The Liberty Sphere Endorses 'None of the Above'

After taking a week to reassess the political landscape in light of Fred Thompson's disappointing 3rd place finish in S.C. and subsequent withdrawal from the race, The Liberty Sphere has come to the conclusion that we can endorse NO ONE for President out of the present field of candidates.

We conclude that each and every candidate on both the Republican and Democratic fields have such glaring and unacceptable baggage that it is impossible for us to endorse any of them.

While it is clear in terms of nuances and shades of black and gray that some of the present candidates are clearly preferable to the others, this state of affairs is far from ideal and highlights an ominous scenario in which we are forced to vote against the most obnoxious candidates rather than vote FOR the best.

For example, I voted without any hesitation whatsoever for Fred Thompson in the South Carolina Republican Primary. I was clearly voting FOR the person I thought was best suited for the job.

Now that Fred is out I find myself weighing the negatives on the rest of the field of candidates, seeking to determine which set of negatives is more palatable than the rest.

I have found such an exercise to be a lesson in futility with the exception of the most obvious.

Were Mike Huckabee, for example, to be pitted against Hillary Clinton, there is no doubt that I would be casting my vote for Mike Huckabee, not that I like Huckabee but that I detest Hillary.

The fact that I would vote for Huckabee in such a scenario in no way signifies an endorsement. I cannot and will not endorse such a candidate, although in an election I may be forced to vote for that candidate due to the fact that his opposition is 10 times worse.

What's even worse to consider is that the GOP has put forth the absolute weakest field of candidates that I can remember, and that goes back to the 1960 election between Richard Nixon and John F. Kennedy.

In short, if this is the best that the GOP has to offer, then the Party is in deep trouble. And thus, The Liberty Sphere endorses 'none of the above.'

Second Amendment News Roundup for 1/25/08

Focusing on guns and politics, here is today's Second Amendment News Roundup:

Red's Trading Post has terrific news today. A Judge has denied a summary judgment requested by the BATFE (the ATF), which means that Red's case will move to trial:
http://redstradingpost.blogspot.com/2008/01/breaking-news-judge-denies-atfs-request.html

Gun Owners of America issues an alert that the Bush Administration continues to move toward gun control and needs more pressure to remove its brief in support of the D.C. gun ban:
http://www.gunowners.org/a012508.htm

The Buckeye Firearms Association has an excellent op-ed today entitled, 'Justice for Gun Owners':
http://www.buckeyefirearms.org/node/5049

Nicki points to some sharply-worded rhetoric on John McCain, the vast majority of which is 100% correct:
http://libertyzone.blogspot.com/2008/01/coulter-rips-mccain.html

Say Uncle has info on a bill in Tennessee that pits the Tennessee Restaurant Association against the NRA:
http://www.saysuncle.com/archives/2008/01/25/nra_v_nra/

Sebastian has an intriguing post on conservatives and compromise, along with a quote from Ronald Reagan:
http://www.snowflakesinhell.com/?p=2520

The MUST-read of the day is over at the Bitch Girls...read it all:
http://www.thebitchgirls.us/?p=7774

Breda reports that an elementary school principal in Cleveland has proposed a gun buy-back program:
http://thebredafallacy.blogspot.com/2008/01/crazy-cleveland.html

Guess which Hollywood star wants to go door-to-door confiscating guns and getting rid of the 2nd Amendment? The War on Guns as the story (and by the way, this numbskull star also endorsed John McCain):
http://waronguns.blogspot.com/2008/01/rambo-opens-today_25.html

Tam correctly muses that the right to defend oneself doesn't end at Applebee's doorstep:
http://booksbikesboomsticks.blogspot.com/2008/01/right-to-defend-yourself-doesnt-end-on.html

John Lott reports that the Virginia House of Delegates overwhelmingly rejected making their Chamber a gun-free zone:
http://johnrlott.blogspot.com/2008/01/virginia-house-of-delegates.html

Michelle Malkin blows the lid on McCain's close advisors--meet the birds of a feather who flock together!:
http://michellemalkin.com/2008/01/25/meet-the-open-borders-family-mccain-hernandez-soros-and-the-reform-institute/

Mike McCarville has the latest poll on the GOP race in Florida:
http://wwwtmrcom.blogspot.com/2008/01/spr-mccain-romney-tied-in-florida.html

Alphecca reports that the Philadelphia Mayor and City Council have decided to disobey the law when it comes to guns, rather than go after the criminals:
http://www.alphecca.com/?p=619

