Christie is a contender for 2016 for the simple reason I am expecting as in past previous GOP primaries the conservative base vote to be split up among various candidates from Rand Paul to unfortunately re-treads like Rick Santorum. The main problem Christie has is if Gov Scott Walker runs. Walker has the same cred as Christie in terms of fighting and winning battles against the public sector unions but Walker does not have the same problems with So Cons as Christie will. 

During the Mexican-American war the Slave states wanted to annex all the Mexican states on what is now the US-Mexican border.

Hayak warned about how gov't would get more and more oppressive as it tries to respond to the consequences of its rules and regulations.  Any employer in CA would shut their mouths and immediately do the necessary adjustments to avoid ObamaCare. How would CA then try to prove intent?  That would require more intrusion and this "Whack a Mole" keeps going and going.    

I think the US should stay of this conflict. If Assad is overthrown another war will break out between the secularists and the salafists. The US will then have a better understand which side is which.

The people who fled Castro was the upper and middle class of pre-Castro Cuba. They have a totally different mind set then the bottom of the barrel socioeconomic status people who come to the US from Mexico and Central America. 

How do former and current Irish "British out" Republicans feel about all of a sudden a united Ireland containing a significant portion, Ulster Protestants, who would harbor resentment to becoming part of the Republic. I would imagine a significant portion would feel the Republic should get a taste of what the IRA did to Northern Ireland?

No it does not. The Supreme Court has allow "public policy" exceptions. Whether SSM falls under that exception is being debated in the courts right now. For example, New York State is not forced to recognized a concealed carry permit from say Texas. 

I live in Virginia. Distilled liquour can only be purchased at state run ABC stores and said stores are closed on Sundays. Gov. McDonnell wanted to privatize liquor sales but one of the major groups opposing this move was Social Conservatives.

Unfortunately this type of confusion occurs when using American political labels for European political parties. Traditionally, parties that emphasize nationalist or "blood" ties have been described as "Right". This is to contrast with the so-called transnationalism and class struggle of "Left" Marxist parties. As people have pointed out once you get below the veneer of nationalist or class claims both extremes are the same.  

I don't really feel sorry for Cyprus. 

1: Would Cyrpus be such a popular off shore banking haven if it was not for the Euro? Would Russians and other put billions of dollars into Cyprus if it still used the Cypriot Pound/Lira? 

2: These banks bet big of Greece probably because of cultural affinity and chasing a few extra basis points above say German debt. They got burned badly. Now they are insolvent.

3: Cyprus has two options. It took the EU bailout which involved uninsured deposits taking a  big hit. The other option was to leave the Euro and bring back its own currency. What would happen in that case? The new Pound/Lira would of most likely been devalued by a huge percentage. Based on purchasing power all Cypriot deposits would of taken a major haircut. Iceland devalued and the only reason foreign depositors were made whole was become the UK and other governments paid them. One major benefit of leaving the Euro is it would not face generations of austerity.

There is a half a loaf in that I am sure the four liberal justices would love to strike down DOMA on equal protection grounds invalidating all the state laws/amendments.  If Kennedy writes the opinion then marriage will be left up to each of the 50 states.

The reality is according to a slew of polls that came out recently SoCons have lost. I posted about polls from several sources showing the Pro-Life at at Post-Roe low. Here is the link to the latest WaPo poll on gay marriage:

http://www.langerresearch.com/uploads/1147a5GayMarriage.pdf

The poll had a 58% Pro-Gay Marriage response. The startling thing is the time series.

Francis I is not the first Non-European Pope in terms of geography. There were Popes from the Non-European areas of the Roman Empire. From Wikipedia the last one was St Gregory III during the 8th century from modern day Syria.

McCain and Graham are Exhibit A of what is wrong with the Old Guard GOP. Do you think a Democratic would do what they did even if they privately disagreed with a fellow D-Senator. 

They are making their own choices. They enjoy the single life in NYC and I can't blame them as someone with first hand knowledge of what NYC has to offer. This is about as biased a sample of single women as one can get since the greatest opportunity cost of having kids, what one is giving up, is in NYC. The ulgy truth about modern life is it is antikids. I mention this before but kids were economic assets back in pre-industrial days; they could help on the farm from an early age. What was someone giving up by starting a family? Really nothing, for example, travel was for a tiny sliver of society. With modern travel, dollar costs, cultural opportunities, and yes a critical mass of other singles the opportunity costs of children are massive. I don't blame these women they like the freedom of going to cool places in NYC, I would guess travel around the world, etc and find the alternative of moving out to suburbia Long Island and dining out is a trip to the Oive Garden with the kids in tow not appealing.   

The problem is I have seen lots of cases of formerly GOP bed rock areas going Blue or at a minimum Purple due to migration.

1: VT due to burnt out New Yorkers who moved after making their fortune on WallStreet

2: NH: Ex-Bostonians and New Yorkers  

3: NoVa: When I was young and drove south on I-95 from NY to FL you felt you entered the South when you crosses the Woodrow Wilson Bridge. Now NoVa is the same as being in any other part of the Northeast Corridor.

4: NV, OR, WA and CO: Ex-Californians

It seems those left behind in places like NY, CA etc get Bluer and Bluer. I do not know of any case where a Blue has gone Red due to migration.

Yes in the short term these Red areas are benefiting but over time the Blue Staters who moved there will take over.