Thanks to the Democrats, George Allen is Bigger than Ever!

President Franklin D. Roosevelt once said "I ask you to judge me by the enemies I have made." If I were to apply this principle to U.S. Senator George Allen, then I contend the Democrats have unintentionally elevated him as the primary contender for the Republican Party's 2008 Presidential nomination. You see, if the liberals are attacking Senator Allen that hard, then according to Roosevelt's adage, the Republican base is persuaded to think he must be a helluva conservative.

It should come as no surprise to anyone, except the Democrats, that the most recent polls show Senator Allen is not weakening as a result of several racially-based hits against him, but is actually drawing strength. In fact, he enjoys a 5-point lead and now appears to be distancing himself from his opponent, Democrat Jim Webb.

Unfettered and unrestrained, Allen's foes greedily unleashed on the Virginia Senator because I'm convinced they, well, they feared him. I mean, honest to goodness, to the core and way down deep, they were threatened by him. For some time now, Democrat party strategists worried the likable senator had the credentials and qualities to make a serious run at retaining the Nation's highest office under Republican control for another four years.

So when he stumbled, they pounced.

Smelling blood in the water, the Democrats poured it on in the hopes they would finish him off. Droves of giddy partisan scalawags and energized political hacks frothing at the mouth were unyielding in their efforts to push a story that should have lost its momentum weeks ago. The evidently remorseful and repentant Senator had to answer recriminations for making what many people considered a racially-motivated slight that was caught on videotape during a campaign rally against his opponent's campaign staffer.

In spite of his repeated apologies, the regrettable statements from the junior senator of Virginia were roundly considered to have been a major setback to his Senate re-election and a mortal blow to any Presidential aspirations he may have been harboring. But it now seems the opposition may have over-satiated on the blood and made a tactical mistake in attacking him with such fierceness and ferocity hoping he would crumble and be cast into the dust heap of political could-have-beens.

Although none of the faithful defended his statements (mainly because they were indefensible), the Republican supporters instinctively sensed that Senator Allen was a good man who spoke inappropriately, but that he did not deserve the bruising over-reaction. After all, who amongst us has not stuck his foot in his mouth at one point or another?

Few were aware of Allen's resiliency before all this started, and today he is now known by the party faithful as the man who walked through the opposition's fire and survived; the man who showed admirable grace and stoicism in the face of ardent charges of racial indifference; and as the man who didn't break under adversity. These are venerable leadership qualities people! And now many are starting to notice. Another inadvertent result of the Democrat's fervent obsession with destroying Senator Allen's reputation is that his appearances on the Nation's largest television networks showing him contrite as he offers sincere apologies have provided him valuable national exposure and enviable name recognition.

In the end, the Democrat's eagerness to take advantage of a political opportunity and deal a knockout blow to a potential Republican presidential candidate caused them to overplay their hand. I submit the Democrats have affirmed yet another famous American truism, "A beggar mounted will ride his horse to death".