Alphecca also says that Nebraska is getting ready to unleash a new round of gun control legislation:
http://www.alphecca.com/?p=620

Armed and Safe has a positive update on the proposed Cook County gun ban:
http://armedandsafe.blogspot.com/2008/01/wow-you-guys-work-fast.html

Dustin's Gun Blog has an important update on Arizona legislation to remove the ban on CCW in schools:
http://dustinsgunblog.blogspot.com/2008/01/az-legislation-to-remove-ban-on-ccw.html

Notes From Here and There, 1/25/08

President Bush and Congressional Democrats were able to agree on a compromise economic stimulus package on Thursday which would provide between $300 and $600 in tax rebates per individual.

Mr. Bush had originally called for an $800 rebate to each individual taxpayer, with couples qualifying for a full $1600.

But in order to get a package approved, Democrats had to sign off on it, which means of course that the amount of the rebates will be significantly lower, thus proving that Republicans want Americans to have more of their own money back, while Democrats wish to keep it and would prefer, truth be told, to give NONE of it back.


With polls showing Mitt Romney pulling ahead of John McCain in Florida, the GOP candidates met for a debate in Boca Raton, Florida Thursday evening prior to the state's primary next Tuesday. Romney has gotten a boost of late from his emphasis on economic issues.

And, since Florida is a winner-take-all primary for the GOP, Romney could well walk away with 57 more delegates in one day.

The best line from the debate, however, came from Ron Paul. When asked if the government has a role in stimulating the economy, here was Dr. Paul's answer: 'The government does have a responsibility, but it's supposed to lower taxes, get rid of regulations and devise a monetary policy that makes some sense.'

We agree.


Democratic Presidential hopeful Dennis Kucinich has withdrawn from the race without endorsing one of his Democratic colleagues. The candidate, who claims he saw a UFO, was heard mumbling to a reporter off-stage after he withdrew from the race that he had to meet up with some aliens.

Assuming that Kucinich meant illegal immigrants, the reporter followed the candidate only to witness him talking to himself as if he were speaking to persons who were not there.

Suddenly, the candidate disappeared into thin air after a strange looking spacecraft had been spotted, which then also quickly disappeared.

There has been broad speculation that Kucinich made a deal with outer space creatures who stated that if Kucinich would but withdraw from the race, they would take him on a 145-light-year tour of the entire universe.

Somebody up there likes us....

(OK, the part about the space creatures is written tongue-in-cheek, but Kucinich actually did withdraw from the race Thursday, and he actually did state he saw a UFO).

Second Amendment News Roundup for 1/24/08

Focusing on guns and politics, here is today's Second Amendment News Roundup:

As we reported yesterday, Gun Owners of America issued an alert urging members to contact their Reps in Washington, demanding that Bush withdraw the brief in support of D.C.'s gun ban. Red's Trading Post has picked up on the alert and issues this to all gun owners:
http://redstradingpost.blogspot.com/2008/01/president-bush-support-second-amendment.html

Sebastian has some great pointers on reloading:
http://www.snowflakesinhell.com/?p=2505

Say Uncle has news on the pro-gun/anti-gun protest in Virginia yesterday:
http://www.saysuncle.com/archives/2008/01/24/interesting-8/

I have been saying all along that this year the GOP will come as close to having a brokered Convention with no clear front runner as they have in 80 years. Nicki at The Liberty Zone points to one pundit who believes Fred Thompson will emerge as THE MAN at the Convention is this indeed takes place:
http://libertyzone.blogspot.com/2008/01/is-fred-gone.html

Traction Control issues a reminder of the upcoming Second Amendment Blog Bash:
http://tractioncontrol.well-regulatedmilitia.org/?p=936

Squeaky says that when Fred Thompson dropped out, it was due to the fact that the powers that be picked the toy poodles over the Saint Bernard:
http://www.squeakywheelseeksgrease.com/blog/2008/01/23/fred-thompson-surprises-no-one/

Tam has the Battle Hymn of the DECLINE of the Republic....and, sadly, it is true:
http://booksbikesboomsticks.blogspot.com/2008/01/battle-hymn-of-decline-of-republic.html

Could the dumbing down of American politics get any worse? Well, Michelle Malkin has THIS that will make you wonder--John Edwards on the Tyra Banks Show:
http://michellemalkin.com/2008/01/24/john-edwards-and-tyra-banks-even-dumber/

