Any thoughts on McCain's VP Pick?
blackredyellow
Posts: 5,889
While I'm not a McCain supporter, I do enjoy watching politics in general and I am very interested on how the republican vp selection will pan out.
I think the article below points out some challenges that he has. Personally, I think Romney is the logical choice for him, but I do think that there definitely is some negatives that go along with him.
Biden is wrench in McCain's VP choice
Jeanne Cummings Wed Aug 27, 5:34 AM ET
DENVER — Democrat Barack Obama’s selection of Joe Biden as a running mate is complicating Republican John McCain’s analysis of his prospective vice presidential contenders.
Biden will make his formal debut Wednesday with a primetime address. McCain is expected to announce his pick after Obama accepts his nomination here on Thursday.
Some insiders are pressing McCain to make a strategic selection, one that beefs up his economic strength, enhances his chance to grab a state or amps up the partisan firepower.
“McCain knows Biden well. He knows how good he is as a knife fighter. He’ll take McCain apart,” said one Republican operative.
But a review of the much-rumored McCain shortlist clearly exposes the weaknesses each person on it might bring if matched up against the six-term senator from Delaware.
• The star of former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney seemed to be rising this summer in tandem with voters’ increasing anxiety about the economy.
But a McCain gaffe over how many homes he owns — he told Politico he didn’t know the exact number — would take on new life if multimillionaire Romney became his running mate.
Democrats already have calculated that the two men own a dozen homes between them, valued at a total of about $35 million.
That message could hurt McCain in two ways: It undercuts his argument that Obama is an out-of-touch elitist and would make Romney a poor match to Biden’s middle-class upbringing and common-man appeal on the stump.
• Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty’s strength is youth and executive experience. On television talk shows, he’s also shown a willingness to level attacks against Obama, although they are largely a reiteration of campaign talking points.
But Pawlenty, 48, may seem too young and inexperienced when measured against Biden, 65, who was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1972 — when the governor was just 12 years old.
During his service in the Senate, Biden has become a respected voice on foreign affairs. President Bush called him for advice after the Sept. 11 attacks.
Biden also is a two-time presidential candidate and a skilled sparring partner with years of practice against Republicans in the upper chamber — experiences that have given him a familiarity with partisan debate on the national stage that Pawlenty lacks.
A nationally televised Biden-Pawlenty debate “is unthinkable,” said one Republican insider.
• Former Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge could be a better match to Biden’s national security credentials. Ridge’s service in the Bush administration after the Sept. 11 attacks provided a crash course on terrorism and national security issues.
As a former Pennsylvania governor, he could be a powerful counterweight to Biden’s Catholic upbringing in Scranton, a working-class Keystone State enclave that went heavily for Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton in the primaries but could be up for grabs in November.
Ridge also is capable of throwing stinging political punches and has become a mainstay on the political talk-show circuit.
But there are downsides to a Ridge selection.
He is a supporter of abortion rights, which would aggravate McCain’s already uneasy alliance with his party’s conservative wing.
Ridge has tried to assuage conservatives about his abortion stance by stating that he would defer to McCain’s position calling for overturning the landmark Roe v. Wade ruling establishing abortion rights.
But such a nuanced position would be fertile turf for Biden to try to accomplish two goals: painting Ridge as a flip-flopper and driving a wedge between McCain and many independent and swing women voters on the abortion issue.
Another Ridge weakness is that a consulting firm he created after serving in the Bush administration recently disclosed a large lobbying contract with Albania.
Obama would seize on that contract to undermine McCain’s efforts to position himself as a crusader against the professional advocacy class.
While McCain aides are pressing for a strategic pick, insiders say the independent-minded Arizona senator has approached the decision through the lens of governing: Who would add value to policy debates, and who is best prepared to step into the top spot?
• That approach tends to enhance the credentials of Connecticut Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman, a recently turned independent who has an easy rapport with McCain and who has already run for vice president as a Democrat.
But Lieberman’s long history as a Democrat could make for a bizarre debate with Biden — with the two of them sharing long records supporting labor causes and abortion rights and a host of other issues that would infuriate McCain’s activist base.
