GOP Leadership

Here is an update on Republican leadership. Unfortunately, there are too many of the same names. When will we see real change? These leaders let the GOP get so far out of touch but they want their jobs back and we are letting them.

Senate
The Senate GOP voted Monday on its leadership for the 111th Congress. The results:
• Senate Min. Leader Mitch McConnell, KY
• Min. Whip Jon Kyl, AZ
• GOP Conference Chair Lamar Alexander, TE
• GOP Policy Cmte Chair John Ensign, NV
• GOP Conference vice chair John Thune, SD
• NRSC Chair John Cornyn, TX

House
Looks like GOP House Leader OH Congressman John Boehner will likely keep his position as Minority Leader. There was a half hearted attempt by California Congressman Dan Lungren, part of very conservative GOP Study Group, to run against Boehner.

MO Congressman Roy Blunt stepped down from is position as number two Republican in the house. VA Congressman Eric Cantor will likely ascend to his post as Minority Whip. Cantor is currently Deputy Whip.

The number three House Republican, FL Congressman Adam Putnam, also is stepping down from Conference Chair and IN Congressman Mike Pence has been recruited by Boehner. Pence is a name that might be familiar, as he was speculated to be on McCain’s short list. He is ultra conservative.

TX Congressman Pete Sessions is running for the NRCC Chair against the current Chair, OK Congressman Tom Cole. Boehner has put his weight behind Sessions. Cole and Boehner have clashed in the past, and said that Sessions was the right person to rebuild the majority coalition, recruit great candidates, and get them the support they need.

RNC
Michael Steel, former lieutenant Governor of Maryland and unsuccessful US Senate candidate, announced that he is seeking election as chairman of the RNC. It is still unclear if current Chairman Mike Duncan will run for re-election.
Normally the party chair is appointed by the President if the Republicans have control of the White House- now the selection will be left up to RNC members.

Republican Governors' Association meets

Last week, the Republican Governors' Association convened for the annual Republican Governors' Association conference. Although AK’s Gov. and former VP candidate Sarah Palin was the media’s sweetheart, it was the other governors who gave substantive policy ideas and a clear vision for the future of the Party. Their ideas were varying, some calling to go further right and to seize on the successful passage of anti-gay marriage initiatives which passed in several states. Gov. Rick Perry of Texas, who wants the Party to go even further right on social issues, forgot to mention the resounding rejection of all the abortion restriction initiatives -- the far right’s other favorite topic. On the other sid, Gov. Charlie Crist asked for the Party to look beyond divisive social issues and said:

“Those issues are very important, but there’s a lot of issues that people care deeply about, that affect their lives in a real way, every single day. If you’re going to be successful in this business, you have to win a majority. It’s not just a majority of Republicans, it’s not just a majority of Democrats, it’s a majority of the people.”

Hopefully, Republican will hear the warnings coming from party leaders such as Crist. The country has too many pressing issues that Americans deal with everyday to focus on social issues. The Party needs real solutions that Americans can connect to. Republicans need a new vision and it should be one of common sense, real solutions, focusing on personal freedom and an honest look into the future while rejecting tired policies of the past.

RRM is pleased to announce that endorsed candidate Rep. Mike Castle (DE-AL) has won re-election. Rep. Castle is a shining example of what the RRM embodies, and is a strong voice for the moderate majority in the House of Representatives.

In Presidential news, John McCain has won West Virginia, Alabama, Utah, Texas, Mississippi and Louisiana. Barack Obama has won New Mexico and Iowa.

West Virginia has been called for Senator John McCain.

Ohio has been called for Senator Barack Obama.

North Dakota Governor John Hoeven (R) has won re-election.

Senator Mitch McConnell (R) has won re-election in Kentucky, along with fellow Republican Pat Roberts in Kansas.

Senator Tom Udall (NM) has won, changing the open seat from red to blue. In South Dakota, Sen. Tim Johnson (D) has won re-election.

In the House elections, Florida-24 is now a blue district. Rep. Tom Feeney lost his bid for re-election to Suzanne Kosmas.

Michigan, Rhode Island, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Pennsylvania and New York have been called for Barack Obama.

John McCain has been called as the winner in Arkansas, North Dakota and Wyoming.

Senator Elizabeth Dole (R) has lost her North Carolina seat to Democrat Kay Hagan. Senator Frank Lautenberg (D) has won re-election in New Jersey. Sen. John Sununu (R) has lost his seat to Jeanne Shaheen (D) in New Hampshire.

New Hampshire, Maine, Maryland, and Washington, DC has been called for Barack Obama.

Senator John Kerry (D) has won re-election in Massachusetts.

8 PM has passed and many states are already calling elections.

Real Republican Majority is happy to announce the re-election of Senator Susan Collins in Maine. She exemplifies the real Republican values of the GOP and is a strong voice for the moderate majority in the Senate.

On the Presidential level:
Obama has been called as the winner of New Jersey, Illinois and Connecticut.
McCain has been called as the winner of South Carolina, Oklahoma, and Tennessee.

In the Senate:
Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin (IL) and Sen. Joe Biden (DE) have won re-election.

In the Gubernatorial elections, the Missouri open seat that was Republican is now Democratic. Delaware is staying blue, along with New Hampshire.

It's now almost 8 PM, and more elections have been called in West Virginia and Indiana.

Gov. Mitch Daniels (R) has won re-election in Indiana.
Gov. Joe Manchin (D) has won re-election in West Virginia.
Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D) has won re-election in West Virginia.

Stay tuned- at 8 PM, 15 more states will close their polls, along with the District of Columbia. Swing states in this group include Florida, Missouri, Pennsylvania, and New Hampshire.

It’s 7 PM, and the first polls are closing throughout the nation. Two important swing states are closing their polls: Virginia and Indiana. Predictions are coming in as we speak. Major news organizations are casting the following predictions:

Vermont is expected to go to Barack Obama
Kentucky is expected to go to John McCain
Virginia’s Senate seat that is open due to Senator John Warner retiring is being called for the Democratic candidate, Mark Warner.
Republican Senator Lindsey Graham has won re-election in South Carolina.

The next states to close at 7:30 are Ohio and West Virginia, two more pivotal states in these elections. Stay tuned throughout the evening for more information.

RMC Members Report on Election Day

As Election Day continues we are concentrating our efforts to remind each and every moderate voter to get out and support our endorsed mainstream candidates. We'll be reporting back once the polls close. Here are a few updates from RMC members in the field.

RMC Colorado members report that turnout in the state will well exceed 2 million voters. 1.7M of an expected 2.1-2.5M votes have been mail-in/early voting. And since the clerks can start processing 10 days prior to today, a very large % of results are expected to be released shortly after the polls close at 7pm MST.

Efforts to stop the dangerous Amendment 48 are moving in full force and we are proud to report that things are looking good that 48 will be defeated - hopefully by a large margin.

In California, voters seem to be leaning more to our side in voting against Proposition 4, another ballot initiative that would allow big government to interfere in private doctor-patient relationships and place teenagers in danger. Just days ago the polls had us down; but it's been trending more in the “NO” vote direction over the weekend and we are urging every CA voter to get out and vote no matter how late- every vote will count.

Members in the important swing state of Virginia are reporting long lines across the state and the lines are saturated with voters, both blue Democratic sample ballots as well as red Republican sample ballots. In short, this race remains a true swing state in the Presidential elections. Early reports are that many traditional GOP voters are crossing lines to support Democrat Mark Warner for US Senate. This is the seat that is being vacated by retiring GOP Senator John Warner.

Moderate Republican Rudy Giuliani was covered today with his thoughts that Senator McCain "has got to win all the states that are Republican states. In other words, he’s gotta bring back all the Republican voters” Giuliani believes that is still a strong possibility.

Analysts are reporting that this election will produce the largest percentage of voters in 100 years - in 1908 66% of voters turned out the highest percentage to date - this year is likely to break that record.


Keep sending RRM your updates on races, polling, campaigns, and your election experiences to Elizabeth at b.elizabeth.payne@gmail.com. We’ll continue to keep you updated here, so keep checking back as we get ready for an exciting night.

The Youth Vote is Out

This last summer, we established new youth voter outreach programs using Facebook, a social networking website that allowed us to connect with the new generation of Real Republican voters. Today, Facebook is being used as a giant GOTV effort and allowing it’s users to log in and state that they have voted. As of 12:00 PM EST, over 1,575,000 Facebook users have voted. Our Facebook fans are included in this number, and we’ve let them know about how and where they can go to vote for Real Republicans. We’re also receiving word from our younger members that election fever has gripped their campuses, with students taking the day off to volunteer at the polls. Many of these students are voting in their first elections, and are supporting our Real Republican candidates.

For more information on our Facebook page or to learn more about how young Real Republicans can become more involved, please contact Elizabeth at b.elizabeth.payne@gmail.com. Also, if you have a campus Election Day story to tell, let us know by sending Elizabeth an email at the address above. Please provide your location, school name, and first name with your story.

Volunteering in Connecticut’s 4th District

Bethany Vensel and Elizabeth Payne of RRM and RMC are volunteering in Connecticut. Here’s an update from them and their experiences.

It’s a cold morning in Norwalk, CT, but the energy at Rep. Chris Shays’s campaign headquarters is more than enough to combat the cold. The team is confident that the race is going well, and we’ve been hearing only positive things from the staff and large group of volunteers, however Congressman Shays still needs every vote he can get in this race.

