Resolutions

With New Year's Eve upon us, the Cooler staff will be spending the weekend watching college football and drinking champagne. So this will be the last you hear from us until Monday afternoon, barring some big news relating to a GOP 2008er.

We wanted to take this opportunity to thank you again for making us part of your daily web surfing. By the end of the year we will have had 30,000 unique visitors to this website (in just over 5 months) and we are grateful for every one of you.

With that, here's our final post of 2006. ________________________________________________

The Cooler intern has been spending the last 2 weeks doing some reconnaissance work in the 2008 camps. Each GOP candidate put together a New Year's Resolution that will help them do the best they can in 2007, to prepare for a victory in the Iowa Caucus in January of 2008. How can each of these men best position themselves in the coming year- the Intern has the New Year's note that each candidate wrote to themselves.

Mitt Romney- You need to pinpoint a message on the key social conservative issues, abortion and marriage, and stick to it through thick and thin. Once that position is fine-tuned, you cannot waver, no matter the audience or the situation. We will be challenged on it, but we must be strong, consistent, and persevere. To win in Iowa- we need to be THE credible alternative to John and Rudy, thus we need clarity on these key conservative issues.

John McCain- You've got to remember what it was that drew people to you from the start. How you rose to prominence. Focus on cleaning up Washington, reforming, independence, trustworthiness, and credibility. Don't lose that credibility by trying to force yourself on those who are already lost to the Limbaugh noise machine. Be the one person in the race that people can look to and say- there is a leader I can trust.

Rudy Giuliani- Rudy, you are America's Mayor. You stuck with George W. through thick and thin and thinner. You have national appeal. Don't lose sight of these advantages. In 2007 all you have to do is build a strong Iowa staff and be persistent in reminding the voters that you are a reliable Republican and you know what it takes to be an executive in a post-9/11 world.

Sam Brownback- Just as someone who is taking up exercising each morning in the New Year, you need to take up fundraising phone calls. It will be tedious, and you will sweat at times, but it is the only path to victory. $ + reliable SoCo record= Top 3 finish in Iowa.

Mike Huckabee- You need to consistently remind yourself that you are a candidate for President and behave as such. Spend at least 1 day (preferably 2) each month at the following airports: DSM, CID, SUX.

George Pataki- Do a rosary novena with prayerful hope that Rudy decides not to run after-all.
Newt Gingrich- Spend the next 9 months reinventing yourself on cable talk shows and listen to the people when they demand your presence in this race (even if the people aren't demanding anything)

Jim Gilmore- 3 words. Credible Conservative Alternative. Rinse, lather, repeat.

Tommy Thompson- Stay in the race just long enough to keep yourself in the national dialogue. Gracefully exit before you overstay your welcome.

Duncan Hunter- Focus on building name ID on military credentials. Don't criticize Romney, McCain, or Rudy's foreign policy proposals because Defense Secretary Hunter sounds nice no matter what administration it's in.

Chuck Hagel- Run enough positive TV ads in the Omaha media market, where you already have name ID to finish a respectable 5th in the Caucus.

John Cox- Statesman not nuisance. Statesman not nuisance. Statesman not nuisance.

Happy New Year Everybody. God Bless.

-The Cooler Staff.

Pataki's presence and position

Here's a very extensive look at George Pataki from the Tonawanda News. "Experts doubt Pataki has the presence, position to make a serious presidential run."

Make sure to post your 2008 questions in the comment section under last nights post!

We've got questions; you've got answers

OK folks we've had a lot of time with the aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents over the past week. They've all had questions for us about the 08 campaign and sometimes we had answers, othertimes we didn't. But one thing that did happen was us forming some questions of our own. So here are the Caucus Cooler's 08 queries.

Backgrounds:

What exactly did John Edwards father do in that mill anyway?

When Rudy married his cousin, what did the rest of the family think? How awkward was that wedding? And who names their daughter Regina anyway?

Could John McCain's mom really be only 94? How is she still alive? What were the secrets to her diet?

If BARACK's father grew up herding goats in Kenya how did he end up marrying a woman from Kansas? Was the goat herding a part-time thing or something? Is goat-herding to Kenya as detasseling is to rural Iowa, just something everybody does?

Is Governor Vilsack going to be united with his birth mother on the trail?

Positions:

Do any of the Republican candidates for President besides John McCain have a position on the Iraq War? If so, what is it? Do they plan on talking about it during the campaign? Are any of them besides Hagel going to be for troop reductions?

Who's going to carry the mantle for the Steve King wing of the party on immigration? How are the Democrat contenders currently in Congress going to act on immigration in the coming year?

Is John Kerry's official position still "I was for the war before I was against it?" and how many references to this phrase are we going to hear before this campaign is up?

Is Mitt Romney's official position I was for abortions before I was against them? (at least 1 reference) or John McCain's I was against ethanol before I was for it? (2)

General:
Does Newt really believe he's going to get away with reinventing himself as bi-partisan?

Who has had more work done to their face: Hillary, Biden, Kerry, or Beyonce?

Who in the hell is Rudy going to hire in Iowa? Is the three headed Nussle monster (Ryan, Dorr, Comella) getting the band back together? If not, who else is out there?

Who's going to run the McCain campaign in Iowa? The Gang of 50 thinks Failor, could that be?

Could Tom Beaumont possibly sustain his torrid pace of 4 articles per week about Tom Vilsack's bid for the Presidency?

