Hot Candidates

Which candidates in the presidential sweepstakes are generating most interest? There are those the pollsters say lead in Iowa and New Hampshire which may differ from the polls of the entire country. The the news outlets amplify whatever the meaning of those particular results. But can you believe what you see and hear??

Our internet tracking based on searches for bumperstickers, hats, buttons and t-shirts shows interest in only three candidates. Hillary Clinton, Fred Thompson and Rudy Giuliani. Interest in Hillary is many times more than the combined interest in Fred and Rudy. Interest as expressed in purchasing a product to support one candidate is all Hillary. We believe that the results based only on clicking on a candidate's products, without a purchase, are not trustworthy. In some instances the same individuals clicked hundreds of times on their candidate to create to appearance that many people were interested in that person. Click fraud is one word for that.

Al Gore's followers seem to understand that he is no longer interested in running and there is little activity to report for him.

If you want to purchase candidate buttons, bumper stickers, hats, t-shirts, bags and more -- see www.CandidateStuff.com. And remember, some of these items may become sought-after collectibles in time!

Mac the Obsercer

Is Joe Biden Standing Up for Iraq?

Joe Biden is voicing a different message than the other democratic candidates for president. He has indicated his support for strengthening the regional governing powers in Iraq and incorporating them under a national federation as a means to quell the ethnic strife. Is this what is needed to make progress in Iraq? Perhaps trying something different is a good idea!

Mac the Observer

Do We Care Enough to Find the Best?

Summer has only hours remaining and the leaves are preparing for winter. Who are voters watching? Most interest we have seen is centering on Hillary Clinton and Fred Thompson with people purchasing hats and bumper stickers for each of the hopefuls.

Although the slate of potential contenders is impressive, there is also an incredible list of negatives attached to most of them. Does anyone really think Fred has the stamina and interest to be president? Will Hillary Clinton ever be able to convince those who hate her to come together? Can Rudy run on security while those who worked for him in NYC complain about his leadership? Is Obama that unaware of his inexperience? What about John McCain's stubborn attitude toward the war? Perhaps it is time to look at some of the less-prominent candidates. Bloomberg has removed himself from the fray but could be a powerful candidate, as could Chuck Hagel or Bill Richardson. One thing is certain: the problems facing the next president will be massive, the available funds limited, international goodwill bruised, but the challenges will surely provide opportunity for someone to carve out a substantial reputation. Who we select will probably shape our country and the world for decades to come. Is the electorate so discouraged and disenfranchised with politics at this point to really care? That is the biggest worry here. Can we be serious and pick a president who will be capable of at least some of what is needed?

Show your support of a candidate with hats, t-shirts, bumper stickers and more at CANDIDATESTUFF.com

Mac the Observer

Recent Candidate Activity

Perhaps the political scene is seeping in to the public awareness now that labor day has passed and Fred Thompson has jumped in to the water. We have seem much interest recently in Fred and in Hillary and their supports are purchasing hats from candidatestuff.com.

T-shirts and bumper stickers are not popular at this point. After the primaries they may be more visible.

Mac the Observer

Little Interest in Candidates this week

With political news somewhat on hold until the report on Iraq comes in, there is not much activity showing up on our candidate monitors. We have seen a tiny bit of interest in John McCain, Fred Thompson, John Edwards, Al Gore and John Kerry (really). It is fair to say that the interest shown in these individuals is extrememly weak, but the other candidates are not registering any interest at all this week.

It is rather interesting that many recent hits on www.canditatestuff.com are coming from a RushLimbaugh domain!

Mac the Observer

Hurricane Karl?

Now that we in the dangerous time of hurricanes, we should keep a look out for "Hurricane Karl." This "storm" has the potential to cause much damage and the cone of uncertainty includes the entire United States. We all need to prepare for the possibility of high winds, dangerous tides and a major surge.

Mac the Observer

What About Joe Biden?

We talk about the top democratic candidates in the presidential race, but there are others who are also worthy of consideration. Think about Joe Biden. In the last "debate" he came across as smart, bold, and informed. He has plenty of relevant experience and yet seems in touch with ordinary people. On the issue of Iraq he is the only person with a plan that is more articulated than just saying how many months or weeks before some or all of the troops are pulled out. Joe sees the need for partitioning Iraq. Can that be so bad? Can anything be worse than the state of Iraq now? It may be time to take a look at some of the candidates who are not in the front pages. How about looking at Mr. Biden? Here's his officical website.

One of the interesting observations I have made is that the candidates more likely to grab the attention of the public also are the ones with a large and interesting assortment of product designs. Joe Biden is right up there will the best in terms of nice designs!

If you want to grab up a hat, magnet, bumper sticker or t-shirt promoting Joe Biden, come on over to CandidateStuff. You can also find items to support many of the republican and democratic candidates for president, too.

Mac the Observer