One thing that is great about Congressman Shays is how positive his race has been. Shays, a real Republican, firmly believes in keeping races clean and positive instead of concentrating on the negative. That has made many voters support Shays and his style of campaigning. We’ll keep updating you from Norwalk- Bethany is out at a polling place and will check in soon, so keep your eye out for that.

If you have an RRM Election Day story to contribute, please send it to Elizabeth at b.elizabeth.payne@gmail.com, along with your first name and where you’re from. As always, keep checking back with us for more information.

Today is Election Day!

Today marks the day that the past year has been building up to: Election Day. RRM hopes everyone is getting out to vote today. Lines are expected to be long in “battleground” states, so we recommend that you leave extra time for voting today. Please keep checking back on the blog for updates as the day goes on. Again, please make sure your voice is heard—vote!

Tomorrow is Election Day!

Please get out and vote tomorrow, November 4th. Real Republicans at all levels are in close races and your vote will count. Let's make sure real Republicans are well represented in all states at all levels so there is a balance in government and common sense will prevail.

If you need help finding your polling location, please click here for more information.

Check in all day long with RRM.org for updates.

Five Days Left

There are just five days left before the elections. We know that many Americans are excited to see what will happen Tuesday night. Real Republican Majority will be updating throughout the day as exit polling numbers are reported and results come in. In the meantime, we’d like to again remind you about early voting options that are available in 35 states, along with the Nation’s Capitol. Please click here to learn about early voting, and make sure you are ready to VOTE, either early or Nov. 4th, and make your voice heard during these historic elections.

Early Voting Opportunities

Early voting has opened up in 35 states, along with the District of Columbia. This means that for many voters, they will be able to avoid the crowds on Election Day and vote before November 4th. We strongly recommend everyone to check their state laws and regulations on early voting, and what requirements are in place to qualify. For more information on state voting laws, please click here to visit Google Maps and the League of Women Voters’ non-partisan website on voting laws. These are truly historical elections and every vote will count- make sure you do everything possible to place your vote on or by November 4th!

Final Presidential Debate Tonight

Tonight is the final Presidential debate between Sens. John McCain and Barack Obama. It will take place at New York’s Hofstra University, and will be pivotal for both campaigns to make their final arguments to win over undecided voters. Moderator Bob Schieffer will focus on domestic issues; however the continued economic crisis is expected to continue to dominate, as it has in past debates. Tune into any of the major networks to watch the debate at 9 PM EST.

Second Presidential Debates Tonight

Tonight is the second Presidential debate for Senator John McCain and Senator Barack Obama. The debate will focus on economic and domestic policy issues, though the economic issues are expected to dominate most of the debate. This evening’s forum will be held in a “town hall” style that tends to favor Senator McCain, while traditional debate formats are Senator Obama’s strength. The debates will run at 9 PM on all major news networks, where they will be hosted from Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee. Please make sure to check back with the RRM blog tomorrow for a debate recap as we steam ahead towards November 4th.

VP Debate Recap

Last night was the first and only Vice-Presidential debate between Senator Joe Biden and Governor Sarah Palin. Though both are gaffe-prone, they came out without any major mistakes, but also with no real shining moment for either. Many who watched the debate felt that each candidate played their roles well in solidifying their Party bases, and that there was no real conflict between the two of them. Palin tended to stick to talking points and played up her “down-home” persona to play to Middle American voters. Biden seemed to concentrate more on facts and demonstrating his blue-collar routes. Many media organizations are saying today that the debates are a draw with no clear winner, and the attention is now turns back to John McCain and Barack Obama, who will be having their second debate next Tuesday at 9 PM.

VP Debate Tonight

Tonight is the highly anticipated Vice Presidential Debate. This debate seems to have more excitement surrounding it than the Presidential debates, and will likely be one of the most closely watched debates in years. Tonight will be the first time that Senator Biden and Governor Palin square off. All eyes are on Palin, who has had some gaffes in the last few days. Many are saying these mistakes only prove that she is inexperienced, and her performance tonight will be scrutinized for any blunders. Biden has been a figure in Washington for 36 years and is an effective debater but often comes off as aggressive and unauthentic. Will Palin be able to use her charisma and recapture the excitement from her Convention speech while convincing people she has the experience to be the number two person in charge of our nation?

A new poll shows that support for Sarah Palin is beginning to slip, mainly due to what voters perceive as lack of experience. An area that Palin as a lot of ground to make up for is with independent women voters. Nearly three in ten independent women have intensely unfavorable opinions of her, more than twice the proportion holding such views of Biden.

The debate starts tonight at 9:00 EST and will be carried on most major networks.

Deadline to Register to Vote

A reminder to real Republicans that the deadline to register to vote is around the corner in almost half of the states. Participating in this historic election starts with being registered to vote so you can make your voice heard. Registering to vote is different in each state, but is an easy process everywhere which requires completing a short form and mailing it in. Please check with your State Secretary’s office on deadlines, qualifications, absentee ballots, and polling locations. Many states’ deadlines are 30 days prior to Election Day, and October 4th is this Saturday- meaning that the time to register is drawing to a close. Take a moment to make sure you are registered with the proper address so that on November 4th you can vote in these truly historic elections.

For a state by state reference click here.

Debate Recap

This last Friday the Presidential candidates met for what was the first of their three scheduled debates. Most of the pundits are calling it a tie or a slight win for McCain. The debate was originally supposed to be on foreign policy; but because of the economic crisis it started off with financial and economic policy. Obama was stronger in this category than McCain. But McCain came back strong, proving his mastery of foreign and national security issues. Neither made any major mistakes and the debate was civil on both sides. But the debate did not seem to help any of the undecided voters make a decision as to who they feel would be best to run the nation.

This week is the highly anticipated Vice Presidential debate on Thursday October 2nd. After that, a town hall style debate between the presidential nominees is scheduled for next week.
How do real Republicans feel about the debate?

McCain Suspends Campaign

Senator John McCain has decided to suspend his campaign while Congress works on a fix to help ease the financial crisis and workout the details on the impending bailout. McCain has canceled campaign and media appearances. He has ask Senator Barack Obama to consider moving the debate which is scheduled for this Friday to a later date so that the Senators can focus fully on the economic bailout. Obama's camp has said they will not move the debate and this is the exact time the American people need to hear from their next President.

President Bush invited both candidates to the White House along with leaders from the Hill to work on the economic bailout. Both camps say the current $700 billion bailout plan is flawed and both have accepted the invitation.

First Debate this Friday

The presidential nominees will go head to head this Friday to debate foreign policy in the first of there debates scheduled for the next three weeks. The debates will be the first political discussion between the two men this election season.

The two men have different orator styles. Obama is a highly sophisticated scripted orator but his performances off script in some of the primary debates have been ineffective. McCain is a bit more clumsy when scripted but has a knack for off the cuff/one-on-one situations.

Also schedule for next week is the Vice Presidential debate. This debate might actually be more watched and scrutinized then the presidential debates. Biden is known for his tough style and is a seasoned veteran of Washington. But Sarah “Barracuda” Palin might not be easy prey for Biden.

Below is the complete debate schedule.

September 26, 2008: Presidential debate with foreign policy focus, University of Mississippi
October 2, 2008: Vice Presidential debate, Washington University
October 7, 2008: Presidential debate in a town hall format, Belmont University
October 15, 2008: Presidential debate with domestic policy focus, Hofstra University

RRM.org wants your opinion today!

The RealRepublicanMajority.org recently sent out tens of thousands of surveys to voters across the country. We want to know how real Republicans feel about the Party Platform and the direction it should go. In just over two weeks the Republican National Committee will hold the 2008 Platform Committee hearings. We are urging Party leaders to use this opportunity to promote a concise and common sense message which will reach out to voters across the country.
If you have not received one in the mail it is not too late to have your opinion heard. Click here and print out the survey and return it to:

Real Republican Majority
1660 L Street NW Suite 609
Washington, DC 20036

We are weeks away from the Platform debate so please do not hesitate. It is time for the moderate majority to take back our Party and be heard.

Real Republican Wins in Kansas!

On Tuesday, current State Treasurer Lynn Jenkins beat a better financed, more recognizable candidate - but one who has a record of being extremely conservative - to be the GOP nominee for Kansas’s Second District. This just continues to show the shift in our Party back towards the center. Candidates who put on decisive campaigns and focus only issues like abortion will be rejected. Republicans want real candidates who are guided by common sense and have valid solutions to the problems our country is facing today.

In races across the country, moderate candidates are beating out socially conservative candidates who only serve to alienate independent voters and continue driving a wedge in our Party. Jenkins ran a positive campaign as a fiscal conservative, social moderate and real Republican. If elected, she will bring change to Washington and change to the GOP.

For more information on Lynn Jenkins’ campaign or any of our Real Republicans please contact us at info@realrepublicanmajority.org.

Real Republican Wins in Kansas!

On Tuesday, current State Treasurer Lynn Jenkins beat a better financed, more recognizable candidate - but one who has a record of being extremely conservative - to be the GOP nominee for Kansas’ Second District. This just continues to show the shift in our Party back towards the center. Candidates who put decisive campaign only issues, like abortion, before the real issues facing voters will be rejected. Republicans want real candidates who are guided by common sense and have real solutions to our problems.