The Buckeye Firearms Association says that presently we are having a debate we should never be forced to have in this country, given its Constitution, but here we are:
http://www.buckeyefirearms.org/node/5024

A Keyboard and a .45 says that a coward speaks out:
http://akeyboardanda45.blogspot.com/2008/01/coward-speaks-out.html

Alphecca has the MUST-read of the day from the Colorado Springs Gazette:
http://www.alphecca.com/?p=617

Armed and Safe takes on Cook County Commissioner William Beavers for his flip-flop on gun rights:
http://armedandsafe.blogspot.com/2008/01/what-shift-away-from-rights.html

Blogonomicon presents yet another strike against John McCain, including the fact that McCain's 'pro-gun' stance actually refers to his positions over a decade ago, but not now:
http://blogonomicon.blogspot.com/2008/01/another-strike-against-mccain.html

Blogstitution has started a series of commentaries on French philosopher Jean Baudrillard's 'America.' Here is the first installment (Note: Scroll up to get the entirety of the first installment):
http://www.blogstitution.com/2008/01/22/america-a-series/

Pam Geller over at Atlas Shrugs has some very interesting factoids about Barack Obama and the company he keeps, including atheist Democratic billionaire activist George Soros:
http://atlasshrugs2000.typepad.com/atlas_shrugs/2008/01/obama-sleeping.html

Phone Blitz Smears Bill and Hillary in South Carolina

Citizens around the state of South Carolina have been receiving phone calls paid for by a Texas political activist which smear Bill and Hillary Clinton.

Many residents have complained, but the problem is, most of the information contained in the phone messages is 100% correct.

The phone messages point to Bill's long history of philandering, lies, and deceit. Allegations are also made which suggest Hillary had an affair with Vince Foster, which ultimately led to his mysterious death.

It has never been proved beyond doubt that Hillary and Foster were having an affair, but many within the beltway who know the situation claim it is not a far-fetched notion.

One South Carolina voter was so angry about the phone call she received that she stated she was voting for Hillary in protest of the phone message.

It's hard to believe that someone would actually do that, unless they had been contemplating supporting Hillary to begin with.

Spokespersons for the Barack Obama campaign issued a statement in S.C. today which stated that in no way was the Senator or his aides responsible for the phone blitz.

The Texas political activist who sponsored the phone calls claims no political affiliation, but it is clear that his goal is to bring down the Clinton campaign. But such blatant, overt personal attacks usually result in a backlash.

Thus, it is not beyond the possibility that the Clinton campaign itself is behind the phone calls. This is vintage Bill Clinton. Pull something in the final few days leading up to a primary in order to create a sympathy vote. If this scenario turns out to have validity, chalk up another one for the Clinton Ladies Intervention Team (C.L.I.T.).

With the S.C. primary coming up this Saturday, and with polls showing Obama with a double-digit lead, it will be interesting to see if Obama's lead melts away in the two or three days prior to the votes being cast, just as it did in other primaries where he was shown to have a significant lead in the polls.

Second Amendment News Roundup for 1/23/08

Focusing on guns and politics, here is today's Second Amendment News Roundup:

Mike McCarville reports that the Mike Huckabee campaign is having severe financial woes and has gone limping into Florida:
http://wwwtmrcom.blogspot.com/2008/01/huckabee-campaign-staggers-into-florida.html

A Keyboard and a .45 has an intriguing column from the Star-Telegram in the D.C. vs. Heller case:
http://akeyboardanda45.blogspot.com/2008/01/dc-v-heller-star-telegram-weighs-in.html

Alphecca has a dire prediction, and I'm afraid he's right:
http://www.alphecca.com/?p=616

Armed and Safe says that now the Illinois legislature wants to ban ammunition:
http://armedandsafe.blogspot.com/2008/01/illinois-politburo-house-wants-to-ban.html

Born Again Redneck points out that median-aged voters (born in 1964) were raised in a era dominated by nanny-commies. This means they know basically nothing about the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, the Founders, etc.:
http://bornagainredneck.blogspot.com/2008/01/is-conservative-revolution-over.html

Of Arms and the Law reports that the Wall Street Journal has blasted the Bush Administration for its support of the D.C. position in Heller:
http://armsandthelaw.com/archives/2008/01/wall_st_journal_1.php

Say Uncle has the quote of the day:
http://www.saysuncle.com/archives/2008/01/23/quote_of_the_day-196/

