The Republican race is basically down to three: McCain, Huckabee and Romney. I do not think Huckabee has the “staying power”. Many Republicans cannot abide John McCain………………….. . The Clinton machine seems to be showing its dominance in money and organization. However, she is not a run-away. Both she and Obama scare a lot of folks I talk to. .

AVOC

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January 20, 2008

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Media, John McCain, Huckabee, Romney, Obama and Hillary Clinton

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By Wendell Dawson, Editor, AVOC, Inc

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The 2008 Presidential Race is in a state of Flux.   However, some of the media, today, would have us believe that McCain and Clinton are running away with it.

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It is not difficult to identify the “media darlings”.    When a “darling” wins, ever so slightly, it is major headlines.   When a “non – preferred” wins, it is relegated to back page coverage.

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One has to search the internet to realize that Romney is leading the Republican Delegate Count.    He has almost as many delegates as the other Republican Candidates combined!   See chart below from You Decide 2008.  McCain has only won two primaries and his vote was about one out of three in those- in other words, two out of three voted against him.   This does not bode well for him in Republican Primaries without Democrats and Independents voting.

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The Republican race is basically down to three:  McCain, Huckabee and Romney.I do not think Huckabee has the “staying power”.    Many Republicans cannot abide John McCain.   They might hold their noses and vote for him in a General Election because of fear of a Democrat President.

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The Clinton machine seems to be showing its dominance in money and organization.   However, she is not a run-away.   Both she and Obama scare a lot of folks I talk to.

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This is an election that is a “turn-off” for many, if not most, American Voters.   

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Three Republicans seem viable – McCain, Romney and Huckabee

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Clinton wins New Hampshire

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Associated Press

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5i6AC-ew4NL13BtKR53bDaUXPUWOwD8U9C49G0

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January 20, 2008

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Results So Far in the 2008 Contests

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By The Associated Press

Here are the results so far in the presidential nominating contests, with candidates listed in order of how they finished:

IOWA CAUCUSES, Jan. 3

DEMOCRATS

Barack Obama, 38 percent; John Edwards, 30 percent; Hillary Rodham Clinton, 30 percent

REPUBLICANS

Mike Huckabee, 35 percent; Mitt Romney, 25 percent; Fred Thompson, 13 percent; John McCain, 13 percent

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WYOMING CAUCUS, Jan. 5 (Republicans only)

Romney, 67 percent; Thompson, 25 percent; Duncan Hunter, 8 percent

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NEW HAMPSHIRE PRIMARY, Jan. 8

DEMOCRATS

Clinton, 39 percent; Obama, 36 percent; Edwards, 17 percent

REPUBLICANS

McCain, 37 percent; Romney, 32 percent; Huckabee, 11 percent; Rudy Giuliani, 8 percent

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MICHIGAN PRIMARY, Jan. 15

DEMOCRATS (Obama and Edwards names were not on the ballot)

Clinton, 55 percent; Uncommitted, 40 percent; Dennis Kucinich, 4 percent

REPUBLICANS

Romney, 39 percent; McCain, 30 percent; Huckabee, 16 percent; Ron Paul, 6 percent

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NEVADA CAUCUSES, Saturday

DEMOCRATS

Clinton, 51 percent; Obama, 45 percent; Edwards, 4 percent, with 98 percent of precincts reporting.

REPUBLICANS

Romney, 51 percent; Paul, 14 percent; McCain, 13 percent; Huckabee, 8 percent; Fred Thompson, 8 percent; Giuliani, 4 percent.

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SOUTH CAROLINA PRIMARY, Saturday (Republicans only)

McCain, 33 percent; Huckabee, 30 percent; Thompson, 16 percent; Romney, 15 percent, with 93 percent of precincts reporting.

The Los Angeles Times

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-carolina20jan20,1,4361324.story?coll=la-headlines-nation&track=crosspromo

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January 20, 2008

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McCain claims South Carolina

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McCain edged Huckabee, 33% to 30%, proving an ability to win in the conservative South and rebound in the state that crushed his presidential hopes eight years ago. Fred Thompson and Mitt Romney finished well below the two leaders, with Thompson eking a narrow third-place finish over Romney, 16% to 15%...........

You Decide 2008

http://www.youdecide2008.com/2008/01/17/full-2008-presidential-delegate-count/

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January 20, 2008

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2008 Delegate Candidate for President

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What I find interesting here is that many pundits were questioning Romney’s campaign despite that fact that, even before Michigan, he was leading in the delegate count. After Saturday with South Carolina for the Republicans and Nevada for both parties, we’ll keep watching how these numbers change.

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CBS News

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/01/20/politics/main3732961.shtml

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January 20, 2008

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Fresh Off Win, Clinton Gears Up For S.C.

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The New York Times

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/20/us/politics/20carolina.html?em&ex=1200978000&en=1367ec72a1c1f108&ei=5087%0A

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January 20, 2008

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McCain Victory in South Carolina Caps Comeback

ABC News

http://abcnews.go.com/

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January 20, 2008

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Clinton, McCain Win Big -- Chase After Momentum to Go All the Way

Reuters

http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSN2038213120080120

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January 20, 2008

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McCain says will do well in Florida

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CNN.Com

http://edition.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/01/19/nevada.sc.main/index.html

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January 20, 2008

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McCain, Clinton, Romney claim victories

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MSNBC

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22744697/

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January 20, 2008

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McCain triumphs in S.C., a muddle in Nevada

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By Tom Curry, National affairs writer

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WASHINGTON — In a year in which the oft-heard slogan has been “change” it was the two battle-scarred old political pros, Sens. John McCain and Hillary Clinton, who emerged as winners in Saturday’s most meaningful contests, the South Carolina Republican primary and the Democrats’ Nevada caucuses.

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McCain’s win was narrow but dramatic; Clinton’s was quite muddled, with Sen. Barack Obama winning 13 delegates to 12 for her……..

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McCain won a third of the 407,000 votes cast, with former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee about 13,000 votes behind.

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Agonizing defeat for Huckabee

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In the most Republican county in the state, Pickens County in “Up Country” South Carolina, where President Bush won 73 percent of the vote in the 2004 election, Huckabee beat McCain by 10 percentage points.

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But in the state’s second-most Republican county, Lexington, McCain edged Huckabee by fewer than 2,000 votes.

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McCain’s bastion was Charleston County, where he took 44 percent of the votes to former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney’s 19 percent and Huckabee’s 16 percent…………………

NewsMax.Com

http://www.newsmax.com/headlines/mccain_south_carolina/2008/01/20/65940.html

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January 20, 2008

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COLUMBIA, South Carolina -- Republican John McCain and Democrat Hillary Clinton looked on Sunday toward the next battles in a chaotic White House race after scoring tough wins in the first presidential voting in the U.S. South and West.

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McCain narrowly defeated rival Mike Huckabee on Saturday in South Carolina -- a state where McCain's presidential hopes were destroyed in a bitter 2000 battle that set George W. Bush on a path to the White House. ……..

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Although Clinton won more votes, Obama said that because of his strength in some areas outside Las Vegas, he would have the support of 13 delegates to Clinton's 12 to August's Democratic convention. Delegates select the presidential nominee.