In races across the country moderate candidates are beating out socially conservative candidates who only serve to alienate independent voters and to continue driving a wedge in our Party. Jenkins ran a positive campaign as a fiscal conservative, social moderate and real Republican. She will bring change to Washington and change to the GOP.

For more information on Lynn Jenkins’ campaign or any of our Real Republicans please contact us at info@realrepublicanmajority.org.

Possible VP Annoucement

A major rumor hitting political circles this week is that GOP nominee Sen. John McCain would announce his Vice Presidential running mate. Many speculate that he will announce his VP on Sunday after Democratic nominee Barack Obama returns from his oversees trip and before the start of the Olympic games. If he announces during the Olympics there is a possibility an athlete’s accomplishment or human right protests could over shadow the announcement. He could announce after the games; however, that is when the Democrats will be meeting in Denver for their Convention. So an announcement might happen sooner then anticipated. McCain is adding fuel to the fire and being coy with the media on the topic.
This leads to the next big question: who will share the ticket with him?

Battleground States

Like in most Presidential elections, it seems that in 2008 a few key states will decide the outcome. This year’s map of battleground states contains familiar swing states from years past such as Ohio, Michigan, and Iowa. The states of the Rust Belt have been in play for the last several elections and will continue to be. There are new areas that are opening up on the electoral map like the Southwest, and states like Colorado. Colorado’s strong Hispanic concentration will make immigration policy an important issue. Conservatives can use issues like gun rights to their advantage. The South is also looking to be more of a toss up in states like Virginia and South Carolina. Both states have a large African-American communities and that has opened up the state for a possible Obama win. Both states have been traditional Republican strongholds.

Incumbent Congressman Loses Primary

The third incumbent Congressperson lost their primary this week, highlighting the hostility against incumbents. One of the country's most conservative representatives was ousted for a candidate who claimed to be even more conservative. Six-term Congressman from Utah's Third District Chris Cannon lost to former chief of staff to popular governor John Huntsman Jr., Jason Chaffetz who captured 60% of the vote.
Cannon had a cash lead and strong name identification. He also secured important conservative endorsements from The American Conservative Union and President Bush, who remains popular in Utah. But Chaffetz was able to paint Cannon as an insufficient conservative on issues like immigration. Chaffetz is likely to beat the Democratic nominee Bennion Spencer, a former television reporter.

Real Republicans Win in Maine!

Yesterday several states held primaries for House and Senate races. Common sense prevailed in Maine with Charlie Summers winning the GOP nomination for Maine’s First Congressional District.
Charlie is a real Republican with common sense solutions for some of our nation’s greatest challenges like healthcare and energy dependence. Charlie’s background in the armed forces as well as serving as State Senator gives him the experience and insight to be a great leader in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Charlie’s opponent was Dean Scontras who ran to the extreme right. He received the National Right to Life Endorsement. The results show how strong the moderate majority is in Maine: 59% Summers and 41% Scontras.
Charlie will face Democrat Chellie Pingree for the open seat in November. Though she will be a tough opponent, she is very liberal and the Summers Campaign knows that he more accurately reflects the people of Maine’s First District.
Senator Susan Collins who is a strong voice for the moderate majority in the U.S. Senate was also on the ballot. She faced no opposition. Representative Tom Allen won the Democratic nomination to challenge Collins. This will be a tough race for Collins but her record of common sense and the work she has done for the people of Maine will be tough for Allen to beat.

Tune in RealRepublicanMajority.org for more election updates.

Clinton Ends Her Primary Campaign

This Saturday, Democratic Presidential candidate Sen. Hillary Clinton formally ended her race for the Presidency and endorsed Sen. Barack Obama, who is now the nominee for the Party. In her concession speech, Clinton spoke of her historical race and thanked her millions of supporters to loud cheers from the crowd. However, when she spoke of Obama and gave her endorsement, a mix cheers and boos rang out from the audience. This demonstrates the biggest problem currently facing the DNC and Senator Obama: the alienation of the 18 million Hillary voters. The Illinois Senator has currently kicked off a swing state tour following his Virginia rally to help attract the Clinton voters. There is still no word on whether or not Senator Obama will offer Senator Clinton the vice-presidential slot on his ticket as a peace offering to her supporters.

GOP Nominee Sen. John McCain is also working hard to start attracting the Clinton vote. On his new Campaign blog, his staffers congratulated Clinton on a historic campaign, and also posted a picture of McCain and Clinton together. McCain has voiced his respect for Senator Clinton and Obama.

In other news, moderate Republican Charlie Summers has his primary in Maine tomorrow for the 1st Congressional District. Charlie has recently returned home from a tour of duty in Iraq and has been working hard to reach out and turn out voters. Charlie is a real common-sense Republican, and we urge Maine voters to vote for Charlie Summers tomorrow in the primary.

Obama has Enough Delegates to be Nominee

The Democrats finally have their nominee- well, maybe. Senator Obama passed the 2,118delegate mark and essentially clinched the nomination. In a speech to her supporters last night, Clinton acknowledged that Obama has the delegates to be the Party nominee but never conceded. Her tone was threatening at times, "I want the nearly 18 million Americans who voted for me to be respected, to be heard and no longer to be invisible." It is clear that she is holding out for something else. There is a flurry of speculation on whether or not the two will join on a ticket together. If she is not offered VP when will she concede? There doesn’t seem like an appropriate time. Does she wait until the convention?

GOP nominee John McCain officially kicked off his general campaign last night in Los Angeles against Obama. He said that Obama stands for the wrong type of change, one that has failed in the past. He continued that no matter who wins the election the country will change but that we have a choice between the right change and the wrong change.

In other primaries, former Rep. Dick Zimmer won the GOP nomination for New Jersey Senate race. He will now face incumbent Frank Lautenberg. Zimmer is a real Republican who is focused on returning the GOP to the core tenants of fiscal responsibility and limiting government intrusions in our lives.

Stay tuned to RealRepublicanMajority.org blog for up dates on all the election coverage.

Primaries in NJ and CA Today!

It is easy to forget about the all important races for the House and Senate when the media is so consumed with the Democratic Presidential nomination. New Jersey and California voters will go to the polls today to nominate their Party’s candidate. It is important that the real moderate majority participate in primaries so that GOP nominees better reflect the true intent of the Party. If moderates do not vote in primaries then we only have ourselves to blame when the nominees are extremist who put divisive social issues above all.

In other election news, today is the last Presidential primary taking place in Montana and South Dakota. Will the Democrats finally wrap it up? It is anybody’s guess. Clinton has a speech planned in New York which aides have described as a “farewell address”. Obama’s camp is synchronizing the endorsement of at least eight House and Senate superdelegates. All indications are pointing towards Obama being the Democratic nominee by the end of the week. However, Clinton continues to make the electability case to Party insiders. We will continue to monitor.

We will keep you posted on developments for all the primaries around the country.

DNC Makes Ruling on FL and MI

The Democratic National Committee’s Rules and Bylaws Committee reached an agreement on the fate of the Florida and Michigan delegations, which went against Party rules and moved up their primaries in hopes of having a greater presence in the nomination process. They were penalized by their Party (you said delegation, I was unsure), who revoked of their voting rights at the Convention. The Committee decided to be more lenient. The two states will be able to seat their delegation and each delegate will able to cast a half of vote.

The rule change has not drastically affected the delegate standing. Clinton still trails by 176 delegates while Obama is less then 50 shy of the new magical number of 2,118.

The other news in the Democratic primary race was Senator Clinton’s win in Puerto Rico. This was a rather lopsided victory in the mostly ceremonial primary. The final results were Clinton 62%, Obama 32%.

This is the last week of primaries in South Dakota and Montana. The week’s end could bring resolution to the Democratic nomination process. Insiders say that Clinton is poised to concede, but she continues to run ads in MT and SD that tout her lead in the popular vote. She still seems willing to take it all the way to the Convention and the Credentials Committee. It is easy to wonder if she is just holding out for a VP promise or another high profile administration position before she is willing to concede.

Last Night's Primary Results

Is the Democratic Presidential nomination race over? Well, it depends on who you ask. According to Senator Obama he has all but won the nomination. Last night Obama had a comfortable win over Senator Clinton in Oregon, 58% to 42%. He is less then a hundred delegates shy of the 2,026 needed. In a speech in Iowa he never declared himself the winner but his rhetoric indicated that he was looking past the nomination process towards the general election.

In last night’s other primary, Kentucky, the results there continue to expose his biggest weakness: white working class voters. Obama may have easily won Oregon but Clinton trounced Obama in Kentucky, 65 to 30. Clinton says she will continue to forge ahead to the last contests and is still lobbying to get the delegations from Florida and Michigan seated at the Convention. With only two weeks and three contests left (Montana, South Dakota and Puerto Rico), Senator Clinton is running out of options.

OR and KY Primaries Today

Today are the Kentucky and Oregon primaries for the Democratic Presidential Primary. While Senator Obama is hoping to seal his nomination by achieving the needed delegate majority of 2,026 (he currently has 1,915), Senator Clinton is hoping a strong win in Kentucky could validate her claims that Obama cannot win in swing states and among white, working-class voters. However, the Democratic party has started to work towards unity in the last couple days, with Senator John Edwards coming out and endorsing Senator Obama. If Obama achieves the needed delegate count today, which many have forecasted that he will, the pressure for Senator Clinton will increase tenfold, and many feel that she will be forced to drop out.
Please stay turned to the Real Republican Majority for updates.

