So a guy walks into a brothel and finds...?

"I've done it before, and here I go again..."

One thing is clear, Barack Obama is so consistent - it's scary. When he ran for the U.S. Senate seat he secured MORE votes in the Democratic PRIMARY than did all of the GOP candidates COMBINED. In the City of Chicago (predominantly Democrat) he got more votes than all of the collar counties (seven of them - normally GOP) COMBINED.

When I penned in December of 2006 that Obama would be the nominee - I wasn't joking. Hillary has finally awakened to this reality.

But the issue that the GOP needs to consider seriously is the issue of TURN OUT. Ultimately because Hillary/Obama/Edwards all share the same views on so many issues it seems almost irrelevant to me the position of the Democrat so much as his ability to excite voters and bring them to the polls. Obama did that lavishly in his primary race for Senate, and he broke the bank on it in the general election.

He's doing exactly the same thing now. The ONLY news coming out of Iowa for the Dems was turn out. Turn out due exclusively to Barack Obama.

Understanding this entirely - ask yourself the question what do the GOP candidates do to the GOP base (predominantly church going voters). Ask yourself the question does this candidate cause people to become energized, or damper the base's enthusiasm.

Giuliani - massive apathy effect on the GOP base due to social issues.
McCain - massive hostility effect because of direct betrayals on numbers of issues.
Thompson - little hostility from any major voting group within the GOP base.
Huckabee - ABLE TO ENERGIZE social conservatives in large numbers.
Romney -  confusion about past record, and present positions - slight apathy effect.
Paul - well - he's Paul - massive overt nuclear hostility effect.

Throw into this mix what I've already written about regarding Huckabee's ability to draw record numbers - and we mean RECORD numbers of African Americans (particularly church going) and you have to give another point for energizing voters to the Huckster.

But you have to also ask the inverted question - do GOP candidates repel certain groups of voters?

Giuliani - hostile opposition by African Americans do to police scandals
Romney - practiced a faith that was overtly racist until 1978, and has been nothing but stiff, and the whole way his father's involvement with MLK got mangled - they way it played in black circles was "mitt mislead" (and note it's not about facts - its about perceptions.)
McCain/Thompson register moderate support from black voters - but no doubt LOSE some that Bush held in 2004.
Paul - the whisper campaign saying he's an anti-semite hurts him on race...
Huckabee - 49% of black votes in his run for Governor...

I'm still alive, and will continue in my role here with TownHall for the near future. Tonight I will write more about what has happened with the radio show and of course weigh in on some developments...

Friends, Family, Listeners/Readers past and present,

Just wanted to send out a quick note. Salem Media NY due to some pretty overwhelming and compelling circumstances related to the overall needs of the station cluster decided at this time to eliminate a locally based talk show.

This past Thursday was my final broadcast.

I was reassured in the strongest terms possible that the decision was not in any way related to the performance nor impact of the show.

In Salem's corporate model their first mission has always been strategic partnerships with national ministries. With some of the possible upcoming format changes for one of the two stations in the cluster the available inventory for national ministries grew thin with the demand for each national ministry putting a clearance for New York at a premium.

At this time we are asking that you would hold us up in prayer as we seek God's direction for the next assignment in His work.

I remain in good relationship with the senior management at Salem Communications and several expressed sorrow at the need for such
abrupt changes at this time. (On a side note because of the truly amicable way this has happened we are still hopeful that my present position with TownHall.com will continue uninterrupted.)

Please pray for us. Our brief time in New York has been fruitful in many ways and while we may be focused on the origin of where our dinner may come from shortly, we know without question that God has something for us to learn in and through this process!

My new email address is kmc15@mac.com
Please use it effective immediately.

I will write more when I have the chance, but thanks for your kindnesses, support, encouragement, and friendship!

Kevin

Agents of change...

It was a very big night all the way around. First off my buddy and soon to be weekly radio cohort Stephen Baldwin takes home $69,000 tonight for his mother's Breast Cancer Research Fund on Celebrity Apprentice.

Then there was the issue of accurately predicting the outcomes in BOTH parties tonight down to the exact order. Matt Lewis is my witness. But my prediction on Obama stems over thirteen months ago. It was also a relish of a good time for my friend Michael Medved who like some others including me had been labeled by our colleague and friend Hugh Hewitt "an analyst who could not be trusted." (Hey Matt - that means East Coast v. West Coast goes East Coast in Iowa - right?)