In essence, said one insider, a Lieberman pick “means McCain would run a campaign without a core constituency of the Republican Party.”
Phyllis Schlafly, of the conservative Eagle Forum, was more blunt: “I think there would be a walkout on Lieberman at the convention. He’s not a Republican.”
McCain’s rethinking doesn’t mean that the Biden pick doesn’t open some doors.
While Biden enhances Obama’s foreign policy credentials, he doesn’t represent an effort to reach out to moderate voters. Both men are ranked among the Senate’s most liberal members.
Brian Darling, a political analyst at the Heritage Foundation, says McCain doesn’t “need to answer” the Biden pick and could take advantages of the geographic flexibility it suddenly offers him.
“If this election is going to be as close as the polls indicate, Joe Biden doesn’t change the map at all,” said Darling.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/politico/20080827/pl_politico/12867
I think the article below points out some challenges that he has. Personally, I think Romney is the logical choice for him, but I do think that there definitely is some negatives that go along with him.
Biden is wrench in McCain's VP choice
Jeanne Cummings Wed Aug 27, 5:34 AM ET
DENVER — Democrat Barack Obama’s selection of Joe Biden as a running mate is complicating Republican John McCain’s analysis of his prospective vice presidential contenders.
Biden will make his formal debut Wednesday with a primetime address. McCain is expected to announce his pick after Obama accepts his nomination here on Thursday.
Some insiders are pressing McCain to make a strategic selection, one that beefs up his economic strength, enhances his chance to grab a state or amps up the partisan firepower.
“McCain knows Biden well. He knows how good he is as a knife fighter. He’ll take McCain apart,” said one Republican operative.
But a review of the much-rumored McCain shortlist clearly exposes the weaknesses each person on it might bring if matched up against the six-term senator from Delaware.
• The star of former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney seemed to be rising this summer in tandem with voters’ increasing anxiety about the economy.
But a McCain gaffe over how many homes he owns — he told Politico he didn’t know the exact number — would take on new life if multimillionaire Romney became his running mate.
Democrats already have calculated that the two men own a dozen homes between them, valued at a total of about $35 million.
That message could hurt McCain in two ways: It undercuts his argument that Obama is an out-of-touch elitist and would make Romney a poor match to Biden’s middle-class upbringing and common-man appeal on the stump.
• Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty’s strength is youth and executive experience. On television talk shows, he’s also shown a willingness to level attacks against Obama, although they are largely a reiteration of campaign talking points.
But Pawlenty, 48, may seem too young and inexperienced when measured against Biden, 65, who was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1972 — when the governor was just 12 years old.
During his service in the Senate, Biden has become a respected voice on foreign affairs. President Bush called him for advice after the Sept. 11 attacks.
Biden also is a two-time presidential candidate and a skilled sparring partner with years of practice against Republicans in the upper chamber — experiences that have given him a familiarity with partisan debate on the national stage that Pawlenty lacks.
A nationally televised Biden-Pawlenty debate “is unthinkable,” said one Republican insider.
• Former Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge could be a better match to Biden’s national security credentials. Ridge’s service in the Bush administration after the Sept. 11 attacks provided a crash course on terrorism and national security issues.
As a former Pennsylvania governor, he could be a powerful counterweight to Biden’s Catholic upbringing in Scranton, a working-class Keystone State enclave that went heavily for Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton in the primaries but could be up for grabs in November.
Ridge also is capable of throwing stinging political punches and has become a mainstay on the political talk-show circuit.
But there are downsides to a Ridge selection.
He is a supporter of abortion rights, which would aggravate McCain’s already uneasy alliance with his party’s conservative wing.
Ridge has tried to assuage conservatives about his abortion stance by stating that he would defer to McCain’s position calling for overturning the landmark Roe v. Wade ruling establishing abortion rights.
But such a nuanced position would be fertile turf for Biden to try to accomplish two goals: painting Ridge as a flip-flopper and driving a wedge between McCain and many independent and swing women voters on the abortion issue.
Another Ridge weakness is that a consulting firm he created after serving in the Bush administration recently disclosed a large lobbying contract with Albania.