WV and MS Results

In an unsurprising victory, Senator Clinton won yesterday’s West Virginia Primary with a 67%-26% victory. Clinton hopes the win will re-energize her floundering campaign by calling in to doubt Obama’s ability to capture the votes of working class white voters. Swing states like West Virginia are crucial to both parties in November and it is clear Obama will have trouble there if he is the nominee.
Even with the huge win Clinton still did not close the delegate gap, and the calls for her to bow out of the race are getting louder. Next week are the Kentucky and Oregon primaries. Clinton is favored to win Kentucky and Obama Oregon.
Yesterday also saw Democrat Travis Childers winning the special election in Mississippi. This is the third special election that Republicans have lost in solidly conservative districts. The losses have prompt questions on whether or not there needs to be a shake up in Republican leadership.

Barr Jumps into the Race and WV Primary

Former Republican Congressman from Georgia Bob Barr announced that he will be running for the presidency on the Libertarian ticket. Barr hopes that his message of renewed fiscal restraint and limiting military involvement abroad will resonate with voters, particularly the Ron Paul supporters. Barr will likely win the Party’s nomination at their convention this month in Denver.

Also, today is the West Virginia primary and Senator Clinton is expected to win big. She will use the likely win to continue to raise doubts on the Democratic front runner Senator Barack Obama’s electability, particularly among white working class voters. Obama’s campaign currently seems to be shifting his attention from Clinton to Republican nominee Senator John McCain in what will likely be the general match-up.

Next week is the Kentucky primary which Clinton is also highly favored to win.

The Democratic Race Continues

After a long night for both Sen. Clinton and Sen. Obama, the Indiana primary was called for Clinton, 51%- 49%. Obama won North Carolina in a much more clean-cut victory, 56%-42%. While Senator Obama was expected to win North Carolina, he was seen making some gains with middle-class voters. The close nature of the Indiana primaries has renewed the call for Clinton to drop out of the primary, but she vows to stay in. Since Senator Clinton is still staying in the race, the Democratic Presidential Primary will continue to rage on, with the next primaries in West Virginia (5/13), and Kentucky and Oregon on (5/20). Please keep checking back with the Real Republican Majority and the Real Republican Majority Blog for more updates.

Primaries in IN and NC Today

Today are the Indiana and North Carolina primaries. It is unlikely that these primaries will bring any resolution to who the Democratic nominee will be. Both campaigns are keeping their expectations low. Clinton’s camping has been setting the bar low, saying that in both of these states she started very far behind and is excited about where she is now. On the other hand, Obama has said that today’s round of primaries will be very close. The Real Clear Politics polls have Obama in the lead by 8 points in North Carolina and Clinton up by 5 in Indiana.
Long lines have already been reported in both states. Indiana has 72 delegates tied to today’s primary and North Carolina has 115. It is unlikely that the results will make a substantial change to the delegate race as the outcomes will likely be very close. Currently it is estimated that Obama has 1,745 and Clinton 1,602. To secure the nomination they would need 2,025 delegates, a number neither is likely to obtain. We will keep you updated on news from today’s primaries.

Democrat Wins LA's Special Election

Democrat Don Cazayoux beat former state legislator, Republican Woody Jenkins in this weekend’s LA-06 special election. The seat has been held by a Republican since the 1970’s. This is the second special election that the GOP has lost, despite the fact that it should have been easy for them to keep. Earlier this year the former Speaker of the House, Dennis Hastert’s seat turned blue in a district that has been red for decades.
What do these loses signal for the chances of the GOP in November? In both races the GOP candidates were flawed, both had mounted several unsuccessful campaigns in the past and had a reputation for losing. Jenkins was not a good fit for the district. He has a record of being too far to the right and unabashed pro-lifer who resorts to tactics like displaying plastic fetuses to make his point. He relayed too heavily on divisive issues and hoped to turn out the social conservatives while the Democratic candidate, who is also pro-life, focused on health care and the economy, two issues that better connected with the voters.
Although these loses can be contributed to weak candidates the GOP will have a tough time in November if they continue to push such divisive issues and ignore the ones people are actually concerned about. Let’s hope that these special elections serve as a wake-up call to the Party and candidates. The past tactics of running on social issues in hopes to turn out the far right base will not win elections any longer. If GOP candidates do not propose commons sense solutions to the real problems that voters care about we will see many more losses in November.

McCain Addresses Healthcare

Senator John McCain clarified his plan to help reform the national healthcare system today. His plan centers on offering tax credits to individuals and their families as incentive to purchase their own plans instead of relying on employers for coverage. He wants to encourage competition by allowing individuals to look at other states' insurance policies. He will also create a system of “last resort” insurers that would cover people with pre-existing medical conditions that have been rejected by other plans or who can not afford coverage.
McCain said in a speech that he has been working “tirelessly” to address the problem of healthcare but he refuses to create another entitlement program that will likely get out of control, nor with he make more federal mandates to states that cannot be properly funded. McCain has also pledged to work with governors and state officials as he continues to devise all the details of the plans. He said he has been inspired by the creativity of some states and how they have addressed the healthcare situation for their residents. He said he will be looking to the best state models and that his plan will be a collaboration of them.

Clinton wins Pennsylvania Primary

Yesterday Senator Hilary Clinton won the Pennsylvania Primary by a double digit margin. As last reported the results were:
Clinton 55%
Obama 45%

Updated delegate count estimate:
Clinton 1584
Obama 1714
* 2,025 need to secure nomination

Yesterday’s results do not bring the Democrats any closer to a conclusion towards their nomination process. Clinton has won the last three big state primaries, and is able to argue that Obama will have a hard time winning these states, particularly states that make up the Rust Belt come the general election. She has been able to capture blue collar voters better then Obama, an important demographic for the Democrats. However, Obama still leads in pledged delegates, popular votes, and number of contests won. Clinton will have to persuade superdelegates to cast their vote for her because she is the better candidate for the general election, even if the Democratic voters do not agree.
The focus now turns to Indiana and North Carolina, whose primaries take place on May 6th. The tone of the campaigns has been increasingly nasty. It will be interesting to see how this progresses as they move to the next round.

Tomorrow Penn Primary

After six long weeks of campaigning, the Pennsylvania primary will take place tomorrow and the Democratic presidential nominee may be decided. In their last desperate attempts to get every last vote the candidates’ campaigns have turned very negative. Clinton continues to run with the “bitter” attack and accusing Obama of participating in old style politics and disguising it in his message of hope. Obama’s campaign has aired its’ most negative ads to date, calling Clinton a “compromised Washington insider”.
Both campaigns have also sent out scores of volunteers, campaigners and surrogates in massive grassroots efforts across the whole state hoping to reach every voter and make the case for their candidate.
The polls currently see Clinton leading Obama by almost double-digits. Clinton will need a commanding lead tomorrow to show that she is still a viable candidate. She is down in the pledge delegate count, over all votes cast and number of contests won.
We will keep you posted tomorrow on any developments from Pennsylvania.

McCain on the Economy

Today John McCain will be laying out a new economic plan that proposes new tax cuts and utilizes the federal government to help revive the lagging economy. His plan’s central principle is tax cuts, including corporate tax cuts and making the Bush tax cuts permanent. He will also seek a temporary moratorium on the gasoline taxes during the busy travel summer month, as well as double the tax exemption for dependents. In addition, McCain reiterated his plead to slash wasteful government spending, along with proposing a freeze on discretionary spending. Finally, McCain will also call on wealthier senior citizens to pay higher premiums to qualify for prescription drug coverage.

08 Candidates at Iraq Hearings

All three White House candidates took part in hearings on Iraq this week when General David Petraeus and Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker were in DC to report on the war’s progress. The candidates used the opportunity to show the voters their commander and chief side. Their questioning stayed in step with their main Iraq arguments—McCain said progress is being made; Clinton there has been no progress; Obama called the war a colossal strategic mistake. McCain’s seniority on the committee allowed him to question the General first and ask Americans to reject proposal for a “reckless and irresponsible withdrawal of our forces at the moment when they are succeeding.” He promised doing so would result in failure. Clinton and Obama both pushed for an end date.
Today President Bush took the recommendation of Gen. Petraeus’ to keep current troop levels but promised that the war is not endless.

McCain Embarks on his General Election Campaign

As the Democratic Presidential nominees continue to duke it out, presumptive Republican Presidential nominee John McCain is using this time to introduce himself to the American people and set into place his general election campaign. In the last weeks McCain has been on what his camp has pegged as a “biographical tour” around the country. He has made stops at his alma maters and places that have significant meaning to him, using each stop to highlighting his military career and dedication to serving the American people. This time has paid off as his positive ratings continue to climb.

One area that the prolonged Democratic Presidential nomination process has hurt McCain is fundraising. He is substantially behind the Democrats in the money race. Many insiders are saying that the lack of media coverage and the fact that McCain seems not part of the race has hurt his ability to fundraise. Republican donors are not yet inspired to write the big checks because they don’t have a Democratic opponent who they want to beat.

Even though he lags in funding McCain runs neck and neck in most of the general match up polling. The last polling shows him running less then a point behind Obama and over two points ahead of Clinton.

