberal – but I surely don’t consider him a conservative either. John McCain would literally wipe the floor with Hillary because he’ll have the support of the Republican base – and will actually steal some of Hillary’s traditional Democratic base. Why would traditional Democrats vote against Hillary? Well, wait for the campaign and you’ll see. Hillary is protected by the MSM right now – but in a “get down” campaign, her flaws are going to come streaming through in high-definition. This is going to leave the Democrat’s saying “What the hell have we done here?” – the month before the final election in November.

That’s my prediction right now – and things can change. But it looks to me like John McCain. It won’t be Condy Rice (no experience / doesn’t want to run anyway). It won’t be Bill Frist (who makes bad political decisions and has a strong tendency to stick his finger in the wind – which Republican voters hate). Won’t be Rudy because he’s too liberal (although Rudy would also wipe up the floor with Hillary in a head-to-head show).

Now, as far as whom I THINK SHOULD GET the nomination …

The answer is …

GEORGE ALLEN

I like George because he’s an honest man – and he’s a Reaganite. Here are some of his assets …

He’s a likeable guy – a REAL guy who doesn’t stick his finger into the wind too much. He’s a leader; he’ll run down a tough path if he thinks it’s the right path. He’s a communicator – sure, he can look just as stiff and “stuffed shirt” as any other politician, but when the chips are down he can communicate with an audience because he’s not an empty suit. George Allen “has it” where it counts. He’s a guy with a smile on his face – a smile equals optimism and Americans like to elect optimists (Democrats take note here because this is one of Hillary’s SERIOUS flaws). George Allen has a solid elected background as a Congressman, a Governor, and a Senator – so he’s seen the game from all sides. Additionally, although he’s been all three – he hasn’t been any of them for very long – which is an asset because it means he’s not entrenched in the weirdo-world of politics inside the Beltway. Allen has only been in national politics for about 15 years – not long enough to be considered a real “insider”.

Virginia law does not allow a Governor to succeed himself – but in his one-term in the Governor’s mansion his list of accomplishments are exemplary. He made vast and real improvements in education and in the economy. His support of high-tech industry paid huge dividends for Virginia. This is a guy who understands the global economy and what it takes to compete in it.

On the downside, the things working against him politically are …

Allen has been known to “dip” tobacco on occasion. His anti-abortion views are fairly binary and well-known. He’s been wishy-washy on the subject of stem-cell research, and it’s difficult to ascertain exactly what his position is at the moment. Since 2001, he’s generally been for it but has started backing down on his support for the research just recently. While Governor of Virginia he approved a “Confederate Heritage” holiday observance and has been quoted referring to the Civil War as a southern struggle for independence. So there’s plenty of cane for his political enemies to make syrup with in his political record.

The things that disturb me about him – his waffling on stem-cell research and his position on the Dubai Ports World deal (it appears he sided with the rest of the uninformed politicians against George Bush). George Allen is beginning to look like a man running for president – and that will not serve him well. He needs to pick sides, and let everyone know where he stands. Historically he’s done that, but now that he’s running for president – he seems to test the waters a lot more.

Still, with all that – I’d like to see this guy take the nomination because I think he’s a good man with a good heart who also happens to be a born leader. He’s a 21^st Century Conservative. He’s smart, and he can take this country places. I think he would make a great President.

Now, I’ll say this – I could change my mind on this tomorrow because there’s another guy out there that I’m researching that I (so far) like a lot. He’s a Yankee by the name of Mitt Romney. I haven’t seen anything about Mitt that I don’t like but – as a Southern Republican I’m going to look 12 times at any candidate from Teddy Kennedy’s home state before I commit to him. Maybe there will be some more on this later on down the line – especially if George Allen doesn’t shore up his positions on the issues. Whoever I end up supporting has to be a guy or a gal with real guts.