I have long held that in order for the nation to survive, we must fight and win the War on Terror. 

In order to win the WOT, we must have the people running the show be from the ONLY party that WANTS to win the WOT.

The Democratic party doesn't even think there is a war, much less see the need to win it. 

It is as simple as that.

I have also long held that nothing can survive if it is being eaten from within.

For 7 long years, we have seen the MSM put their hatred of Bush above the need to fight Islamic terrorism.  4 years ago, the Republican In Name Only media...Ingraham, Rush, Hannity, Hewitt joined them, placing their hatred of illegals from the Mexican border above the GOP keeping power to fund and pursue victory on the WOT.

The near blinding insanity of the "I" issue cost the GOP Congress--and threatens to cost us the LAST bastion in the fight on the WOT.  So much so that mere months ago, Hilary was seen as the inevitable occupant of the White House.

But I am a strong believer in God's design (although to be honest, there are times when I prefer a simplier and easier way of making it all work out)--and out of no where McCain becomes the front runner of the GOP presidential candidates.  How improbable was that? Last week, a strong anti-McCain local radio talk show host, mentioned that McCain was so down in the possibilities of presidential hopefuls that in some places, he had no one, ZIP, to handle signs or get coffee or make calls.

And if you had asked me before the holidays last year, I would have told you no way McCain.  In fact, my British partner J.D. did.  He has for a long time held that McCain was the ONLY candidate that could stop a Clinton comeback. 

I laughed at him--and got angry.  J.D. may be brilliant in many areas, but he did not know the AMERICAN voter. 

Obviously J.D. was right--again.  He had been into politics for many years, way before 9/11 which had been my day of reckoning.  He knew a political heavyweight when he saw one--and had for some time judged McCain to be one of the only few that was exactly that.  The others, perhaps with the exception of Hilary, were "flavors of the month", who would come and go--and be soon nothing more than a foot note in some history book.

McCain has, to put it bluntly, managed to divide the GOP party.

And in so doing, revealed what many had suspected: the party of Republicans had been taken over by people calling themselves everything but Republicans.  These conservatives with a capital "C" were as ideologically unhinged as their "move on" counterpart.  For months they have driven out 9/11 Democrats, Independents, and Pro-lifers who couldn't stomach their intolerant bullying.

McCain's win in NH, SC, and Florida also revealed the irrelavancy of the RINO media.

They may be able to whip up their listeners to speed dial members of Congress, but in delivering actual votes, Ingraham, Hannity, Hewitt, even the great Rush...has very little power.  As J.D. love to say, these ex-lawyer turned talk show hosts are really entertainers...people listen to them to be amused, but more people listen to music or sports.  Their influence on the American Republican is quite minimal.

Now this comes as good news; I have long believed that the only party that is serious about winning the War on Terror can not afford the Republican In Name Only people.  It is time that conservatives that will not call themselves Republicans stop trying to tell the party of the Republicans what to do.  It is way past time that talk show hosts and pundits that couldn't make it as lawyers or politicians stop trying to control the WH and beyond time that they STOP finding every possible opportunity to bash the choice of the Republicans.

But here comes the real question--one that I believe will be discussed in the coming weeks if McCain wins Super Tuesday...can we win if the RINOs are purged from the party?

Political genius behind Clinton (Dick Morris) and Bush (Karl Rove) has said that about 20% of the nation votes Democrat...20% Republican.  15 to 20% lean to the Left on issues and 15 to 20% lean to the Right, leaving 20% that will vote Left on some issues and Right on others.  Neither counts the 3% fringe voters (LIbertarians etc.)

I am adding a whole new set of numbers.

Of the 40% that vote Republican and lean toward Republican on issues, are there as much as a fourth (10% of total voters) that will drop out or cross to the Hilary zone if Republicans choose McCain?

J.D. believes that it is more like 1.7% (from the fringe voters).

If J.D. is right, we are trading 1.7% for a possibility of gaining that 20% truly middle.  If others are correct and it is as much as 10%, it might be an even trade.

Interesting.

In any event, there really was no choice.  The party of Republicans was being eaten by people calling themselves anything but Republican and a RINO media that was doing more damage than their MSM counterpart.

They are like a cancer that was slowly killing the body and the treatment might well be fatal...but at least now, it has a fighting chance.