Flap's Blog – FullosseousFlap's Dental Blog

Yesterday, the national press picked up on the fact that Meg Whitman was apparently a go for a run for California Governor in 2010.

Today, Whitman, the former President and CEO of eBay, was seeking support from Republican Legislators in the State Capitol.

Whitman, a Republican, was meeting today with members of the GOP caucus not yet aligned with anyone in the 2010 governor’s race.

They’re harder to find than you might think, as Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner has stumped hard among Republican lawmakers for their support.

Poizner, who first won elective office in 2006, has already garnered the support of 31 of the 44 GOP state legislators.

It seems non-productive and down-right destructive for two well financed GOP players to face each other in a divisive primary election for Governor.

Might Meg Whitman be persuaded to run instead for the U.S. Senate against Barbara Boxer?

Like Flap said the first time.

Di Fi may not like Leon Panetta for CIA Director but she can read the political tea leaves and now calls for the U.S. Senate to seat Roland Burris.

The chairman of the Senate Rules Committee has parted with many of her Democratic colleagues and says that the Senate should seat former Illinois Attorney General Roland Burris.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California said Tuesday that Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, however tainted by corruption charges, has the right to appoint someone to President-elect Barack Obama’s former seat. The Rules Committee decides whether Burris is qualified to serve.

Feinstein said that blocking Burris would have ramifications for other governors’ appointments.

Well, Harry Reid has few legal remedies since every MAJOR legal scholar predicts the U.S. Supreme Court would seat Roland Burris anyway.

So, Harry Reid will say ashucks tomorrow and seat Burris before the political damage spins out of control.

In the meantime, the Illinois GOP is licking its chops to challenge the 70 year old plus appointed Senator in two years tainted by Hot Rod Blagojevich whose impeachment is just beginning.

Jeb Bush says no to a run for the U.S. Senate from Florida in 2010.

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush will not run for the open Senate seat of Sen. Mel Martinez, he announced in a statement released moments ago.

“After thoughtful consideration, I have decided not to run for the United States Senate in 2010,” said Bush. “While the opportunity to serve my state and country during these turbulent and dynamic times is compelling, now is not the right time to return to elected office.”

Flap does not blame Jeb. The GOP will not have anywhere close to a majority in the Senate in the next few election cycles and Jeb can keep his powder dry for a possible Presidential run in 2016. Jeb already has the GOP cred and executive experience to run for the Presidency.

This is not the last we have heard from the Bush family.

A new study tries to debunk the notion that California African-American voters spurred to the polls by the election of the first African-American President, Barack Obama overwhelmingly supported California Proposition 8 that restored the traditional definition of marriage (one man and one woman).

A new study of voting patterns on Proposition 8, the November ballot measure that would outlaw same-sex marriage, concludes that African American support, reported by exit pollsters at 70 percent, was at least 10 percentage points lower.

The high reported support levels among black and Latino voters for the measure, which won voter approval but is now being challenged in court, led to post-election controversy and conclusions that non-white voters provided the margin of victory for Proposition 8.

The new study, commissioned by the San Francisco-based Evelyn and Walter Hass Jr. Fund and released by a consortium of gay rights groups, was conducted by two New York college researchers. It concludes that party affiliation, political ideology, frequency of attending church and age “were the driving forces behind the measure’s passage” rather than ethnicity.

When voting results were adjusted for those factors, the researchers concluded, “support for Proposition 8 among African Americanss and Latinos was not significantly different than other groups.” They put overall black support for Proposition 8 at “no more than 59 percent” rather than the 70 percent found in exist polls of voters.

“These figures point the way to winning marriage equality for same-sex couples sooner rather than later,” said Jaime Grant, Ph.D., director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Policy Institute. “Convincing the Republican Party that continued gay bashing will cripple its future is one; another is accelerating the already strong surge in support among young voters.”

An interesting study that really compares apples to oranges in a number of their analyses but the reader can read it here (PDF).

The November California Proposition 8 was a “PERFECT STORM” for the passage of gay marriage in California. A down GOP year, an accelerated Democrat registration drive plus turn-out for Obama, optimized ballot language by a sympathetic California Attorney General and a Presidental election year turn-out of voters should have produced a victory for gay marriage proponents. But, it didn’t.

Why?

There is No doubt the No on Proposition 8 Campaign was poorly run but the fact is that California voters simply do NOT support gay marriage and the considerable political baggage that accompanies its legalization. And, an almost 60 per cent African-American support for a gay marriage ban is nothing to overlook. But, does it really matter?

The homosexual lobby will try again (when the California Supreme Court upholds Proposition 8 as constitutional) but will be less likely to obtain even 48 per cent they received last November. Younger voters will return to their habit of ignoring elections and GOP voters will return to the fold of turning out to vote disproprtionately in non-Presidental election years. Gay Marriage = FAIL.

There has not been one election in ANY state where gay marriage has passed the muster of voters. It won’t be happening anytime soon in California either – despite what homosexual political scientists desire.

Caroline’s popularity with New York voters has been in a nosedive in the polls but it may all be moot for a number of reasons.

Caroline Kennedy‘s popularity has suffered a “clear hit” as a result of her public campaign for Hillary Rodham Clinton‘s Senate seat, while Attorney General Andrew Cuomo’s positive ratings have shot up, according to a new poll.

According to Public Policy Polling, of Raleigh, N.C., 44 percent of New York State voters now say they have a less favorable opinion of Kennedy than they did before she started vying for the position. Thirty-three percent say it’s made no difference, and 23 percent report now having a more favorable opinion of her.

Cuomo now leads Kennedy 58-27 in a survey of the preferences of state voters. Among Democrats, Cuomo is ahead of Kennedy 54-34 percent; a month ago, the survey found Kennedy ahead of Cuomo by 44-23 percent among Democrats.

• Will Caroline Kennedy, despite her wealth for a self-funded campaign, be of sufficent stature to defeat former New York Governor George Pataki or Rudy Giuliani, both Republicans?

• Will New York Governor David Paterson defuse a possible Democrat Primary election for himself by appointing New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo to the Senate?

• And, it ALL may be MOOT should Hillary Clinton run into confrirmation problems on the Hill.

Stay tuned……