It was a bad night for Ed Rollins who perhaps from now on will learn to speak in a more temperate nature when dining in public. It was an uncomfortably bad night for Hillary who looked even more dreadful during her "victory" speech than she had in the debate with the drivers' license question. And it was just pure misery for my friend Hugh, whose chances of getting to be Mitt Romney's version of Tony Snow got drubbed by a margin beyond what anyone saw coming. (Rollins only predicted a five point margin...)

I also felt bad for the candidates - even the winning ones. They all looked so exhausted, so tired, so wiped. Their speeches were lackluster and generally uninspiring - though Huckabee gets major kudos for quoting Chesterton.

So now the race is on with two clear frontrunners...

And just in time for tomorrow's news cycles, the same organizations that went to work for Huckabee in Iowa, have already begun transfering staff, budget, and bodies to New Hampshire. It seems Huck is unwilling to concede New Hampshire merely because "he's not supposed to win there." Most pundits are now saying that it is likely that Huckabee and McCain could go one, two regardless of order. I don't know that I'm ready to cop to that just yet, but there's no doubt Huckabee's story is inspirational.

And IF the candidate for the Dems is - as I have predicted from the beginning - Barack Hussein Obama, it is nice that for once the GOP will have a candidate that will work harder for church going African Americans than perhaps the "established black candidate" will. In order to hold Ohio in the general that may be the exact combination of possibility.

All in all a good nite. And a hearty congratulations to the Huckabee camp, their blowout win historical in the odds against it, and now giving Huck that little boost he needs to propel funding, organization, and votes.

I wouldn't be a bit surprised if Hugh suddenly needed to "take tomorrow off the air" to recuperate, it was my understanding that the doctors did not need to utilize the defib-paddles, but decided to anyway when they realized every time they upped the voltage he would mutter "buck-eyes."

Poor guy...

Manchester City Hall, 11:00am today

The Huck-Wagon is rolling already:

(...via the mail-bag...)

New Hampshire pastors, church leaders and faith and values leaders will discuss the victory in Iowa and voice their support for Governor Hucakbee in the New Hampshire Presidential Primary.

These faith and values leaders will be holding a news conference in support of Governor Huckabee on Friday, January 4, at 11:00 A.M.

The location will be at Manchester City Hall across the street from Citizens Bank on Elm Street.

Shannon McGinley, a Founding Board Member of Cornerstone Policy Research in New Hampshire, comments, "Mike Huckabee's victory in Iowa sends a message that voters are thrilled to finally have a candidate that they can relate to-one that is not just trying to capture the faith and values voters, but one who has spent a life time embracing these values. Before he ever held elective office, Governor Huckabee fought on behalf of the family. He defended human life and the rights of families and parents. The landslide Iowa caucus victory for Governor Huckabee demonstrates that momentum, vision and passion is now on the Governor's side and we will continue to work to ensure his message is heard throughout the nation."

"Goodbye Iowa, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, Nazi Election Money, Soros Election Money, MoveOn.org staff, resources, and election money, 9/11 Truthers, Dorky Screen Names like "Knights of BoooHooo", Late night love-ins with Michael Moore, Disconcerting allegiances with skinheads, and oh yes the 3% Revolution."

R.I.P.

Listen "LIVE" - 2-4p EST
Listen ON DEMAND anytime!
Read KMC's newest syndicated column!

2pm:
Reporting *LIVE* from the various scenes in Iowa - TownHall's Senior Political Reporter Amanda Carpenter will be weighing in from Des Moines today. She has shadowed the Romney campaign in the last 24 hours and has some Iowa Insight for us. Beyond that it looks like some very interesting developments with Mike Huckabee, Barack Obama, and we will have the very latest. Will it be a "Huck"-eye Caucai? Will it be Mitt-surge? If you are an Iowan caucus voter we will put you to the front of the line as we in NYC would like to hear the inside view of the caucuses.800.345.WMCA.

With all the coverage that this campaign season has included, and given the fact that the New York/New Jersey primaries have been moved up to become part of the single largest "Super Tuesday" ever. We want to poll the MuscleHeads - who gets your vote, and why. 800.345.WMCA.

ANY registered Caucus goer in Iowa will be given preferential place in the phone line today and the number to call is toll-free 800.345.9622. When you call identify yourself as an Iowan Caucus Voter when the V-man answers your call.

3:55pm: The McCULLOUGH PUNCH
When it's time to say GoodNite to Crazy Uncle Pat!

Weekdays 2-4pm EST
Listen "LIVE" click here.
 Listen "ON DEMAND" click here.

