Matt Ortega

During the course of the year, there was talk of a possible presidential run by New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg as a third-party candidate.

This summer, The New Republic noted his “coy” denials of a candidacy in ‘08, and as Daniel Owen from Oval Office 2008 notes, Bloomberg “does enjoy keeping the rumors alive.”

WCBS-TV in New York reported that Bloomberg dressed up as Bruce Springsteen and gave an adapted rendition of ‘Born to Run’ at a party for City Hall workers early in December. Included in the lyrics: “I say ‘Next stop: Washington!’ Cause folks like us, baby we were born to run. We’ll win, you’ll see, and beat the G.O.P. and Democrats.” Stirring stuff. [emphasis added]

Currently, there are three New Yorkers contemplating candidacies for the presidency. Two, of which, are Republicans.
Bloomberg’s predecessor, former NYC mayor Rudy Giuliani, is neck-and-neck with Arizona Senator John McCain in early polling. Outgoing New York Governor George Pataki is reportedly contemplating a run for office.

Democrat Senator Hillary Clinton recently won re-election to a second term and is ahead in national polls. (Early primary state polls show her much closer to the competition.)

California Representative Duncan Hunter has two ads running for his Peace Through Strength PAC.

The ads, entitled “Football” and “Submarine,” cite China’s growing economic power, calling them “cheaters.” (Nobody likes a cheater.)

Then, Rep. Hunter proceeds to “scaring the living daylights” out of the viewer by listing off what American money buys for China: “… ships and planes and missiles.”

Word is that the phrases “Holy hell! Look what they’re buying!” were axed from the original script.

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(Hat tip: Daniel Owen, Oval Office 2008)

Rep. Duncan Hunter of California picked up another endorsement for his presidential bid in 2008. Conservative Rep. Trent Franks lended his support to the fledgling Hunter campaign over fellow Arizonan, Senator John McCain. (Local Arizona press article here.)

Franks said he knows that his early backing of the lesser-known Hunter will raise eyebrows, given that his own state’s senior senator is considering a run for the White House.

But without criticizing McCain directly, Franks described Hunter as a candidate who “is an unequivocal social conservative and fiscal conservative and has a consistent conservative voting record.”

Franks created a new term in describing Hunter: Valley Forge Republican.

Franks described Hunter as “a bold, Valley Forge, Ronald Reagan Republican who holds the temperament and philosophical foundations to lead this country to its greatest heights yet.”

Last week, Hunter received official backing from Chuck Yeager, the inspiration for Tom Wolfe’s The Right Stuff.

Reports were swirling all day about the “imminent” execution of former Iraqi president, Saddam Hussein.

Just over three years since his December 2003 capture by U.S. forces in his hometown of Tikrit, Saddam Hussein has been executed by hanging.

The “Breaking News” alert in the header of the CNN website reads:

Former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein is dead — executed by hanging for killings committed during a brutal crackdown nearly 25 years ago - Iraqi TV stations report.

FOX News report on the execution can be found here.

Gallup released a poll of 425 Republicans nationwide. Check out Doug Daniels at The Next Prez for the Democratic numbers.

Republicans

John McCain — 28%
Rudy Giuliani — 28%
Condoleezza Rice — 12%
Newt Gingrich — 8%
Mitt Romney — 4%
Mike Huckabee — 2%
Sam Brownback — 2%
George Allen — 2%
Tommy Thompson — 2%
Chuck Hagel — 1%
George Pataki — 1%
Duncan Hunter — 1%
Someone else — 2%
None (volunteered) — 3%
Unsure — 7%

Allen, defeated by Senator-elect Jim Webb in Virginia, is not likely to run, and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has previously stated that she does not “intend” to run for president. However, for her to poll at third is particularly eye-popping.

Romney produced another abysmal showing at fifth place with four percent.

As Daniels at TNP states, former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani has previously polled ahead of Senator John McCain when Rice is left off the list of choices. Examples:

NBC News/Wall Street Journal, 12/8–12/11 (Giuliani 34, McCain 29)

ABC News/Washington Post, 12/7–12/11 (Giuliani 34, McCain 26)

CNN, 12/5–12/7 (Giuliani 29, McCain 24)

FOX News/Opinion Dynamics, 12/5–12/6 (Giuliani 30, McCain 23).