Congress Takes Up Economy, Iraq and Immigration

Today Congress is back in session after a long Easter break. Three items are coming up that will be tricky votes for the three Senators running for the White House: the mortgage crisis, Iraq and immigration. A Senate vote is expected today on Democratic sponsored legislation that aims at easing the mortgage crunch. The legislation would grant bankruptcy judges more authority to modify mortgages, provide $200 million for mortgage counseling, permit state housing agencies to use revenue bonds for the purchase of homes in foreclosure and allow homebuilders to write off more losses from their taxes. The bill already fell to a Republican filibuster before the recess but the Democrats are going to give it another try.
The Democratic leadership has contended that the economy will dominate the debate in coming weeks, but next week Gen. Davis Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker are scheduled to testify to two committees which the three White House candidates serve on. This will definitely distract from the economic debate. As well Republicans are pushing for a vote on key immigration policy.
As the three most crucial issues come up it is apparent that Capitol Hill is where the presidential campaign will be waging its current battle. All three of these issues propose very tricky options for the candidates that will surely play out until November.

Gravel seeks nomination from the Libertarians

Mike Gravel, former Senator from Alaska, who has been running for the Democratic Presidential nomination has announced that he will be seeking the nomination of the Libertarian Party. Many may have expected Representative Ron Paul who has been seeking the Republican nomination to possibly look to run on the Libertarian ticket. He has run on the Libertarian ticket in the past. Gravel sighted being marginalized by the Democrats and not being able to participate in debates as the reason he has turned to the Libertarians. It doesn’t appear that the Libertarians want him. Their platform of limited government seems to clash with Gravels advocacy of universal health care, paid for with a national retail sales tax, among other things.

There are fifteen other candidates vying for the Libertarian nomination that will be decided during their convention held in Denver May 22-26.

Candidates Focus on the Economy

The economy has eclipsed the war in Iraq and health care reform as the issue of this election. This past week all three of the major candidates have addressed the topic, specifically focusing on the most distressing area of the economy the housing crisis.

Today Senator John McCain promised not to play election year politics and to look at solutions in terms of what will help ease the crisis now. He even suggested that he would be open to ideas that are a tangent to Republican Party lines. Saying “I will not allow dogma to override common sense.” He did say that he does not believe it is the role of the government to bail out people or institutions, small or large, who act irresponsibly. McCain has admitted that compared to his foreign policy and national security credentials he lacks when it comes to economic policy. He is work to change that perception.

Democratic candidates Barack Obama and Hilary Clinton have also proposed plans to help ease the strain on the house crisis and the economy. Both plans are similar which call for big government spending and bipartisan committees.

Obama Addresses Race

Yesterday Senator Barack Obama gave what has been characterized as one the most important speeches of his candidacy to date. The speech was a sweeping assessment of race in America. It also served to quell the firestorm that has surrounded inflammatory statements made by his former pastor. His language at times echoed the inspiration and idealism of the civil rights movement, but mostly served to address the politics of race.

“It’s a racial stalemate we’ve been stuck in for years. Contrary to the claims of some of my critics, black and white, I have never been so naïve as to believe that we can get beyond our racial divisions in a single election cycle, or with a single candidacy — particularly a candidacy as imperfect as my own.”

The last few weeks have been rocky for the Obama campaign. The airwaves have been filled with video of his former pastor Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr. making racist, anti-American comments at sermons Obama attended. Obama has had a hard time separating himself from these comments which has the potential to unravel his tight coalition of white and black voters. He could not shake the doubts that these comments had caused and told advisors that he wanted to address the public. The Obama campaign has keep race out of much of the debate and hopes to continue to do that. He has two more important speeches planned for the coming weeks on other topics.

Full transcript of the speech

Obama wins Miss

Last night Senator Barak Obama won the Mississippi primary but there is still no definite leader in the race for the Democratic nominee. The results last night were clearly in Obama’s favor, and as last reported were:

Obama 61%
Clinton 38%

The race now continues on to the Pennsylvania primary on April 22, where 188 delegates are up for grabs. Pennsylvania will be an interesting state and is still anyone’s to win. Clinton seems to fare well in larger states, but will the last two wins in WY and MI help give Obama a bump? Will Clinton continue the attack ads that seemed to help secure her March 4th victories in TX, OH and RI? It will be a long six weeks for the people of Pennsylvania.

As the Democrats continue to bash each other the Republicans are coalescing around nominee John McCain. Last week former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina was named Chair of the Victory Committee by the RNC. She will lead fundraising and get-out the vote efforts. After Easter McCain plans to launch his general campaigning starting with a biographical tour around the country In the mean time the Democrats will continue to be duking it out, unless a backroom deal is broker. Neither candidate seems willing to budge though.

Another GOP seat lost

Over the weekend Democrat Bill Foster won the special election to fill former Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert’s seat. The congressional district has been held by a Republican for decades and voted for Bush 55% in 2004. Both the RNCC and DCCC poured their resources into this race in order to set the stage for November. The Democrats can now continue to frame the elections as a referendum of change. If the Republican candidate had won, the Party could have contented that ‘06 is behind us and we are going to make gains in November. Perhaps more loses are what the Republicans still need. Hopefully we will now find candidates that have moderate views that more closely reflect the majority of voters. Maybe now the pandering to the extreme right will end, a plan that continues to back fire. It seems that the only way for real change to happen is for the Party to hit rock bottom and then we can build it back up with focus on common sense solutions.

The DNC's options for MI and FL

When Florida and Michigan said they were going to hold there primaries before February 5th the DNC said they would be punished by striping them of their state delegates and super delegates. Both states turned their noses up at the DNC and held them anyway. Now it is March and the earliest the Democrats could have a nominee is late April. MI and FL are begging for their delegates back. The DNC has several options but none seems to make either camp happy.

Clinton won both the MI and FL primaries but Obama's name did not even appear on the ballot in MI and the candidates had agreed to not campaign in FL. The DNC could just seat the delegates as the results are now, an option the Obama camp obviously does not favor. This also puts the Party in the position of looking weak. States would not be afraid of reprisal and could start holding primaries before Christmas 2012. They could always hold new primaries. The estimated cost of doing so could be in the tens of millions of dollars. Florida has said that would hold a new primary but the DNC would have to ante up the $18 million to do so. With the cost of launching a national campaign on the horizon, the DNC could not afford to spend $18 million on new primaries. There is the option of holding caucuses. The Clinton camp has said they would not participate in caucuses. And of course the DNC could just stick to their guns and punish the states for breaking Party rules. That would upset two very pivotal states come November.

Ultimately this Democratic in-fighting can only help the Republicans. As the Republican Party comes together to build a strategy to win the general, the Democrats will still be figuring out their nominee. No option makes everyone happy so the Democrats are going to have unhappy voters on their hands.

Bush Endorses McCain

Yesterday President Bush officially endorsed Senator John McCain as the Republican President nominee and unofficially transferring the symbol and head of the Party to McCain. President Bush pledged to campaign for McCain and will start fundraising for the national committee.

Does this endorsement help or hurt McCain? Bush’s approval ratings hang in the 30% range but he continues to have much higher ratings with people who consider themselves conservative. McCain could definitely use help courting the base that are skeptical of his conservative credentials. But general elections come down to independent and moderate voters, an area where the President is very unpopular. Independent voters seem to have been responding to this message of change that the Democrats have been using getting and too cozy with the President might turn off these voters who are ready for a new direction.

McCain Clinches Nomination

Last night Senator John McCain secured the Republican nomination after sweeping the night’s primaries and Governor Mike Huckabee conceded the race. McCain pledged the campaign "will be more than another tired debate of false promises, empty sound bites, or useless arguments from the past." Now the focus turns to who McCain will choose as his number two and solidifying a national campaign strategy.

Click to read all of McCain’s acceptance speech

The Democratic nominee is still unclear, now more then ever. Senator Hilary Clinton won three of the four primaries: TX, OH and RI. Obama won VT and still leads in the delegate count 1,451 to 1,365.

The next round of primaries for the Democrats are Saturday March 8th in Wyoming and Tuesday March 11th Mississippi. There are only about 60 delegates up for grabs in those primaries. The real fight is over the April 22nd Pennsylvania Primary where they will be battling for 188 delegates.

Primary day in TX and OH

Today Texas and Ohio hold their primaries. Polls show Senator John McCain with 20 point leads in both TX and OH and is only 177 delegates short of the 1,191 needed to secure the nomination. Huckabee still pledges to continue to campaign.
The Democrats appear to still have no end in sight. Many are saying it is a must win for Senator Hillary Clinton who has lost the last eleven primaries. Latest polls show she does lead in OH and the TX race is virtually tied.
McCain continues to shift his focus to the general election and today will give a preview on how he will run his national campaign. He said he will not only focus on the “must win” states, Florida and Ohio, but opt to run a campaign in every state. He even wants to be a competitor in California, traditionally a blue state. The Arizona Senator cited his western roots, environmental commitment and his appeal to Independents as reason he could be a viable candidate in CA.

Bloomberg "I'm not running for President..."

After months of speculation and toying with the idea New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg has officially declared that he will not be running for President of the United States. For the last several months evidence was mounting that he would launch an Independent run for the White House. He had begun expansive state by state research on the viability of his candidacy, as well as what it would take to get on each ballot. His access to unlimited recourses fueled speculation that he would be willing to spend upwards of one billion dollars on the campaign. Yesterday he was featured in an opinion editorial in the New York Times to end rumors of his possible Presidential candidacy.
Bloomberg, however, did not leave himself completely out of the race. He did change his mind about endorsing a candidate stating that this race is too important to stay out of and, “If a candidate takes an independent, nonpartisan approach — and embraces practical solutions that challenge party orthodoxy — I’ll join others in helping that candidate win the White House.”