Obama would seize on that contract to undermine McCain’s efforts to position himself as a crusader against the professional advocacy class.
While McCain aides are pressing for a strategic pick, insiders say the independent-minded Arizona senator has approached the decision through the lens of governing: Who would add value to policy debates, and who is best prepared to step into the top spot?
• That approach tends to enhance the credentials of Connecticut Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman, a recently turned independent who has an easy rapport with McCain and who has already run for vice president as a Democrat.
But Lieberman’s long history as a Democrat could make for a bizarre debate with Biden — with the two of them sharing long records supporting labor causes and abortion rights and a host of other issues that would infuriate McCain’s activist base.
In essence, said one insider, a Lieberman pick “means McCain would run a campaign without a core constituency of the Republican Party.”
Phyllis Schlafly, of the conservative Eagle Forum, was more blunt: “I think there would be a walkout on Lieberman at the convention. He’s not a Republican.”
McCain’s rethinking doesn’t mean that the Biden pick doesn’t open some doors.
While Biden enhances Obama’s foreign policy credentials, he doesn’t represent an effort to reach out to moderate voters. Both men are ranked among the Senate’s most liberal members.
Brian Darling, a political analyst at the Heritage Foundation, says McCain doesn’t “need to answer” the Biden pick and could take advantages of the geographic flexibility it suddenly offers him.
“If this election is going to be as close as the polls indicate, Joe Biden doesn’t change the map at all,” said Darling.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/politico/20080827/pl_politico/12867
My whole life
was like a picture
of a sunny day
“We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses.”
― Abraham Lincoln
was like a picture
of a sunny day
“We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses.”
― Abraham Lincoln
Post edited by Unknown User on
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Comments
There are significant Mormon populations in the battleground states of Colorado and Nevada. Plus Romney is originally from the battleground state of Michigan where his dad was a popular governor. McCain's biggest weakness is the economy and that's Romney's biggest strength. Plus if you listen to Limbaugh and Hannity, they're pretty much cheering on McCain to take Romney to make conservatives happy and that should help to unite the party.
- 8/28/98
- 9/2/00
- 4/28/03, 5/3/03, 7/3/03, 7/5/03, 7/6/03, 7/9/03, 7/11/03, 7/12/03, 7/14/03
- 9/28/04, 9/29/04, 10/1/04, 10/2/04
- 9/11/05, 9/12/05, 9/13/05, 9/30/05, 10/1/05, 10/3/05
- 5/12/06, 5/13/06, 5/27/06, 5/28/06, 5/30/06, 6/1/06, 6/3/06, 6/23/06, 7/22/06, 7/23/06, 12/2/06, 12/9/06
- 8/2/07, 8/5/07
- 6/19/08, 6/20/08, 6/22/08, 6/24/08, 6/25/08, 6/27/08, 6/28/08, 6/30/08, 7/1/08
- 8/23/09, 8/24/09, 9/21/09, 9/22/09, 10/27/09, 10/28/09, 10/30/09, 10/31/09
- 5/15/10, 5/17/10, 5/18/10, 5/20/10, 5/21/10, 10/23/10, 10/24/10
- 9/11/11, 9/12/11
- 10/18/13, 10/21/13, 10/22/13, 11/30/13, 12/4/13
I was under the impression that the religious right was not a fan of Romney because he is a Mormon.
Well they preferred Huckabee to Romney in the primaries, but they definitely prefer Romney more than McCain.
