In New Hampshire, Ron Paul is beating Fred Thompson the actor like a rented mule

A new blog, launched by Arrianna Huffington that's called "Off the Bus" (a riff on Timothy Crouse's interesting book about the media and politics called "The Boys on the Bus") covered Ron Paul up in New Hampshire.

Among the interesting tidbits:

-- Paul is outpolling former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson 7.4 percent to 4.6 percent.

What's it all mean?

"Poll author Dr. Mike Dupre, senior fellow at St. Anselm's Institute of Politics, .... said this is the point in the race at which polls in early primary states start to become more important than the national polls, and he said Paul's margin over national media darling Fred Thompson (4.6%) only confirms what NH motorists can see with their own eyes.

The number of signs on private property is a key indicator of a campaign's true strength, Dupre told students. "You see Ron Paul signs on people's property," he observed. "You don't see Fred Thompson signs."

Paul supporters were optimistic even before these most recent poll results were announced, with some drawing comparisons to Pat Buchanan's upset victory in New Hampshire's 1996 primary."

Also ...

"Dupre and his colleagues agreed that the Republican primary race is wide open in New Hampshire. In fact, 44% of New Hampshire voters are undeclared (independent) and may elect to vote in either party's primary. Among undeclared voters, the St. Anselm's poll showed that a full 40% had not decided which primary they intended to vote in."

Whereabouts in Surfside do you figure the next Western White House might be?

I hope it's north of Beach Drive cause the sand over there is rapidly disappearing, leaving a rather unsightly mess.

They better ramp up trash pickup on the beach and run a few of the better-known rummies off the island. The mainstream media would just have a field day with that now wouldn't they, considering all their nitpickin about Crawford.