How big will his win be?

We already knew that the late polls broke a seven point lead over Hillary into his favor. Kucinich the mighty midget who can not see over the corn stalks in Iowa except when the UFO's sweep low enough threw his considerable heft to Obama's camp, but now the man long rumored to be near the top of Hillary short list for Veep's is (if reports are true) now directing his Iowa support to the Senator from Illinois.

Rich Lowry said on Fox News yesterday that in attendance at an Obama event earlier in the week (he was ashamed to admit) he felt "inspired."

Who said it before anyone else? Who was the first to say that Obama would become the nominee - and that if the GOP gets their nomination choice wrong (Giuliani for sure) that Obama would sweep to the presidency? Who? Rush Limbaugh knows who...

"That's Governor Front Runner to YOU!"

On the morning of the Iowa caucuses, the Republicans now have their fifth “leader” of the season as Mitt Romney winds up on top for the first time ever. But, his advantage is a statistically insignificant one point and reflects the continuing lack of a GOP frontrunner. It’s Romney 18%, John McCain 17%, and Mike Huckabee at 16%. Five points off the pace are Rudy Giuliani and Fred Thompson at 13%.

...final day of campaigning 'packing them in' roughly 200 at a time...

Iowa is where the Ron Paul tour comes to an end. But his campaign workers are still yammering about not qualifying their own candidate to make it into the New Hampshire debates that will happen in what seems like hours after the Iowa Caucuses.

"Given Ron Paul's support in New Hampshire and his recent historic fund-raising success, it is outrageous that Dr. Paul would be excluded," said campaign manager Kent Snyder.

Actually Kent, the rules were simple, you did not qualify your candidate - and the voters don't seem to care. It's called the free market - something you PaulPots claim to know all about!

WGA writers helping Huckabee's cause!

The general feeling in MuscleHead HQ this morning is that the slight up tick that Huckabee is showing in the polls this morning (nearly 2% at RCP) could possibly due to his performance last night on Jay Leno. Even critics of Huckabee's "he's not quite as conservative as us" politics indicated that his appearance last night, though short on policy jargon generated some quite cool images of candidate.

Several observed that Kevin Eubanks, and the rest of the African American band members on Leno's stage were "in the pocket" as they jammed with the Governor.

As you know this blog has written equally praiseworthy and critical posts concerning three of the major players in Iowa - Mitt, Fred, and Huck. I will not be making an endorsement in the GOP race for 2008.

What did strike me as interesting however is the delicate balance between Romney and Huck. So similar in policy positions. Both well qualified - and proven executive branch managers. Pointy brains like the fact that Mitt has pulled the Bain school of strategy formula into Presidential campaigns. But many more WalMart shoppers across the nation have an unexplainable connection to the common sense humanity that Huck is offering.

If the general election were to come down to black church goers in Ohio - as it did in 2004 - and the Dems candidate is Clinton, Obama or Clinton/Obama - wouldn't be nice to have on the ticket the candidate who could connect to the 6 out of every 100 black church goers or even perhaps increase it to 12 or 15?

Listen "LIVE" - 2-4p EST
Listen ON DEMAND anytime!
Read KMC's newest syndicated column!

2pm:
There's never anything wrong with apologizing for something, especially if you were the one who did it. I happen to think that 360,000 deaths to end something immoral is far more impressive than some piece of paper saying, "We Are Sorry!" The State of New Jersey wants to become the first Northern State (which shed far more blood) to end slavery adding their names to a list of Southern States that already have. So fine, draw up a piece of paper, write we are "Sorry" on it - and sign it - Sincerely, Governor Jon Corzine and the rest of the "Democrat Party of New Jersey." I don't believe that those who opposed slavery from the beginning should apologize for anything! 800.345.WMCA.

3pm:
Something extremely peculiar with families today - we defend wrong-doers amongst our ranks. Five family members spent New Year's Eve behind bars because Florida State University student Franx Leger refused to pull his pants up over his behind. In refusing to do so he thumbed his nose at the University authorities which altered its rules banning droopy drawers from campus and warning students that they would be considered tresspassing if they attempted to wear their bottoms as such. When the wrong-doer went baggy, he whined to his mommy, and his Daddy, Mommy, Sis, and two Cousins - all went to jail with him... 800.345.WMCA.

3:55pm: The McCULLOUGH PUNCH
The Hawk-eye Caucai awaits!

Weekdays 2-4pm EST
Listen "LIVE" click here.
 Listen "ON DEMAND" click here.