Month: October 2007

Make a run for the border

From the DMN and Steve Blow:

An interesting story in today’s business section says Taco Bell is opening restaurants in Mexico. The menu will be the same as here. But because its version of “Mexican food” is so unrecognizable to Mexicans, it’s being promoted there as American fast food.
That’s rich since the chain advertises here with Spanish guitars and thick Mexican accents to sell how “authentic” it is.
One nice thing: The company’s slogan will work in both countries — “Make a run for the border.”

re: Third party candidates for conservatives

Here’s more from Dallasblog on Dobson’s threat last week…

Tara Ross writes:

Late last week, evangelical leader James Dobson upped the ante in the contest for the Republican presidential nomination. In a New York Times editorial, he confirmed that he and other pro-family leaders will vote for a third-party candidate if the Republican nominee is not pro-life. The threat is aimed directly at Rudy Giuliani, who is pro-choice.
These leaders feel that they can’t support a pro-choice candidate without unacceptably compromising principles in which they strongly believe. Period. End of discussion.
Far be it from me to urge anyone to compromise their principles. Yet I can’t help but note that their position may end up doing far more harm than good. Their votes for a third-party candidate are meant to make a stand for life. Ironically, they could instead set the pro-life cause back for many decades.

Read more

Debate reaction

I missed the GOP debate last night. With small group at our house last night and our DVR already recording two other shows, there was no way for me to see it. I’ll be looking for it on the Interweb today though.
Here are some comments already circling (from the Mike Huckabee campaign)…

Christian Hine has some good post debate thoughts posted on his blog www.SaveTalkRadio.com:

In the few questions that Mike Huckabee was allowed to answer, he clearly shined through. In fact, while applause was very limited in this debate, Huckabee’s answers on a hypothetical Iran first strike situation and on health care generated support from the audience. He is also starting to have an impact on the language of the tax debate. His support of the FairTax and the overwhelming grassroots efforts by FairTax supporters have actually gotten Romney talking about “embedded taxes” and McCain talking about making the tax code “flatter and fairer”. When your candidate is the one that the others are emulating, that is a sign of success.

Alex Harris at I Heart Huckabee has the video of Governor Huckabee’s appearance on Hardball after the debate and roundup of some great coverage including one of our favorite comments so far:

Tim Dickinson, Rolling Stone:

That Mike Huckabee hasn’t caught just a little bit of fire is a mystery to me. He’s charming and funny, and always seems reasonable even when he’s preaching to the freepers. I don’t know why the James Dobsons of the world are threatening to leave the party rather than throwing their weight behind this Southern Baptist minister with a concealed-carry permit and a “covenant marriage.” Someone whose phone calls Focus on the Family actually returns ought to ask Dr. D. just that.

A agree whole heartedly.

Steven Pearlstein of the Washington Post:

Judged by who can offer a serious approach to economic policy, the hands-down winner in the Republican race so far is Huckabee, who combines intelligence, candor and comfortable familiarity with the issues and a practical approach anchored in solid conservative beliefs.
If only the political press were as impressed with the quality of a candidate’s program as with his name recognition, it would be Huckabee, not Thompson, who was energizing the Republican contest.

What about you? Who are you pulling for now? Still just picking a guy because you think he can beat Hillary? Did you know that in the latest polls, in a head to head match-up, Huckabee was only 8 points behind Hillary and 9 points behind Obama? Maybe if you got behind him and told your friends – we could reverse those numbers.

Listen to NPR’s coverage from Morning Edition here.

Stephen Colbert day on NPR


Stephen Colbert got a lot of fun press today on NPR. Starting with Fresh Air, the political satirist gave an hour long interview to Terry Gross, followed by 5 minutes or so on All Things Considered.
Both very funny interviews. He dropped the satire during Fresh Air but kept up the act during All Things Considered.
During both interviews he talked about his new book, I Am America (And So Can You!) (available at the Casa de Blundell store of course)
Both worth a listen.

Huckabee third in Iowa

Mike Huckabee is in third place in the latest Iowa poll with 12% of the vote behind Romney and Thompson (who’s a joke).

From the Des Moines Register:

Mitt Romney still leads in Iowa but Fred Thompson, a relative newcomer to the presidential race, has emerged as his nearest competitor in a new Des Moines Register poll of likely Republican caucus participants.
Mike Huckabee and Rudy Giuliani are in a close fight for third place in the Iowa Poll taken over three days last week.
Romney, who has campaigned more often in Iowa than his Republican rivals, is the presidential choice of 29 percent of those who say they definitely or probably will attend the leadoff caucuses.
Support for the former Massachusetts governor is essentially unchanged from an Iowa Poll taken in May, when he was the top choice of 30 percent.