The one-time Democrat, one-time Republican turned Independent has also been mentioned as a good Vice Presidential pick for both McCain and Obama.

Click to read the entire piece in the New York Times

McCain's VP Pick

Now that Senator John McCain has all but secured the Republican nomination, the next important question turns to who will be chosen as his running mate? While logic dictates that he look to someone with the skills to balance his perceived weaknesses, would the best candidate be someone with strong economic policy experience given the uncertain economic times we currently live in? Or will his priorities be centered on a running mate who is trusted by the noisy conservative wing of the GOP to shore up the doubts they have about his candidacy? Perhaps the best choice will be a person whose age balances McCain’s or whose ideology appeals to the middle where most American’s gravitate. And let’s not forget about those Independents that are being so successfully courted by Senator Obama these days. With their numbers and importance growing the choice of the right running mate could well be the key to the outcome of this pivotal national election.

Nary has a day passed when another potential VP candidate is rumored. We’ve all heard about Secretary of State Condelezza Rice, Senator Kay Bailey Hutchinson (R-TX.), and 47 year old Governors Tim Pawlenty (MN) and Mark Sanford (SC). Rob Portman, the 52 year old former Office of Management and Budget Director, U.S. Trade Representative and Congressman from Ohio, Senator Mel Martinez (FL) and Governor Charlie Christ also of Florida are more names heard frequently.

While it is clear there is abundant talent within the GOP to choose from, it is equally clear that Senator McCain must select a running mate that has the widest possible appeal to the majority of his Party and to the moderate factions of the electorate, no matter their affiliation.

McCain Wins in Washington, Wisconsin

Senator John McCain won handily yesterday in primaries in Washington State and Wisconsin. In Washington, McCain got 49% of the vote, compared to Mike Huckabee's 22%. Mitt Romney, who has dropped out of the race, got 20% of the vote there. In Wisconsin, McCain beat Huckabee 55%-37%.

Huckabee will continue on in the race. There are several weeks now until the next set of primaries, which will be delegate-rich states like Ohio and Texas on March 4th.

On the Democratic side, Obama won in Washington and Wisconsin, along with Hawaii, where only the Democrats competed. This gives Obama ten straight wins over Senator Clinton.

To read the full transcript of McCain's remarks following his victories, click here.

Washington State, Wisconsin Primaries Today

Voters in Washington State and Wisconsin are underway today in holding Presidential primary contests. Though Senator John McCain nearly has the GOP nod locked up, former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee is still vying for votes.

In total, 56 delegates are at stake today; 37 in Wisconsin and 19 in Washington. On February 9th, Washington State held caucuses which were determined 18 delegates to the National Convention. These delegates, however, will go to the Convention Unpledged, meaning their votes are not tied to any one candidate.

In both Washington and Wisconsin, the type of primary held will be an open primary, meaning that both Independents and Republicans can vote. As we witnessed in earlier states such as New Hampshire, this process benefits Senator McCain who has the ability to bring in Independents to the Republican Party.

With this weekend’s endorsement of Senator McCain by former President George H.W. Bush, Republican support seems to be coalescing around his candidacy.

Governor Huckabee spent time this past weekend campaigning in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and has stated that he is staying in the race to rally the Republican base, implying the far-right wing of the Republican Party.

To date, McCain has gained 830 delegates compared to Huckabee’s 217. Governor Mitt Romney, who recently dropped out of the race, asked his delegates to switch their support to Senator McCain. Because they are not required to make the automatic shift, McCain’s 830 total does not reflect Romney’s potentially additional 286 delegates.

President George H.W. Bush Endorses McCain

At a press conference in Houston on Monday, former President George H.W. Bush endored John McCain for president.

From his statement:

"Today we are living in a time of war, a new and vastly more complex time
of war. We also have more important challenges at home, chief among them, we
clearly need to address those parts of our economy that demand attention. And at
this critical time in history, the key point I want to make is the United States
of America cannot be permitted to falter. Part of our Republican creed is a
prevailing sense of duty. In the coming election, we do not have the luxury of
taking a pass on our unique role and responsibilities in the world. And the
indisputable fact that unites the greatest number of Republicans, most
independents and many good Democrats is the fact that no one is better prepared
to lead our nation at these trying times than Senator John McCain.

"As someone who also helped lead our great Party at the RNC and later as President, I believe now is the right time for me to help John in his effort to start building the broad-based coalition it will take for our conservative values to carry the White House this fall. His character was forged in the crucible of war. His commitment to America is beyond any doubt. But most importantly, he has the right values and experience to guide our nation forward at this historic moment. So I am very proud to endorse John McCain for the presidency for the United States of America. Few men walking among us have sacrificed so much in the cause of human freedom, and I am happy to help this remarkable patriot carry our Party's banner forward."

McCain Sweeps Potomac Primaries; Gilchrest Loses in MD

Senator McCain won all three primaries yesterday-- DC, Maryland and Virginia. This pushes McCain's delegate count total to 812 compared to Huckabee's approximate 217. Huckabee will stay in the race.

Political pundits were shocked that the Virginia race took so long to call. What that implies is that conservatives by and large voted for Huckabee, still unable to see McCain as a 'true conservative'.

In the Maryland Congressional race, incumbent moderate Wayne Gilchrest was defeated by far-right candidate Andy Harris. This is a huge loss to moderates across the nation as Congressman Gilchrest has always been an independent thinker and not one who was afraid to stand up for principle. Though the First District is generally a Republican District, the vote totals from last night prove otherwise. Democrats came out to vote in droves.

Some interesting figures:
Republicans Total Votes: 68,775
Democrats Total Votes: 65,541

Gilchrest Votes: 23,342
Harris Votes: 30,853

It is certain that many Gilchrest voters, who are not comfrotable with Harris' extreme positions, will choose to vote Democrat in the Fall. Could this be yet another district handed over to the Democrats?

Maryland's Gilchrest Faces Primary Today

Residents in Maryland, D.C. and Virginia will cast their ballot in the presidential primary today. Voters in Maryland's 1st District will also have the opportunity to vote for Congressman Wayne Gilchrest in his Congressional primary.

Senator McCain is expected to sweep all three locations, athought Governor Mike Huckabee has steadily been gaining in Virginia. The more interesting of the races will be on the Democratic side. Senator Barack Obama has a strong lead in the 3 locations; Senator Clinton has downplayed the races and lowered expectations of how well she will do today.

Congressman Gilchrest faces two far-right primary challengers. Gilchrest has been a strong common sense conservative for his district and has been an adamant supporter of environmental conservation, perhaps the most important issue for residents of his District. Unlike what most elected officials face in the rest of the nation, Congressman Gilchrest has been criticized for not being conservative enough. He has separated from the conservative wing of the GOP on some issues, such as the Iraq War, yet has received the endorsement of President Bush and other notable Republicans.

Gilchrest's opponents do not have the knowledge of the District nor the experience and background that Congressman Gilchrest does. Please continue to check back on updates on this election and the results of the presidential primaries today.

Huckabee Wins in Kansas, Louisiana; McCain Takes Washington State

Voters in Louisiana and Kansas held primary contests on Saturday. By a margin of 60%-24%, Mike Huckabee won in the Kansas caucuses and won in Louisiana by a margin of 43%-42% for Senator McCain. In Washington state, McCain defeated Huckabee 26%-24% with Ron Paul coming in at 21%.

Despite Huckabee's wins in Kansas, Louisiana and other more conservative states, Senator McCain has a sizable lead over him in delegates. Estimates stand that McCain has about 723 delegates compared to Huckabee's 217.

The 'Potomac Primaries' take place tomorrow, when Virginia, Maryland and the District will all hold their presidential contests.

Romney Suspends Presidential Bid

Mitt Romney announced the suspension of his bid for the presidential
nomination today at the CPAC Conference. This move virtually hands over
the nomination to John McCain, who swept many of the Super Tuesday primary
states earlier this week.

In his statement, Romney said,

"In this time of war, I simply cannot let my campaign be a part of aiding a surrender to terror. This is not an easy decision. I hate to lose. If this were only about me, I'd go on. But it's never been only about me. I entered this race because I love America, and because I love America, in this time of war I feel I have to
now stand aside for our party and for our country."

Romney secured just 175 delegates on Tuesday, a disappointing showing for the former Governor of Massachusetts who poured millions of his own dollars into the campaign. Each state GOP is allowed to determination how they will reallocate his delegates.

McCain Attempts to Unite GOP

In a statement made yesterday, Senator John McCain appears to be reaching out to all factions within the GOP to bring unity to a divided Party. McCain has recognized his status as the Presidential front-runner and is clearly aware of the fact that he cannot win the general election without the support of moderate Republicans and Independent voters.

From the AP:

“I think they’ve made their case against me pretty eloquently,” he said,
adding wryly, “if that’s the right word.” He asserted that the pundits’
conservative hero Ronald Reagan — and his — reached across the aisle to
Democrats just like he wants to do as president.
“I do hope that at some point we would just calm down a little bit and see if there are areas that we can agree on for the good of the party and for the good of the country,” he said.

Today McCain and Romney both address the annual CPAC (Conservative Political Action Committee) Conference, where McCain is expected to make his case of why the far-right conservative wing of the GOP should support him.