- 8/28/98
- 9/2/00
- 4/28/03, 5/3/03, 7/3/03, 7/5/03, 7/6/03, 7/9/03, 7/11/03, 7/12/03, 7/14/03
- 9/28/04, 9/29/04, 10/1/04, 10/2/04
- 9/11/05, 9/12/05, 9/13/05, 9/30/05, 10/1/05, 10/3/05
- 5/12/06, 5/13/06, 5/27/06, 5/28/06, 5/30/06, 6/1/06, 6/3/06, 6/23/06, 7/22/06, 7/23/06, 12/2/06, 12/9/06
- 8/2/07, 8/5/07
- 6/19/08, 6/20/08, 6/22/08, 6/24/08, 6/25/08, 6/27/08, 6/28/08, 6/30/08, 7/1/08
- 8/23/09, 8/24/09, 9/21/09, 9/22/09, 10/27/09, 10/28/09, 10/30/09, 10/31/09
- 5/15/10, 5/17/10, 5/18/10, 5/20/10, 5/21/10, 10/23/10, 10/24/10
- 9/11/11, 9/12/11
- 10/18/13, 10/21/13, 10/22/13, 11/30/13, 12/4/13
I just think the evangelicals will be up in arms with a pro-choice pick. They had a conniption when the idea of Lieberman was floated out there.
was like a picture
of a sunny day
“We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses.”
― Abraham Lincoln
He's a likeable fella and his name is real close to Christ so that should reel in some of those religious types that don't research issues.
...just sayin
McCain could, and he'd still probably be the oldest guy on the ticket
was like a picture
of a sunny day
“We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses.”
― Abraham Lincoln
I don't think she has enough name recognition. 99.9999999999% of voters wouldn't know who the hell she is. Hell I'm sure there is a good percentage of voters who wouldn't be able to find the state she governs on a map.
It wouldn't surprise me if he chose a woman.
So I'm rooting for Mitt Romney, or Tom Ridge, or... well you get the point.
And he who forgets, will be destined to remember...
That was part of why I thought it would be a good pick. One of McCain's biggest weaknesses against Obama is going to be the image that he hasn't left Washington for over 700 years.
Good point.
Is that really still a weakness considering Biden was already a Senator while McCain was still a POW?
- 8/28/98
- 9/2/00
- 4/28/03, 5/3/03, 7/3/03, 7/5/03, 7/6/03, 7/9/03, 7/11/03, 7/12/03, 7/14/03
- 9/28/04, 9/29/04, 10/1/04, 10/2/04
- 9/11/05, 9/12/05, 9/13/05, 9/30/05, 10/1/05, 10/3/05
- 5/12/06, 5/13/06, 5/27/06, 5/28/06, 5/30/06, 6/1/06, 6/3/06, 6/23/06, 7/22/06, 7/23/06, 12/2/06, 12/9/06
- 8/2/07, 8/5/07
- 6/19/08, 6/20/08, 6/22/08, 6/24/08, 6/25/08, 6/27/08, 6/28/08, 6/30/08, 7/1/08
- 8/23/09, 8/24/09, 9/21/09, 9/22/09, 10/27/09, 10/28/09, 10/30/09, 10/31/09
- 5/15/10, 5/17/10, 5/18/10, 5/20/10, 5/21/10, 10/23/10, 10/24/10
- 9/11/11, 9/12/11
- 10/18/13, 10/21/13, 10/22/13, 11/30/13, 12/4/13
I can see it being a problem only if McCain selects a VP who has also been a lifelong politician.
The way I see it - Romney would be to somewhat pacify the conservative base - and would be a good choice given the state of the economy ....but
Conservatives are not going to fucking vote Obama anyway and everyone knows it..... So, why not choose someone more in the middle, solidify Mac's reputation as a moderate and try to pull in some votes from people on the fence - Lieberman may just be the right guy after all..........
Untill their will grows tired
If you thinks the Dems aren't unified, just wait till you see what a mess the Republican party would be if Lieberman was nominated. I'm sure the right wing of the party would "love" to see a Pro Choice Democrat as their VP nominee.
Of course, if you are pro-Obama that would be the choice you'd like to see McCain make.
