Checking In Before Super Tuesday
Democrats Falling In Love
Republicans Falling In Line

Last week’s debates

Democratic Debate...The ProConPundit was amazed to watch the Hollywood actors and actresses who packed the house at the Dem debate. They sat their riveted by the outstanding acting performances of Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. They were playing the part of two people who don’t despise each other. They seemed to have fooled the home crowd. When the question was asked about a Clinton-Obama or Obama-Clinton "unity" ticket, the theater ‘s roof was nearly blown off by the applause, hooting and howling. This is an example of dreamy eyed idealism of the far left elites. Take this to the bank: there will never, ever be a ticket with both Clinton and Obama on it. The most significant reason for this is that they hate each other and don’t trust each other. Beyond that, should Hillary be nominated, she would not want someone capable of outshining her. She needs someone capable and competent, dutiful and boring. That role will be played by Sen. Evan Bayh of Indiana. If Obama gets nominated, it will be for having convinced Democrats to turn the page. If that’s the case, he would not need her. Her as the Vice-President brings all of the Clinton problems without any real value. If Obama is the nominee, he will need a white, male, with LOTS of foreign policy experience. Biden or Dodd would be his best bet. One good line of the night was when Hillary said it took a Clinton to clean up after the first Bush and it may take one now. It was a funny line. Not true, of course.

Republican Debate...Huckabee and Paul are lucky to even be included in the debate. They should stop wining about not getting called on more often. McCain went overboard in debasing Romney. Romney and Hillary Clinton both prove an important point in selecting a president. Neither one of them can take criticism without getting PISSY. That is a word used on the north side of Chicago, incidentally. The ProConPundit only uses it to be inclusive of the misfortunate! Romney blew up and got all pissy when some reporter at an Officemax merely pointed out that what Romney was saying was, guess what, not true. It was actually a Staples store but it sounds better to say that if you can’t keep from blowing up at Officemax you are not ready to be president. McCain had two good lines that night. One was when he was willingly flushing his own political career down the shoot to speak his truth about the war, Mitt was flip flopping. The other was when Romney brought up the New York Times endorsement of McCain, saying that you’re not much of a conservative if the NY Times endorses you. Mitt should have kept quiet. McCain went on to point out that Romney’s own local newspapers, including the Boston Herald, had all endorsed McCain.

The best line of the night came from Mike Huckabee. When Anderson Cooper asked each candidate which one of them Ronald Reagan would endorse, McCain, Romney, and Paul, each stupidly went into this Smothers Brothers routine explaining why the Gipper would have best loved them. It was pathetic. Huckabee replied that he thought it would be arrogant for anyone to presume who Reagan would endorse. He went on, "I’m not here to presume Ronald Reagan’s endorsement of me. I’m here to endorse Ronald Reagan." It was not only a great line but something that badly needed to be said.

Folks, please, can we agree on one thing? Ronald Reagan is dead. Let him rest in peace. No great or even mediocre president has ever gotten anywhere trying to be someone else. Good presidents are good students of history and know different leadership styles, personality types and ways of dealing with difficult situations that have been employed by their predecessor. Wise presidents draw from those role models. But they have to be comfortable in their own skin. ALL OF THE REPUBLICANS HAVE SPENT TOO MUCH TIME PANDERING TO RONALD REAGAN’S LEGACY, instead of articulating their own vision.

Looking to Super Tuesday...the ProConPundit predicts a draw for Obama and Clinton. Momentum is on his side and I think he has a better chance than she does of clinching the nomination. Given the closeness between them in the polls and proportional delegate distribution of Democratic primaries, the race will continue beyond tomorrow. I think the endorsement of Obama by the Kennedy’s has been extremely helpful to him. Ted Kennedy’s pointing out that his brother’s Democratic predecessor, Harry Truman was opposed to JFK because he felt he lacked the experience. The ProConPundit watched a Truman speech yesterday where he outlined his opposition to JFK. It’s great history and a clever move on Teddy’s part. Make no mistake, JFK was a war hero, had served in the House from 1947 to 1953 and from 1953 to 1961 in the U.S. Senate. If Truman thought JFK was light and inexperienced, and he did, there is no question that he would think Obama is very light. But if we’re going to let Reagan rest in peace, the ProConPundit will not have a seance with Truman!

Family feud among the Kennedy’s? Ted, Patrick, Caroline, Ethel (Mrs. RFK), and Maria Shriver all endorsed Obama. The ProConPundit is baffled as to whether the three children of RFK endorsed the Clinton’s in angry reaction to being excluded from the rest of the family’s pep rally at American U or if it was a calculated Kennedy Family move to have eggs in both baskets. Bet on the latter. If not, Bobby Jr., Kathleen and Kerry Kennedy look foolish.

John McCain will NOT clinch the nomination on Super Tuesday, but will come close. California is unqiue for Republicans as its delegates are not winner-take-all, but proportional. Romney should not be counted out. If McCain can get through the GOP nomination, the country will have the opportunity for the first time in a long time to have a president who is a consensus builder and can have a lot of appeal on both sides. Rush Limbaugh, Ann Coultier and Laura Ingrham are in a very difficult position. They have each had a difficult time these past eight years defending a president that let them down. Nothing could benefit their careers more than returning the Clinton’s to the White House. They can’t come out and say that so they are vexing and compulsions constantly in their vitriol toward McCain. Not liking McCain, not wanting him to be president is totally acceptable. Hatred of the guy just doesn’t make sense.

Rudy’s Second Finest Hour. Rudy was a class act in his withdrawal from the race and his endorsement of McCain. The Captain, a senior advisor to the ProConPundit and creator of the alliteration now famously known from sea to shining sea as the ProConPundit, predicted more than a year ago, when Rudy was at the top of all national polls that he would go absolutely nowhere. The Captain is a Southern conservative, bright but slick, currently resides in ther Bronx and may be the only registered Republican there. I was surprised that Rudy fell apart so quickly and completely. Rudy isn’t presidential, in my view, but I like him a lot.

The ProConPundit was shocked and remains baffled by the timing of the Edwards withdrawal. His remaining in the race, given proportional delegate distribution, could have landed him in a king maker position. That he got out without making an endorsement (read: making a deal) with Obama or the Clinton’s just plain baffles me. Edwards knows he will never get elected president. His only remaining route is to become someone’s vice-president. I think he’d not only give away his delegates and endorsement, but sell his soul to be the running mate. Hillary might do it if she really needed him to get nominated. He and Obama genuinely like each other but Obama needs someone of greater experience on the ticket with him. Chris Matthews thinks Edwards should be the Secretary of Labor should Obama or the Clinton’s be elected in the fall.

Stay tuned.