Will someone else emerge or are the conservatives going to have to deal with the Big 3?

Does Mike Huckabee have a strategy for winning this election? If so, would he share it with someone?

Will the Caucus Cooler's meteorotic rise to prominence continue? (Ok well maybe that one's a little bit of a stretch!)

So let's hear what questions you'd like to have answered, or maybe answer some of ours. Have some fun with it.

Caucus Art

We hope all caucus devotees, fiends, fans, supporters, enthusiasts, votaries, zealots, fluffers, and afficionados will head to the Iowa Caucus exhibit at the state historical museum.

And the Cooler's best wishes to the family of President Gerald Ford; may he rest in peace.

Where's the Govnah?

The blogosphere has been abuzz over the Christmas Holiday about a Boston Globe-Worker article and follow-up column that note that Mitt Romney was somewhere other than the Commonwealth of Massachusettes during 212 of the last 365 days. While the Cooler understands that desire to not be in Massachusettes (trips to Baahstan are only wicked fun when your drinking Guinness at the bahr). Nonetheless it goes to the credibility of a guy who has only been Governor of a state for 4 years trying to sell the American people on his ability to be President- when he spent 1 of those years traversing the purple mountain majesties and amber waves of grain.

But who cares what we think about it. Let's go to the respective experts.

Romney fluffer Hugh Hewitt thinks its just another example of the Globe-Worker's bias. And notes that John Kerry didn't receive the same treatment.

McCain blogging afficionado Patrick Hynes says, not so fast Hugh- and points out that in 2004, Romney criticized Horseface Kerry for the same behavior he himself participated in during 2005. Hynes adds this to the examples of Mitt's inconsistencies.

The quote he references is from a June 2004 Globe-Worker article where Romney says that Kerry's absence in the Senate had "cost the Commonwealth" and called on him to resign. Your going to have to trust on this because the link is only accessible through paid sites.

One thing is indisputable... the blogosphere is abuzz with Romney talk and the only place you can find anything about Gilmore or Cox is here at the Cooler. We're not sure if that's a good thing or not.

John McCain for President

Often it is the time that calls for a leader, not the other way around.  You can see examples of this throughout our nation's rich history... when courageous leaders seized moments that perfectly suited their political assets and capabilities.  

This moment calls out clearly and loudly for John Sidney McCain.

As we face the continued threat of islamo-fascism and have a softening coalition of nations throughout the world who are willing to join us in this struggle- more than anything else we need a leader who has experience on the world stage and the credibility to rebuild tenuous alliances.  John McCain alone has that skill set.

As we continue to be embroiled in a long battle in Iraq, it is only John McCain that has enunciated a clear path for victory.  And just as Senator McCain's early criticisms of Secretary Rumsfeld were proven accurate, so it seems has his call for a surge in troop levels.  While many of his opponents suffice it to give broad platitudes when it comes to Iraq, McCain's vision is clear and it gives America and opportunity to succeed.

At home, Republicans have lost their way in the area of fiscal responsibility.  On top of that, the government is handcuffed by large entitlement mandates that take up an overwhelming portion of our budget.  John McCain has been a clear voice throughout his career for cutting wasteful spending.  And now that this has become a popular talking point, many of his opponents have taken up the call as well.  But we trust only John McCain to reject the big government temptations that tickle every man who has sat in the oval office.  And we trust John McCain to do as he has done so many times- reach his hand across the aisle to Democrats, demand that they reach their hand across to him- and find a compromise that begins to fix these behemoth entitlement programs.

Lastly, our party at this moment faces an identity crisis.  We are looking at an election that could possibly place us in a semi-permanent minority.  Reasonable observers give the Democrats a fair shot at 56-57 Senate seats and a large house majority.  The solution to this problem is NOT nominating someone who is a religious extremist or a similar wingnut.  While some in Iowa will have you believe that "commitment to our principles" will return us to a majority, the reality is that our party needs to adapt to modern times.

John McCain is a mainstream conservative.  He unites the social, fiscal, and foreign policy conservative in a way Rudy Giuliani and Mike Huckabee cannot.  But he also is ELECTABLE.   His history of compromise, willingness to acknowledge that climate change is real, and opposition to barbaric torture policies appeal to a wide swath of Americans.  His credibility and knowledge of foreign policy comforts those who have become suspect of President Bush.  Poll after poll has shown that John McCain gives the Republicans their brightest hope at holding the White House.

Lastly, we would be remiss if we did not include a Nashua Telegraph style anti-endorsement in this missive.  While John McCain gives our party its best hope, Mitt Romney, Rudy Giuliani, and Fred Thompson all would serve as acceptable nominees.  Mike Huckabee on the other hand, would not.  The GOP is at a crossroads.  If we choose a path where being Christian is more important than being conservative we are sure to place ourselves in permanent minority status.  If our party abides a self-described redistributionist, who supports nanny-state policies from food taxes to federally mandated school programs, we are in a grave state.  If our party abides someone with no foreign policy experience at this momentous moment in the world's history, just because the man believes in Jesus, we are in a grave state.  And if our party chooses a man who throughout the past decade has shown a provincial, backwards attitude to women, gays, and those who don't share our christian beliefs, we will have lost the suburban/urban vote and our party's soul for good.

So if for whatever reason, you don't share our passionate support for Senator McCain, we ask that you think long and hard before you caucus for Governor Huckabee.   We can do better. The future of our party is at stake.

-CC