Friday, January 4, 2008

An Iowa Surprise

By Alan Caruba

I think we can safely put to rest the notion that America is a racist nation. This is bad news for Rev. Jesse Jackson and Rev. Al Sharpton, but very good news for the rest of us; especially Barack Obama.

In my former hometown, established in 1920, the first Black Mayor took office this week. Americans, particularly white Americans, have implemented the results of the Civil Rights movement and it is time now for Black Americans to step up to the plate. The “race card” doesn’t work any more. Being America’s permanent victims is no longer an excuse.

That it would take a nearly all-white group of Iowans to make this happen is testimony to the redemptive history of America. It is no small irony that it took fifty years beyond the end of the Civil War to grant women the right to vote. The first serious woman candidate for the presidency suffered a significant defeat. Hillary Clinton is the past. Barack Obama is the future.

I seriously doubt that Mike Huckabee is the future. I don’t think Republicans want to repeat the mistakes of the past with a Bible thumping, Give Me That Old-Time Religion candidate. One Jimmy Carter is enough. And, come to think of it, so is one former Governor of Arkansas. Yes, they are Democrats, but that is just one more reason that Huckabee will hit the Republican buzz saw of the nation’s East and West Coast States. He will be pushed to the sidelines for the accident of politics that he is.

Republicans want a winner, a real conservative, and that means their primaries are still up for grabs. They will look at McCain again for the umpteenth time. The problem with McCain can be summed up with two words—illegal immigration. He seems to favor it, along with amnesty. He’s also drunk deeply of the global warming Kool-Aid. Forget Guliani. Too liberal. End of story.

So Mitt Romney, the Republican answer to John Kerry, will battle it out for votes with guys like Fred Thompson and whoever else is running. Thompson did surprisingly well in Iowa. Something most of the pundits have not noticed.

So, yes, Iowa held a lot of surprises for both parties, but we shall swiftly move on from there to New Hampshire and then to Super Tuesday. A lot can happen between now and then.

3 comments:

Jeremy Jacobs said...

Alan, California wouldn't work without the Mexicans. Obama could be your next President

Longstreet said...

We here in Tar Heel land feel the 2008 election is already over without us having had a meaningful say in it.

Our primary is not until May. By that time most everything will have been decided. Certainly, the democrat candidate will have been decided, long since. There is no decision to make between the Republican candidates. They all stink to high heaven. Not a conservative among them.

So, it should not surprise anyone that we here in North Carolina can't dredge up any enthusiasm for the election of a new President in November.

Oh, the candidate from NC, or is it SC… no… it’s NC, oh, what the hell!… John Edwards... is a joke. Tar Heels learned that, to the dismay of those in his own political party, when he was sent to Washington as one of this state’s Senators. He was so busy running for President, while in the Senate, that his home state’s business, and interests, was largely forgotten. He was a disaster!

Oh, just for the hell of it… I’m betting that Hillary comes back next week in New Hampshire! Hope I’m wrong, but that’s where my money is right now.

Best regards, as always!

Longstreet

Alan Caruba said...

Jeremy: With the exception of some few hand-picked crops like grapes and lettuce, California farmers could survive with the traditional migrant, i.e., they go home, Mexican workers. Beyond that, the illegals represent a massive drain of tax payer funding. Californians, including native-born Mexican-Americans, would not miss them much.

Longstreet, these are not happy days for Republicans. Edwards is a total phony and this time around is likely his swan-song.