- 8/28/98
- 9/2/00
- 4/28/03, 5/3/03, 7/3/03, 7/5/03, 7/6/03, 7/9/03, 7/11/03, 7/12/03, 7/14/03
- 9/28/04, 9/29/04, 10/1/04, 10/2/04
- 9/11/05, 9/12/05, 9/13/05, 9/30/05, 10/1/05, 10/3/05
- 5/12/06, 5/13/06, 5/27/06, 5/28/06, 5/30/06, 6/1/06, 6/3/06, 6/23/06, 7/22/06, 7/23/06, 12/2/06, 12/9/06
- 8/2/07, 8/5/07
- 6/19/08, 6/20/08, 6/22/08, 6/24/08, 6/25/08, 6/27/08, 6/28/08, 6/30/08, 7/1/08
- 8/23/09, 8/24/09, 9/21/09, 9/22/09, 10/27/09, 10/28/09, 10/30/09, 10/31/09
- 5/15/10, 5/17/10, 5/18/10, 5/20/10, 5/21/10, 10/23/10, 10/24/10
- 9/11/11, 9/12/11
- 10/18/13, 10/21/13, 10/22/13, 11/30/13, 12/4/13
But the fact that I can't think of her name and that no one knows much about her yet will pale in comparison to the benefit...trying to steal some of the women who would vote for Hillary.
That's what I would do anyhow....
If it weren't for the tainted Bush administration, Condi Rice would be a great choice as well. BUt that can't happen now.
I've been hearing that Christie Todd Whittman's name is being tossed around, and that she is now a serious consideration for the nomination. Interesting choice, but she's pro-choice so I don't know how that would sit with his right wing supporters.
"Some of my friends sit around every evening and they worry about the times ahead,
But everybody else is overwhelmed by indifference and the promise of an early bed..."-- Elvis Costello
I've always liked her...hadn't been hearing her name for years though.
While I am against abortion...I no longer believe there will be any change in this department and will not compromise some of my other beliefs to vote for only pro-life candidates any more. It's one issue I think the religious right is actually right on, but the bad outweighs the good with them.
I hope McCain does move away from that base...I hope the entire party moves away from that base.
I don't think that matters. They would know who she is after she is announced. I doubt most voters knew who Joe Biden was, either (based on the fact that most do not know who Nancy Pelosi is).
http://www.gov.state.ak.us/photos/Gov-Palin-2006_web.jpg
She's young, attractive, and obviously female. I think she would get a lot of the pissed-off portion of the Hillary base that refuses to vote for Obama. Being young, she'd sway some of the undecideds as well...especially horny dudes who like the idea of seeing her walking around on tv.
Edit: I just read that Sarah Palin eats mooseburgers. Sign me up!
If he picks Leiberman, he loses. Period.
The only way for a Republican candidate to win is to get votes from the evangelical bloc.
You're right in that the evangelicals aren't going to vote for Obama.
But if you pair McCain, whom they are already wary of, with Lieberman, whom they despise -- they just won't vote at all. In which case, Obama wins anyway.
for the least they could possibly do
2006: Camden I & II, DC
2008: DC, Ed DC II
I know in the long run VP choices really do make all that much difference, but I would love to see a Biden/Pawlenty debate
was like a picture
of a sunny day
“We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses.”
― Abraham Lincoln
I like Whittman, she was my former Governor, and I voted for her when she ran and would tip my hat to McCain if he selected her, still wouldn't votr for him though. It probably would not be her because she is way to moderate to please the bible thumpers in the Republican party which is a shame because she would make a great VP and maybe even President.
I do wonder if it will matter more this time.
With McCain, you have a 72 year old so people are rightly concerned who his VP is since with his age there's a higher risk he could keel over during his term.
With Obama there's concern of his lack of experience, so it was important to have someone like Biden on the ticket. And though I hate to say it, being black he has a higher risk of assassination as on top of the plain old nut jobs he has the white supremacist nut jobs to worry about.
On top of that, we're coming off 8 years of Cheney which saw the role and power of the VP vastly expanded.
I still don't think it will matter greatly, but I do think at least people who pay attention at all rather than just voting the party line will pay more attention to the VP choices and debates than in the past.
2006: Camden I & II, DC
2008: DC, Ed DC II
Worked for Bush, didn't it? Goodness, when is Cheney going to just go ahead and lay down in the nice pine box?
"But --you say that Dreams have no power here? Tell me, Lucifer Morningstar...Ask yourselves, all of you...What power would hell have if those here imprisoned were not able to Dream of Heaven?" Dream speaking to Lucifer as written by Neil Gaiman.