This would of course shine a new and rather queasy light on what people were really angling for when they voted for Bush because he was "the kind of guy you'd have a beer with".

But it could be a factor in the primary. One of my female friends was just idly speculating to me about the likelihood of Barack Obama becoming "the most beautiful president ever".

I am not a huge Obama supporter. But, I viewed him as the candidate with the best chance of securing the nomination who would take seriously a campaign commitment to progressive change.

I am not a Clinton-hater. But, I am a Democrat who has a supreme dislike for former chairman Terry McAuliffe. McAuliffe is a snake-oil salesman and wheeler-dealer who spends most waking hours securing contributions and making deals on behalf of cash-flush special interests.

When I stopped channel surfing long enough to see and hear "slick Terry" gloating over the Clinton's alleged comeback from the dead, I realized the hidden-hand of the Democratic establishment had pulled off a fast one. First, in his shopping list of things that put Hillary over the top in N.H. he quickly mentioned her "very human moment" when voters could sense her real commitment to doing good. I wanted to puke.

Then it all hit me. The game since Iowa inside Team Clinton was really quite simple and almost too predictable. First, don't only downplay your prospects but leak rumors that everything inside Team Clinton is in turmoil. Turmoil to the degree that Mark Penn and others may get canned. Then, let the media juice up the negativity by doing what it would naturally do: pump up Obama.

If you look at virtually all the polls from Sept 2007 and on Hillary had a consistent lead over Obama. In fact, by virtually every indicator, an Obama finish in second place, less than 3 points behind Clinton, would have been a HUGE victory from which he could have moved forward to South Carolina and beyond with real upward momentum.

Instead, the Clinton's and the lapdog media acted like a few thousand Iowa voters (really just people standing in different corners of rooms during a caucus but without the a secret ballot) had decided that Obama was the frontrunner but a double digit majority. In other words, if Obama did ANYTHING in New Hampshire other than win by 10 or more, Hillary would once again make a Clinton the proverbial "comeback kid."

The news cycle today should be celebrating a major trend over a period of a two months during which Obama has finally caught up with Clinton and is now within striking distance. Instead we're all focused on the "surprising Obama loss."

Bottom Line: The same Democratic Party CORPORATE establishment that wanted to destroy Howard Dean's candidacy is at it again against Obama and will likely prevail. They always win. And, in the GOP it's the same game. In the end Huckabee, and probably McCain, will lose out to a "back from the grave" Romney once their power brokers realize Mitt can keep their profits rolling in. The one possible difference is McCain wants the presidency so bad, he could make a deal to get the nod and not rock the boat. Any notion that John McCain is the great example of virtue is sheer claptrap. McCain has already hired the same media thugs whose sleazy tactics did him in in 2000.

If this all sounds pessimistic that's where it all leaves me. I honestly believe anyone who thinks this is real democracy at work and that it's good for the Democratic Party is delusional.

Mitt "back from the grave" Romney - I like that.