Sebastian has excellent political commentary here:
http://www.snowflakesinhell.com/?p=2492

The Bitch Girls have good news from the Virginia legislature on firearms:
http://www.thebitchgirls.us/?p=7768

Breda provides a most interesting pic and commentary on women's prosthetic legs that, well, make them well-armed. Yes, a 'well-armed' leg!:
http://thebredafallacy.blogspot.com/2008/01/in-news.html

Nicki provides another installment of her series, 'Idiots With Keyboards,' this one about a Wisconsin plan to add thousands more to the 'banned humans list' in the aftermath of the Virginia Tech incident:
http://libertyzone.blogspot.com/2008/01/idiots-with-keyboards-part-lot.html

The War on Guns has more on the Bush Administration's leap to the Left on guns:
http://waronguns.blogspot.com/2008/01/hard-to-believe.html

Traction Control says that Farmer's Branch, Texas has enacted a ban on renting to illegal aliens:
http://tractioncontrol.well-regulatedmilitia.org/?p=935

Tam pays homage to an icon in the history of guns:
http://booksbikesboomsticks.blogspot.com/2008/01/way-of-gun.html

Michelle Malkin has some interesting facts on John McCain:
http://michellemalkin.com/2008/01/23/john-mccain-the-geraldo-rivera-republican/

John Lott has splendid news! The D.C. lawsuit against 25 gun manufacturers has been dismissed by the Court:
http://johnrlott.blogspot.com/2008/01/dc-lawsuit-against-gun-companies-is.html

The MUST-read of the say is at the Buckeye Firearms Association, and it is about CHL holder Damon Wells who is being persecuted by the City of Cleveland for defending himself and his neighbors:
http://www.buckeyefirearms.org/node/5020

Gun Owners of America is reporting that U.S. Representative Virgil Goode of Virginia is demanding from the House floor that the Bush Administration withdraw its brief in the Heller case!:
http://www.gunowners.org/a012308.htm

GOP, Bush to Blame for Splintered Reagan Coalition

The GOP has successfully splintered the Reagan Coalition by embracing candidates who in no way represent Reagan conservatism. Make no mistake, the Coalition is still there; it's just that there is no candidate who embraces ALL of its precepts.

To a great degree the blame for this deplorable turn of events can be laid directly at the feet of George W. Bush, who claimed the principles of Reagan conservatism but who governed as a neo-con who made some terribly awful decisions.

Thus, we blundered through the first few years in Iraq until General Petraeus took the helm. The BAFTE has continued its assault on gun owners and gun retailers unabated. Judges have been appointed to the bench who have run slipshod over the rights of property owners in favor of a highly skewed and lopsided view of 'eminent domain.'

And then, let's not forget Bush's most despicable transgression of all--his absolute, stubborn refusal to do anything at all about illegal aliens, protecting the border, and removing incentives for illegals to come here in the first place.

In many ways he has been worse than Bill Clinton on this issue, and that is saying a mouthful.

The ONLY two vestiges from the Reagan era that Bush has kept intact are the support for the pro-life position and the view that tax cuts are good for the American people and the economy.

This has opened the door for those candidates who are even further to the Left than Bush, such as Guiliani, McCain, Romney, Huckabee.

Even Ron Paul fails the Reagan Coalition test due to his dangerous, and frankly, frightening views on U.S. foreign policy, terrorism, and the War in Iraq.

Thus, here we are stuck with a bunch of charlatans who only give lip service to the Reagan legacy. Only Fred Thompson could truthfully lay claim to the Reagan mantle.

But the GOP and their major contributors apparently have decided they had rather have 'moderate' Republicans who all now claim to be conservative, rather than a true, conservative heavy-weight who had delineated in great detail his views on the issues, including those the others will not dare touch.

The fact that the GOP is now poised to give its approval to a big-government neo-con (this is all that's left of the viable candidates), while rejecting Fred Thompson, is almost unforgivable.

And for this we can point to the failure of President George W. Bush to keep the Reagan Coalition together, moving in the same direction.