Updated Delegate Allocation

We're still waiting on complete allocation numbers from several states-- the largest being California, though the state was called for McCain who brought in 42% of the vote. Please visit the presidential spotlight section for more details.

McCain – 559 total (including early primary states)
Alabama: 13
Alaska: 3
Arizona: 53
California: processing…
Connecticut: 27
Delaware: 18
Georgia: 3
Massachusetts: 17
Illinois: 55
Missouri: 58
New Jersey: 52
New York: 101
North Dakota: 6
Oklahoma: 32
Tennessee: 15

Romney – 265 total (including early primary states)
Alaska: 12
Colorado: 22
Illinois: 3
Massachusetts: 22
Minnesota: 38
Montana: 25
North Dakota: 8
Tennessee: 9
Utah: 36
West Virginia: 1

Huckabee – 169 total (including early primary states)
Alabama: 14
Arkansas: 25
Georgia: 45
North Dakota: 5
Oklahoma: 6
Tennessee: 21
West Virginia: 18

Paul – 16 total (including early primary states)
Alaska: 5
North Dakota: 5

California Called for McCain

California was called for Senator McCain; the exact delegate count is still unknown. California allocates its delegates on a winner-take-all system by Congressional district, as opposed to by the entire state. This means that although McCain won the most delegates, his opponents may have won their fair share of the 170 delegates available today.

The current delegate count stands at:

McCain – 475 total (including early primary states)
Arizona: 53
California: 11 (still processing…)
Connecticut: 27
Delaware: 18
Illinois: processing...
Missouri: 58
New Jersey: 52
New York: 101
Oklahoma: 29

Romney – 151 total (including early primary states)
Colorado: processing…
Massachusetts: 21
Montana: processing…
North Dakota: processing…
Utah: 36

Huckabee – 93 total (including early primary states)
Alabama: processing…
Arkansas: 10
Georgia: 33
Oklahoma: 6
Tennessee: processing…
West Virginia: 18

Paul – 6 total (including early primary states)

More States Polls Closed; Results Called

Mitt Romney just finished speaking in Massachusetts, one of only 3 states he's won tonight. He vowed to stay in the race and delivered an uplighting speech despite his 'failure' thus far tonight.

McCain – 383 total (including early primary states)
Arizona: 53
Connecticut: 27
Delaware: 18
Illinois: processing...
Missouri: processing...
New Jersey: 52
New York: 101
Oklahoma: 23

Romney – 135 total (including early primary states)
Colorado: processing...
Massachusetts: 5
North Dakota: processing…
Utah: 36

Huckabee – 54 total (including early primary states)
Alabama: processing…
Arkansas: 10
Georgia: processing...
Tennessee: processing…
West Virginia: 18

Paul – 6 total (including early primary states)

New York, Delaware Called for McCain

New York, a hugely delegate-rich state, has been called for McCain. He adds 101 delegates to his total. Delaware was also called for McCain, with 18 delegates.

Total Delegates to Date:
McCain – 208 total (including early primary states)
Connecticut: 27Delaware: 18
Illinois: processing..
New Jersey: 52
New York: 101

Romney – 99 total (including early primary states)
Massachusetts: 5

Huckabee – 54 total (including early primary states)
Arkansas: 7
West Virginia: 18

Paul – 6 (including early primary states)

Arkansas Called for Huckabee

The state of Arkansas has been called for Mike Huckabee. Delegate allocation is still being processed. The current counts stands at:

McCain – 190 total (including early primary states)
Connecticut: 27
Illinois: processing..
New Jersey: 52

Huckabee – 54 total (including early primary states)
Alabama: processing..
Arkansas: 7
West Virginia: 18

Romney – 99 total (including early primary states)
Massachusetts: 5


Georgia has become a three way race between Huckabee, McCain and Romney. The crucial area comes down to the Atlanta suburbs.

Several States Called in GOP Primary

Illinois, Connecticut and New Jersey have been called for John McCain. Alabama has been called for Huckabee. Massachusetts was called for Mitt Romney.

Georgia, one of the more conservative states participating in a primary today, is still too close to call. McCain and Huckabee are just points apart there. Stay tuned for more...

Huckabee Declared Winner in West Virginia

Mike Huckabee has been named the winner in the West Virginia caucuses this afternoon. West Virginia is a winner-take-all state, so Huckabee will pick up 18 delegates, bringing his grand total to 47 delegates.

The current delegate standing is:
John McCain: 111
Mitt Romney: 94
Mike Huckabee: 47

1st Round of WV Caucuses Complete

The first round of caucuses in West Virginia is complete. Because there was not a clear majority, voters will enter a second round of caucuses.

The results of the first round of delegate apportionment were:

Mitt Romney: 40
Mike Huckabee: 33
John McCain: 15

Stay tuned for results from the second round of votes.

Today is Super Tuesday!

Twenty-one states will hold GOP Presidential contests today. With over 1,000 delegates at stake, we may see a nominee by the night's end.

California is being reported as one of the states to watch closely--John McCain and Mitt Romney are running neck and neck in polls there. California is expecting an unprecedented turnout today. Last week Senator McCain scored the endorsement of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger-- a factor that may prove to benefit him today. What is even more interesting about the California primary is that voters will be using paper ballots. It may not be until late into the night or early tomorrow that we have an official result. Polls close at 8pm local time in the state. 173 delegates in total are up for grabs in California alone.

Stay tuned to this blog throughout today and tonight for up-to-the-minute news from around the country. The presidential spotlight page of our site has current polls, primary processes and more. Please check it out!

Governor Schwarzenegger Endorses John McCain

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger announced his endorsement of Senator John McCain this afternoon, a coveted endorsement that may help deliver the delegate-rich state of California to McCain.

To watch the full endorsement, click here.

RMC Issues Statement on Giuliani Exit

Republican Majority for Choice Statement on Mayor Giuliani’s Exit from Presidential Race

“Today we applaud Mayor Rudy Giuliani for his strong effort in the race for the Republican Presidential nomination. Mayor Giuliani ran a campaign of ideas and real solutions that tried to bridge the gap in a broken GOP.

“For the first time in years the debate was focused on real issues that all Republicans care strongly about. Issues like keeping Americans safe at home and abroad, solving the dilemma of sky rocking costs for entitlement programs and promoting real solutions to the illegal immigration debacle that seems to be beyond resolution.

“Mayor Giuliani stayed true to his convictions and made it clear that he would work with common sense and common ground as his guide. We have no doubt his candidacy restored the faith of many centrist Republicans who had lost confidence that the GOP could once again lead with common sense. We urge the eventual Republican nominee to take a page from this playbook, keep the rhetoric limited, the real solutions plentiful and the message broad enough to welcome all Republicans into a Republican Big Tent and encourage Independent voters to join us.”

McCain Wins Florida; Giuliani Expected to Drop Out of Race

Senator John McCain won the GOP presidential primary in Florida yesterday, coming in with 36% of the vote. Governor Mitt Romney placed second with 31%. Rudy Giuliani and Mike Huckabee placed 3rd and 4th with 15% and 13% respectively.

It appears that Florida will be the end of the line for the Giuliani campaign. Reports from late Tuesday revealed that Giuliani would drop out of the race and endorse Senator McCain. This development is huge for the McCain campaign. The next major contest- Super Tuesday on February 5th- includes a host of states that Giuliani at one time had wrapped up. States such as New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and California would then pledge their delegates to Senator McCain. Governor Romney alledges he plans to campaign in several of these states, but there is still a question of whether he will be able to really play a strong role.

On the Democratic side, Senator John Edwards is also expected to drop out of the presidential race today. There are no reports of whether he will make an endorsement today.

Florida Primary Today

57 delegates are up for grabs in today's Florida presidential primary. Candidates have been campaigning hard in the state for the past 10 days. This primary is the first where every candidate has spent significant time and resources clamoring for votes.

Final polls heading into today's election show Senator John McCain with a 4 point lead over Governor Mitt Romney. Rudy Giuliani, Mike Huckabee and Ron Paul are also competing for votes. This state was expected to go strong for Giuliani, but in recent weeks he has fallen in the polls both in-state and nationally. In fact, there are rumors that he could withdraw his presidential bid as early as Wednesday. The candidate, however, believes he will have a strong showing and expects to continue his bid into the Super Tuesday states.

How will the election change after Florida's primary? Will a clear front-runner emerge, or will we still have a contentious battle as February 5th approaches?

For more, click here.

Bush Gives Final SOTU Address Tonight

President Bush will deliver his final State of the Union Address tonight. The economy is expected to be at the forefront of his address as our nation faces a potential recession. Last week, Democratic and Republican Members of the U.S. House came together to support a bill that would give individuals earning up to $50,000 a year rebates in the amount of up to $600 and couples earning up to $150,000, up to $1200 rebates.

Bush is also expected to talk about hte war in Iraq and the troop surge that seems to have been working as the violence in that region is down. Bush's address comes just one day before the Florida GOP presidential primary.

For more, click here.

Candidates Participate in Final Debate Before Florida Primary

Last night, the remaining GOP Presidential candidates gathered at Florida Atlantic University in their final debate before Tuesday's primary election. Rudy Giuliani, John McCain, Mitt Romney, Mike Huckabee and Ron Paul answered questions from NBC's Tim Russert and Brian Williams along with the President and Editor in Chief of the St. Petersburg Times.

