Monday, December 5, 2011

Now there are two, maybe three

It would appear that we may be in for one more, perhaps final, week of relatively nice and above average temperatures.  There could be a blotch in the week Tuesday or Wednesday as some showers, possibly snow showers depending on where you live, come through.  But the temperatures should remain in the upper 40s to the 50s most days.  Wednesday or Thursday is giving some problems to the forecasters as a possible storm will be in the area.

Keith Carson, the weekend meteorologist on WCSH6-TV, said Sunday that we should see a colder trend, possibly for the long term, beginning this coming weekend.

Christmas, though, continues to draw closer and closer.  Unfortunately for me, I haven't grown any closer to figuring out a present for Gator Wife.  Oh, yea, I've got some of the usual ones she gets, but that one special present remains out of reach.  I've ordered a new router on line and it will be here well before Christmas, but I'll let GW put it on the tree for me.

There are now probably three viable candidates left in the Republican challenge for a nominee to oppose President Obama next year.  When all of this started earlier this year, there were 17 announced candidates.  As of Sunday, three, Thad McCotter, Tim Pawlenty and Herman Cain,  had officially withdrawn.  Nine are so near invisible that I suspect you can't name most of them, the exception being Rick Santorum.  Still in are Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney, the two most prominent, and Ron Paul who is a growing strong outsider.  Also continuing to get some press are Michelle Bachman and Jon Huntsman. 

The latest leader in the polls is Gingrich, but now we can begin to watch the major attacks on him.  I'm not sure who's behind those attacks, but as each candidate has risen to the top, the attacks have begun.  Bachman and Rick Perry had risen to the top early on, but neither was the dandy of the news media and the opposition and attacks soon showed them where they belong.  As they fell from grace, Herman Cain rose.  So the attackers turned on him and Saturday he officially put his campaign on suspension, and by doing so, withdrew from the race.

Gingrich has also had some of the negative ads against him, but with the concentration on Cain, Gingrich could get a breath.  In Iowa, Paul has moved up the ladder and over the weekend, at least, was second in the polls.  I haven't seen a lot of negative stuff about him, but the media and opposition apparently consider him so vanilla they've generally left him alone. 

And that leaves Mitt Romney.  He apparently is the chosen one by the media and opposition to run against the President.  Those in control possibly believe he would be the easiest for President Obama to beat next November.

I've read in many places that many people wish Sarah Palin and/or Chris Christie were available.  I guess Republicans now might think one of them might be a shoo-in.

We've still got more time to think about all this, but not much time.  The Iowa Caucus is in early January and the New Hampshire Primary follows a week later.

Unfortunately for Mainers, we won't have much, if anything, to say about who the Republican nominee will ultimately be.  Our primary isn't until next March, and by then the chosen one will undoubtedly already be known.

I never mention the Democrat race for a presidential nominee.  There isn't one.  The incumbant, Barrack Obama, has that party's nomination all wrapped up, especially since he has no contenders.

And those are my thoughts for this time around.

Gator

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