Second Amendment News Roundup for 1/22/08

Focusing on guns and politics, here is today's Second Amendment News Roundup:

(Hat tip to Traction Control). The Associated Press has the sickening and disappointing news that Fred Thompson has withdrawn from the 2008 Presidential race:
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/T/THOMPSON_2008?SITE=CAOAK&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

Sebastian comments on this news here:
http://www.snowflakesinhell.com/?p=2485

If there were ever any doubt that the Libertarian Party is now in the hands of complete wackos, The Liberty Zone quickly dispels that doubt here:
http://libertyzone.blogspot.com/2008/01/what-kind-of-libertarian.html

The Bitch Girls provide appropriate commentary on the potential Presidential matchups this year:
http://www.thebitchgirls.us/?p=7767

Alphecca comments on the new CCW bills in Florida:
http://www.alphecca.com/?p=614

Armed and Safe says that the battle for gun show freedom in Virginia is not yet over:
http://armedandsafe.blogspot.com/2008/01/battle-for-virginia-gun-show-freedom-is.html

The most beautiful blond on earth, Blonde Sagacity, has perhaps the most direct and accurate assessment of the reasons why Fred Thompson withdrew from the race and why this bodes ill for the GOP in November:
http://mobyrebuttal.blogspot.com/2008/01/thompsons-campaign-struggling.html

Of Arms and the Law reports that the U.S. Supreme Court has set the date for the argument for D.C. vs. Heller on the gun ban in the nation's capital:
http://armsandthelaw.com/archives/2008/01/parkerheller_se.php

Say Uncle says that the Anti-Defamation League equates gun owners with violent bigots:
http://www.saysuncle.com/archives/2008/01/22/anti-defamation_league_equates_gun_owners_with_violent_bigots/

Robb Allen says that now that Fred is out, he is supporting Ron Paul:
http://blog.robballen.com/archive/2008/01/22/Word-on-the-street--Fred-throws-in-the-towel.aspx

The War on Guns comments on last night's slugfest between Hussein Obama and Rodham Clinton:
http://waronguns.blogspot.com/2008/01/about-last-night.html

John Lott reports on the attempt to pass even more gun control laws in Virginia as a result of the Virginia Tech incident:
http://johnrlott.blogspot.com/2008/01/even-more-gun-control-laws-being-pushed.html

The MUST-read of the day is by our favorite intellectual, Dr. Walter Williams, who gives us a shocking 'tyranny update':
http://www.gmu.edu/departments/economics/wew/articles/08/Tyranny%20Update.htm

Cap'n Bob and the Damsel comment on the panic that seems to be driving the stock market today:
http://capnbob.us/blog/2008/01/22/let-the-panic-begin/

Mike McCarville has the results of a poll on Senator Tom Coburn's shocking endorsement of John McCain:
http://wwwtmrcom.blogspot.com/2008/01/59-say-coburns-mccain-endorsement-shock.html

A Lesson in Sheer Logic: LBJ Day for Hillary?

For all intents and purposes, on Monday the Clintons should have celebrated LBJ Day, named after former U.S. President Lyndon Baines Johnson.

Follow my logic here.

Hillary Rodham Clinton stated in a speech not long ago that had it not been for President Lyndon Johnson, then Martin Luther King, Jr.'s push for equality, brotherhood, and peace among the races would have amounted to absolutely nil, zilch, nada.

Mrs. Clinton stated, 'Martin Luther King, Jr.'s ideals were groundbreaking, but it took a U.S. President, Lyndon Johnson, to take those ideals and turn them into policies and laws that changed America.'

In other words, we appreciate the work of the Black Man, but after all, it took a White Man to actually get something done about the ideas of the Black Man.

Thus, if it was actually the White Man, President Lyndon Baines Johnson, who enacted the ideals of the Civil Rights Movement, shouldn't it actually be 'LBJ Day' that we celebrate in January, instead of Martin Luther King Day?

What if a conservative Republican had made this statement concerning LBJ and MLK?

They would have been run out of town on a rail quicker than Trent Lott was railroaded out of his post as Senate Majority Leader after he made his statement about Strom Thurmond.

Yet the mainstream media, of course, grants Hillary a pass. Instead, the whole thing is presented as just a racial squabble between Hussein Obama and Rodham Clinton, who are both nonetheless portrayed as darlings of Civil Rights.

I still think the Clintons were actually celebrating Lyndon Baines Johnson Day on Monday while pretending to honor the work of Martin Luther King.