Overall, the debate was friendly and had virtually no attacks from one candidate to another. The major issue addressed was the economy and thoughts on the economic stimulus package that gained bi-partisan support this week in Congress. Romney and Giuliani announced their support for the bill but said it did not go far enough.

Latest polls that the election in Florida is still anyone's game, but Romney and McCain are currently the leaders of the pack. Yet, as we saw on the Democratic side in New Hampshire, polls can prove to be very wrong in the end, as Clinton's landslide was not predicted by a single poll.

Click here for the full transcript from last night's debate. Be sure to check out the presidential spotlight section for more stories on the debate plus updated polls.

Results from Nevada and South Carolina

Mitt Romney won the non-binding caucuses in Nevada over the weekend with 51% of the vote. Also on Saturday, John McCain pulled out a win in South Carolina with 33% of the vote. Mike Huckabee finished second there with 27%.

Duncan Hunter, a Congressman from California, dropped out of the race because of his low numbers in the early battleground states.

Up next for the Republican Party is Florida on January 29th. Florida will be an interesting state to watch because it is the first state that Rudy Giuliani is expected to play a serious role in. Giuliani has dumped much of his resources into the state and has already had supporters participating in early voting.

Romney Takes MI

In an expected and unsurprising result, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney has been declared the winner of the Michigan primary held yesterday. With 100% of the precincts reporting the final results are:

Mitt Romney: 39%
John McCain: 30%
Mike Huckabee: 16%

The results illustrates the fact that there is no clear front-runner thus far into the primary season. With Mike Huckabee's Iowa win, John McCain's win in New Hampshire, and now Romney's win in Michigan, the field is wide open and candidates who expect to come into play in Florida and the February 5th 'Super Tuesday' states still have a strong opportunity to win the GOP nomination.The Romney campaign poured millions of dollars into the state of Michigan and ran more ads than any other candidate. He also made a special point to ensure that voters knew of his family's history in Michigan, as his father was Governor there in the 1960s.

In the largely uncontested Democratic race, Senator Clinton easily won with 55% of the vote. The other major candidates did not participate in this primary. Some question how much of a victory this really was with 40% primary goers voting as uncommitted.

Up next is South Carolina and Nevada, who head to the polls on Saturday, January 19th. Stay tuned to this website for more on the Presidential Primaries.

Michigan Primary Day

Today marks the 3rd presidential primary of 2008 as Michigan voters head to the polls to choose their candidates. Though this is Romney's home turf, today's updated polling shows him trailing Senator John McCain by a small margin, 27%-26% with Mike Huckabee in third at 15%.

If Romney loses today's election, this could be the end-all of his campaign. He recently pulled ads from South Carolina and Florida (January 19th and 29th, respectively) to focus solely on winning Michigan. He has vowed to stay in the race through February, but a loss today will hinder his fundraising success as voters will look to other frontrunners to support.

RealRepublicanMajority.org will make more election coverage as today goes on.

New Presidential Polls

Michiganders will vote tomorrow in the GOP presidential primary- the 3rd state to do so in the 2008 election.

New polls released over the weekend show John McCain leading Mitt Romney in Michigan by a margin of 27%-24%. Michigan is Romney's home turf-- his father was Governor of the state in the 1960s. The future of his campaign is riding on his success there. New national polls show McCain leading Mike Huckabee 28%-20% (ABC News/Washington Post). A CBS News/New York Times poll shows McCain leading Huckabee 33%-18%.

This presidential race is very close and any of the candidates still have a chance to win. Michigan will be an interesting state to watch, but what happens on February 5th, Super Tuesday, will really set the stage for the 2008 general election.

McCain, Clinton Win in New Hampshire

Senator John McCain revived his presidential campaign in a major victory over former Governor Mitt Romney in New Hampshire yesterday. The vote tallies were:

McCain: 37%
Romney: 32%
Huckabee: 11%
Giuliani: 9%
Paul: 8%
Thompson: 1%

Romney's strategy completely failed him. His entire plan was to win in Iowa and New Hampshire and use momentum to carry him through to the GOP nomination. His campaign is not on its last legs, and if he loses one more, his campaign will be over. Next up is Michigan on January 15th. Romney's father was once of the Governor of that state, and he has many other relatives who have run unsuccessfully for public office there.

Mayor Rudy Giuliani has been laying low in these early primaries, waiting to come into play in Florida on January 29th and compete heavily in the states that will vote on Super Tuesday, February 5th.

On the Democratic side, Senator Hillary Clinton staged a huge comeback, beating Senator Obama 39%-36%. All of the polls and political pundits got New Hampshire wrong here as Obama was up as much as 30 points in the final polls.

Stay tuned to this website for more on the presidential primaries.

New Hampshre Primary Today

Polls opened as early as midnight in some places in New Hampshire, the site of the nation's first primary. Some results have already come in, showing McCain leading in Dixville Notch and also leading Mike Huckabee in Hart's Location. These numbers will continue to change as the day goes on.

What effect will the New Hampshire results have on the rest of the primary season? If McCain wins, will he have staying power, seeing that his campaign is already low on funding and infrastructure, or will Giuliani have an opening as there won't be a clear front-runner heading towards February 5th?

Stay tuned to RealRepublicanMajority.org for the latest news and updates.

Latest NH Polls; Weekend Debates

Today is the last full day the GOP candidates have to make the case of why voters should choose them before Tuesday's primary election contest takes place.

A Reuters/C-SPAN/Zogy poll shows John McCain leading Mitt Romney 34%-29%. A CNN/WMUR/UNH polling of likely voters in the state showes McCain over Romney 32%-26%. And finally, McCain leads Romney 34%-30% in the latest USA Today/Gallup poll.

The outlook is not good for the Romney campaign. If he loses tomorrow, his run for president is essentially over. For months, Romney has led in both Iowa and New Hampshire and his campaign strategy was dependent upon his success in thoses two states. On Saturday, Romney won the Wyoming caucus; however, no other candidate made an effort in that state, so his win means virtually nothing.

The candidates also participated in two debates, one hosted by ABC, the other by FoxNews. Romney was targeted the most in both debates, largely for his flip-flopping on major issues. Romney himslef admitted to changing his positions. For a link to the ABC debate, click here. Stay tuned for a link to the full FoxNews debate.

Huckabee and Obama Win Iowa

In two decisive wins, former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee and Senator Barack Obama won the Iowa caucuses last night.

Republican Huckabee surged in the poll over the last month, defeating former MA Governor Mitt Romney who outspent Huckabee in a 20 to 1 margin. 60% of voters who turned out to vote in the Iowa election described themsevles as Evangelical Christians. This demographic certainly played to Huckabee's advantage. The question now is, will Huckabee be able to ride this wave of momentum? Likely not, as the next primary will be next Tuesday, January 8th in New Hampshire, where voters have a long history of supporting individual freedom and where Huckabee will not find such a base of religious voters.

In order to remain in the race, Romney MUST win New Hampshire. His entire campaign has focused on being able to win Iowa and New Hampshire and buidling momentum from there. With Iowa out of the picture, all eyes are on New Hampshire. If he fails to come in first, it's all but certain his campaign is over.

The full results for the night were:
Mike Huckabee: 34%
Mitt Romney: 25%
Fred Thompson: 13%
John McCain: 13%
Ron Paul: 10%
Rudy Giuliani: 3%
Duncan Hunter: 0%

For complete coverage, click here.

'08 Elections Begin Today

The caucuses in Iowa are underway as voters there decide who they want their Republican and Democratic nominees to be in November 2008.

There is much hype that surrounds the Iowa caucuses, however, what is rarely mentioned is the actual impact that Iowa election holds: Republican voters in Iowa have only 40 Delegates available to them to send to the GOP Convention in St. Paul which has the power to officially nominate the person who will represent our Party in the November general election. Iowa, being one of the smaller states in the U.S. in terms of population, carries little weight in the overall number of delegates needed to win the nomination. More populous states, such as Florida which has 129 delegates availble, will have a greater impact on the nominating process.

While most of the GOP nominees have put all their eggs in one, or two, baskets-- Iowa and New Hampshire-- other candidates have examined the delegate selection process and have seen the importance of doing well in other, more populous states, many of whom head to the polls for primary day on February 5th.

No doubt, the momentum of past elections has propelled candidates from Iowa straight to the general election, but this year will prove to be much different. Never before have we seen so many states holding primaries in early February and with so little time between the states' elections. It is imperative to watch how the importance of these Iowa caucuses change the ultimate outcome of the election.

Countdown to Iowa Caucuses

Tomorrow, voters in Iowa will participate in caucuses to vote for both the Republican and Democratic Presidential candidates. All eyes are on this state as it is the first to partake in the 2008 elections. Governor Mitt Romney and Governor Mike Huckabee are the leading contenders for the GOP, and the race is a virtual dead heat as the margins of error are considered in polling numbers.

Earlier this week Governor Huckabee called a press conference to unveil a new ad attacking Romney, but at the last moment at the press conference, announced that he would not air the ad on television. However, he still showed the ad to the press which enabled reporters to record the video in the room and air the ad themselves on their respective networks. Clearly, Huckabee knew what he was doing by allowing press to see the ad-- he could still call himself the 'good guy' because he did not participate in an attack of him main opponent in the state, yet was able to get the message across that he wanted voters to know about Romney's record. Hopefully voters will be able to see through this tactic.

For more on polling in Iowa and the other early primary states, click here.