RON PAUL-- THE FLORIDA WILD CARD?

Mainstream Media leaves out Ron Paul-- but will Florida voters?

Tonight the Democrats debate in Myrtle Beach and next Saturday Hillary, Obama and Edwards face off in that state's primary. It's serious stuff; the next president of the United States is coming closer to being chosen. But I find myself distracted-- like watching a mongoose fight a cobra (horrifying and repulsive)-- by the battle of the pygmies sideshow. The contest to see who will play the role of Bob Dole in November is just entertaining with virtually no meaning. The pygmies are all making their last stand in Florida.

For the hapless and untested ex-front-runner, America's Mayor/crooked lobbyist, Florida is the beginning and, in all likelihood, the end of his over-strategized non-campaign. Was that ever much ado about nothing at all! Polls that once showed him as the prohibitive front-running (not counting None of the Above) now show him as an also-ran... even losing his supposed bastions of strength in New Jersey and New York! A NY Post writer puts it succinctly:

"His issue has evaporated. His issue was fighting crime, fighting terrorism. Now he's trying to fight a terrible economy and trying to make the case that he's really Mr. tax cutter. I mean, he is re-branding himself in Florida with Steve Forbes running around trying to say he was really about tax cutting before, but he wasn't. He was about crime fighting and leadership. And now of course with the sub-prime mortgage problems and the economy tanking, it's just not his issue, and to the extent that his issue is out there, I think McCain has it."

McCain is polling 36% in New York to Rudy's 24%, where people know exactly who Bernie Kerik is and how disastrous a Giuliani Regime would be for America. McCain's got momentum coming out of South Carolina and the Republican rank and file and settling for the inevitability that Grandpa John will be the sacrificial lamb of the GOP this year. Religionist fanatics may think a god will come rescue The Huckster and Mormons may think... well whatever they think, probably that Willard will buy enough votes to put him over; he won't. And If McCain wins in Florida, it's pretty much a wrap in pygmyville. Damn!

But wait! McCain's big problem is that no independent voters are allowed to participate in the primary. Will that derail him? Well... if None of the Above were on the ballot, it might but-- look at the choice Republicans have to consider. Giuliani, who's making his primary debut here, was supposed to shake things up. And after humiliating defeats from Ron Paul in Iowa, Michigan, Nevada and South Carolina, people are wondering why he's even bothering. Because a lot of New Yorkers who like hot, steamy weather moved down there?

The Anybody But McCain contingent will kick into high gear for a last stand but may be neutralized by the Anybody But Willard contingent, the Anybody But Huckabee contingent, the Anybody But Giuliani contingent and the Nobody But Ron Paul/Frederick of Hollywood contingent. I think McCain will win and establish himself as the Republibot candidate-- and the contest will be all over except for the griping and the cable TV networks trying to sell Asian imports.