Second Amendment News Roundup for 1/21/08

Focusing on guns and politics, here is today's Second Amendment News Roundup:

A Keyboard and a .45 wonders where in the world is the BATFE (ATF) on THIS case!:
http://akeyboardanda45.blogspot.com/2008/01/where-in-world-is-batf.html

Alphecca says that the Cook County gun ban would cost Illinois millions of dollars:
http://www.alphecca.com/?p=613

Armed and Safe provides GOA's Larry Pratt's response to the attempt to turn the entire country into another Illinois:
http://armedandsafe.blogspot.com/2008/01/turning-us-into-illinois.html

Blogonomicon has some very interesting thoughts on John McCain, Ron Paul, and Fred Thompson. A personal note--if Fred is forced to drop out of the race, I am proud to be able to say that I voted for him in South Carolina. And as far as I am concerned, he is the ONLY candidate 100% worthy of that vote:
http://blogonomicon.blogspot.com/2008/01/electing-hillary.html

Born Again Redneck provides an enlightening critique of the 'fair tax' plan that Huckabee is touting:
http://bornagainredneck.blogspot.com/2008/01/huckabee-and-fairtax.html

Cap'n Bob and the Damsel have a helpful product report on 'Strike Hold'--a gun cleaner and lubricant:
http://capnbob.us/blog/2008/01/21/product-report-part-i/

Michelle Malkin reports that the mainstream media is declaring the demise of Rush Limbaugh and any conservative Republican who opposed John McCain. It seems now that not only does the MSM want Hillary but they also want McCain, the bastards:
http://michellemalkin.com/2008/01/21/the-msm-declares-rush-deadagain/

Just in case there are some reading this who think Hillary's government-run socialized free healthcare system proposals are good for the country, read what the critically ill in Canada's socialized system are doing:
http://johnrlott.blogspot.com/2008/01/critically-ill-patients-rushed-to-us.html

Red's says that Idaho is actively pursuing gun manufacturers to relocated them from states that are increasingly hostile to firearms:
http://redstradingpost.blogspot.com/2008/01/idaho-heading-to-vegas-in-search-of-gun.html

Uncle delights us with some chics and guns:
http://www.saysuncle.com/archives/2008/01/21/chicks_and_guns-27/

Robb Allen is betting that nanny state idiots will want to ban caffeine:
http://blog.robballen.com/archive/2008/01/21/5-bucks-says.aspx

Snow Flakes in Hell reports that no-knock raids have gone sour:
http://www.snowflakesinhell.com/?p=2470

A VERY Happy 27th Birthday to Bitter Bitch!:
http://www.thebitchgirls.us/?p=7761

Nicki comments on my post where I revealed that S.C. records indicate that McCain's win in the state was NOT due to overwhelming support from registered Republicans:
http://libertyzone.blogspot.com/2008/01/interesting-revelation.html

The War on Guns has some gun rights news out of the state of Nebraska:
http://waronguns.blogspot.com/2008/01/any-personeven-if.html

I certainly empathize with Traction Control's feelings about Fred's 3rd-place finish in S.C. If the GOP goes on to choose a non-conservative as its nominee, I fear the Party will be totally lost. Many will stay home and contemplate the next move after having abandoned both Democrats and Republicans:
http://tractioncontrol.well-regulatedmilitia.org/?p=922

Tam has the quote of the day:
http://booksbikesboomsticks.blogspot.com/2008/01/huck-part-ii.html

Election Commision Reveals Dark Truth on McCain Win

The South Carolina Election Commission released some stunning news on Sunday regarding the GOP Primary on Saturday. While John McCain won the primary, Election Commission records indicate that he did NOT win with a majority of registered Republicans.

Only 30% of the McCain vote came from registered Republicans. A whopping 70% of his vote came from Independents and Democrats, who are allowed to vote in S.C.'s 'open primary' system.

These particular persons will be in for a shock next Saturday if they expect to vote in the state's Democratic primary. While S.C. allows anyone to vote in either the GOP or the Democratic Primaries, a voter can only participate in ONE of the two, not both.

Thus, registered Democrats who decided to vote in the Republican primary to prevent candidates such as Thompson or Huckabee from winning will be in for a shock next Saturday if they try to vote in the Democratic Primary.

They will not be allowed to vote.

The fact that McCain won only with the support of Independents and Democrats is very telling. Most of the remainder of the state primaries are not open primaries, and thus, only Republicans will be allowed to vote in most of the remaining GOP primaries.

And this, my friends, means that John McCain may be in deep trouble.

It is entirely unclear at this point who registered Republicans actually prefer. My hunch is that their vote is split between Giuliani, Romney, Huckabee, McCain, and Thompson.

In addition, McCain faces a dire uphill struggle in Florida, where Giuliani has been quietly working on his organization and getting out the early vote and the absentee votes.

