My unscientific survey of who will be the 2008 Republican nominee for president over at my blog, http://tonyphyrillas.blogspot.com, came out about what I expected.
Rudy Giuliani received 34 percent of the vote, while Fred Thompson received 32 percent. Mitt Romney received a paltry 13 percent of the vote. And 18 percent of those casting a preference think someone else will be the GOP nominee.
I think Giuliani will end up with the Republican nomination because he's the most electable Republican candidate. Republicans and moderate Democrats (the few that are left) have seen what it's like to turn the country over to far left zealots since Democrats took control of Congress. The Democrats had their 100 days to make a difference and blew it by doing the opposite of what they promised. They've squandered the goodwill of the electorate by doing everything that got the Republicans kicked out of office (partisan witch hunts, pork spending, ethical lapses, etc.)
In other words, there's no difference between Democrats and Republicans in Washington, D.C., except for the fact that Republicans are willing to defend this country from the Islamic fascists who declared war on us, while Democrats think appeasement is the way go to.
In the end, the GOP base will decided that anybody but Hillary is acceptable. Thompson, while a favorite of the conservative wing, would have trouble appealing to independent voters and Democrats who can't stomach another Clinton in the White House.
And that is the key to the 2008 election. After 20 years of Bush-Clinton-Bush-Clinton, voters are looking for a fresh start.
Hillary will win the Democratic nomination and will most likely pick Barack Obama as her running-mate. Two liberals running the ticket will limit their ability to attract moderates.
Giuliani can beat Clinton in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York, which doesn't leave much left for Clinton, who will end up winning the John Kerry states and not much more.
And I think Giuliani will ask Thompson to be his running-mate, bringing balance to the ticket and a consolation to the right.
It will be another close election, but Hillary has too many negatives to win and there isn't anyone else in the Democratic Party that can win, either.
Tony Phyrillas is a leading conservative political columnist and blogger based in Pennsylvania. He is a veteran journalist with 25 years experience as a reporter, editor and columnist for several newspapers. Phyrillas received recognition for column writing in 2010 from the Associated Press Managing Editors, in 2007 from Suburban Newspapers of America and in 2006 from the Society of Professional Journalists, Keystone Chapter. A graduate of Penn State University, Phyrillas is the city editor and political columnist for The Mercury, a two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning daily newspaper in Pottstown, Pa. In addition to The Mercury website (www.pottsmerc.com), his columns are featured on more than a dozen political websites and blogs. Phyrillas is a frequent guest (and occasional host) on talk radio and has been a panelist on the "Journalists Roundtable" public affairs TV program on the Pennsylvania Cable Network (PCN). Phyrillas was named one of the '10 Leading Greek-American Bloggers in the World' in 2007 by Odyssey: The World of Greece magazine. BlogNetNews.com ranked Phyrillas the Most Influential Political Blogger in Pennsylvania for three consecutive years (2007-2010). You can follow Phyrillas on Twitter @TonyPhyrillas
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