Reasons to be cheerful...

The second half of Tim Hames's article gives the GOP a couple of reasons to be cheerful. Not too cheerful though - staff at Bobballs are more convinced by the top half.

To be fair though Burke's Corner has been peddling this line for a while. Indeed, a CNBC poll puts McCain ahead in NH by 8%. Five hours to go before polling - let's wait and see...

But you know what would be nice. Right about the time that both parties are tied up in Indiana and North Carolina primaries, we're holding our US Investment conference.

You know who's a big businessman with a spare cuppla mill' that could do with a good news foreign policy platform some time soon? Yip, the same one that agreed to a visit back in December!

So Michael Bloomberg is still allowing his name to be linked into the race, he comes in May, spreads a little money about, hooks up with Bertie & Gordon etc, does his statesman act, shows how well he works alongside senior White House officials, and goes back home having contributed to peace building in one of the world's most enduring and intractable conflicts, and having appealed to Irish America finally declares his candidacy?

Is it too incredible? Can Northern Ireland have a role to play in the presidential election? Will Northern Ireland become part of the stump for the US presidential election? Without a primary programme, an independent candidate must forge his own agenda.

Sure, we could get Bill Clinton in March (though not likely, surely). But a bona fide candidate? It's a tantalising prospect...