Change Talks, Experience Walks

---by Micheal

NH primary voters surprised the media pundits. After Iowa, they were all hyped up that THE key word was "change." They were trying to spin the American "mood" (like we only get one?) as demanding "change." They thought they had us all figured out.

All of the candidates picked up on this media presumption. In their last debate all of the GOP candidates were shoehorning the word "change" into their carefully crafted responses. The pundits took this as vindication that they were right (not that they might have caused the cavalcade of change-words).

What's fascinating, is that the voters of New Hampshire did NOT do what the pundits predicted. New Hampshire voters picked McCain and Hillary. Both strongly tout their experience. They're proud of knowing the old ropes and familiarity with how things are done. This is not change. These are champions of their respective status quo.

Hillary is the heir apparent to the old guard 90s liberal agenda. Whatever the many-headed beast of liberalism has declared proper (gay marriage, welfare, abortion, socialized medicine, etc.), she has been the champion. There's no change there. Well, I suppose there would be a change for America if she gets into the White House, but that's the change of old liberal for old conservative. Not really a change in the sense the pundits liked, as in 'something new.'

McCain, as much as he cultivates the maverick image, is old school Republican. He's pushed all the usual Republican buttons. There's no change there either. If he gets to the White House, it would be a change in style perhaps, but nothing radical. He'd just give the liberals someone new to vilify.

Prior to the Iowa caucuses, the media and pundits predicted who the two "obvious" front runners were (Hillary and Romney). Iowa picked two others. So, it's not that the pundits were just wrong, you know. Oh no. It's that America is demanding change! The pundits then predicted that New Hampshire would opt for the candidates of change. But no. NH picked the big status quo candidates.

Okay pundits. Now what mood is America in?