And this is why I say it is not over by a long shot. It may not even be over on Super Tuesday. I make no predictions on this, but this could be the year of a brokered GOP Convention.

So, stay tuned and stay motivated. It's not over until it's over, and the fight for the soul of the Republican Party may well go right into the national convention in the summer.

What Now?

My belief that Fred Thompson would win South Carolina was more than just wishful thinking or baseless optimism. I actually believe that his views more closely reflect the views of the citizens in this state than any other candidate.

Yet for some reason or another, South Carolina Republicans decided to go with McCain, with Huckabee coming in a close 2nd.

The thing that makes this fact very puzzling to say the least is that John McCain is the very man who took a shellacking from GOP activists in the state for his support of amnesty for illegal aliens. Several GOP county delegations in the state were condemning Senator Lindsey Graham's support of the McCain plan to the extent that they suggested recalling the Senator and conducting another election.

A very telling poll tells the story. Those who voted for both McCain and Huckabee said they did so 'because they believed the candidate would do something about illegal aliens.'

Either these particular voters are showing their vast ignorance, or else both McCain and the Huckster hoodwinked South Carolina Republicans into believing they were strong on doing something about the immigration problem.

In actuality, Fred Thompson is the only one in the top three in S.C. who actually advocated for strong leadership on the issue long before McCain and Huckabee had a sudden 'change of heart.'

But, after all, the Huckster is a Baptist preacher. Nobody would expect him to lie. And McCain is a war hero. Everyone knows war heroes do no wrong.

Nonetheless the voters have made their choice and this is what we are facing.

The question becomes, what now? Do we fold up the tents and go home? Do we sit out election day? Do we consider a vote for a 3rd party candidate?

First of all, Fred is not out of it. I know that his advisers, including many of his supporters, are encouraging him to carry on until Super Tuesday. This would be my advice to the Senator as well.

Second, as for me, I think it is a big mistake to fold up the tents and go home or to sit out election day. It's not over until it's over, as Yogi would say. And, in the event of a brokered convention, Republicans could well turn to Fred Thompson to reunite the Party behind solid Reagan principles.

In addition, some have suggested that should McCain win the nomination, he could well ask Thompson to be his running mate to appeal to the GOP base and heal rifts within the Party. Thompson and McCain go back a long way in the Senate, and the two are good friends despite their policy differences.

Third, I will in no way, shape, form, or fashion vote for or advocate voting for a third party candidate, unless that person shows enough solid support in the electorate to win and not just be a spoiler for the Republican candidate.

So far I have not seen anyone, not even Ron Paul, who has that kind of support.

Thus, I will support the GOP candidate because, frankly, ANYBODY is better than Hillary, Obama, or Edwards. And that includes Giuliani, Romney, and McCain.

When it comes to beating outright Socialists who truly wish to rob citizens of liberties, including their gun rights, I truly do not care about some of Romney's less than admirable qualities as Governor of Massachusetts. He is for tax cuts, he is pro-business and pro-free enterprise, he supports smaller more efficient government.

Both Rudy and McCain share those views as well.

I can handle that any time, any day of the week over a European-styled Socialist who wants to give us socialized medicine which hangs like an Albatross around the necks of British citizens or who believe that government is the entity to cure all of society's ills.

Hillary, Obama, and Edwards each share these views which are absolutely deplorable and are a threat to our Republic.

With a Democratic-controlled Congress there will be nothing, absolutely nothing, stopping these tyrants from unleashing their voodoo magical cures on society by robbing the citizens of more of their hard-earned income.

At least with a Republican President there will be the all-important veto.

Finally, let's not forget Court appointments. Let's face it, my friends, with Hillary, Obama, or Edwards in the White House, along with a Democratic Congress, you can kiss goodbye getting Judges and Justices who believe in the Second Amendment as an individual right, Federalism, or any of the views propounded by the Founders of the Republic.

Someone needs to be sitting in the Oval Office who will stop the assault on individual liberties as perpetrated by the imbeciles who are now running Congress.

Think about these things long and hard, my friends. If you think that allowing a Democrat to be elected to the Oval Office while Democrats control Congress is a good thing for individual liberty and the Constitution, then I am afraid all of my appeals to good sense and reason will fall on deaf ears and blind eyes.

As Fred said in his speech in South Carolina Saturday night, 'Keep on fighting! Keep on fighting!'