Jump to content

McCain VP choice


john5746

Recommended Posts

If he picks Tim Pawlenty, it will be interesting. Obama and McCain pick a running mate who is similar to their respective opponents.

 

I think Sarah Palin of Alaska would be a very interesting choice and might add some spark, but it is risky - she has even less experience than Obama.

 

Romney would normally be considered the obvious choice, except he is Mormon, which is not an "acceptable" minority.

 

I bet McCain wants Palin. Let's see if he goes for it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Really gutsy move. I was gonna be worried if he picked Pawlenty. It would have improved the chances of an even split, imo, something we really don't need in any case.

 

With his choice of Palin I think it's going to put a few more percentage points between the two campaigns.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

She smoked pot! That might make it weird to broach the issue with Obama.

 

http://reason.com/blog/show/128450.html

 

Palin said she has smoked marijuana—remember, it was legal under state law, she said, even if illegal under U.S. law—but says she didn't like it and doesn't smoke it now.

 

What? She seems to think that state law trumps federal law? I think it's arguable that the Controlled Substances Act usurps powers which should be a state's rights issue, but unless that's actually settled by the Supreme Court she was still breaking federal law.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The choice is easy to understand: a female Republican governor known for an independent streak. That she's female takes some of the "historic" wind out of the Democrat's sails, and her persona meshes well with McCain's. She also isn't on record with harsh words about McCain, something pretty much all the most prominent Republicans would be.

 

On the other hand, I can definitely see it backfiring. McCain's primary and most persistent criticism of Obama has been his lack of experience, and Palin has even less than Obama. Does all of a sudden experience not matter any more? The VP's primary duty is to be ready to assume the Presidency. How can Obama not be ready if she is? Also, a criticism from the right (though not explicitly from the McCain campaign itself) is that Obama is an "affirmative action candidate" and wouldn't be there if he wasn't black. Well, can anyone seriously claim that Palin would be the pick if she wasn't a woman?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

In whose favor?
It could go either way, but I think choosing Palin will mean it will go either way by a lot more than if he'd chosen Pawlenty.

 

Palin could swing a lot women voters, but would Hillary supporters like her anti-abortion stance? She isn't a Washington insider and she's got integrity but she's younger and has less experience than Obama, one of the key factors among Obama detractors. She's a good mix for McCain just like Biden was a good choice to balance Obama, but McCain would be the oldest president ever elected to office, making Palin a likely candidate for the highest office within the next four years.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Oh boy, she's a cdesign proponentsist too. Can't say that's terribly surprising.

 

And apparently she's under investigation for some reverse-nepotism. Apparently she fired Alaska's Public Safety Commissioner because he wouldn't fire her ex-brother-in-law.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Biden on Intelligent Design:

 

 

Biden also used unusually strong language to ridicule those who believe in creationism or intelligent design.

 

“I refuse to believe the majority of people believe this malarkey!” the senior senator from Delaware exclaimed.

 

But less than six months earlier' date=' CBS News conducted a poll that found a majority of Americans (51 percent) do believe that God created humans in their present form. Even larger majorities reject the theory of evolution, according to the poll.

 

After the HBO show ended, a reporter asked Biden whether his dismissal of a belief held dear by most Americans might come back to haunt him if his White House bid gained traction.

 

With characteristic bluntness, Biden shrugged and said yes. [/quote']

 

As Bill Clinton said: I Love Joe Biden

Link to comment
Share on other sites

After the HBO show ended, a reporter asked Biden whether his dismissal of a belief held dear by most Americans might come back to haunt him if his White House bid gained traction.

 

With characteristic bluntness, Biden shrugged and said yes.

That's awesome!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I like her. I heard part of her speech today, and my favorite was the line about saying no thanks to the bridge to nowhere..."If Alaska needs a bridge, we'll build it ourselves".

 

I like that independent attitude. I don't know much about her but from her speech she sounds exactly like I imagined the first woman president to be in my mind's eye. I only wish she was running for the top spot, rather than second place. But with McCain's age, she'll likely get it before next election.

 

Time will tell, and I've got a bit to learn about her, but so far so good. Hell, I might even vote for one of the two major parties for the first time in my life.

 

Ah, I'm getting ahead of myself here...

 

What? She seems to think that state law trumps federal law? I think it's arguable that the Controlled Substances Act usurps powers which should be a state's rights issue, but unless that's actually settled by the Supreme Court she was still breaking federal law.

 

Obama admitted drug use at the Saddleback Forum on national TV as well - and I'd say it's almost certain he broke federal law AND state law as well.

Edited by ParanoiA
multiple post merged
Link to comment
Share on other sites

And here we go with the gay marriage style distractions during election season...

 

 

"I didn't inhale."

"Unfit to serve."

 

 

Our culture is unfit. Morons so focussed on Spears and Hilton that they cannot pull their heads from their asses when it's time to start paying attention again.

 

Wake up, America.

 

 

 

 

 

 


line[/hr]

 

Oh boy, she's a cdesign proponentsist too. Can't say that's terribly surprising.

 

Turns out that she denies anthropogenic global warming, too. She's battin' a thousand in my book.

 

 

http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2008/08/palin-global-wa.html

In an interview for the September issue of the conservative magazine Newsmax, Gov. Sarah Palin, R-Alaska, said she does not believe climate change is caused by human behavior.

 

“A changing environment will affect Alaska more than any other state, because of our location. I'm not one though who would attribute it to being man-made,” Palin said in the interview, which was posted online Friday.

Edited by iNow
multiple post merged
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Obama admitted drug use at the Saddleback Forum on national TV as well

 

Yeah I kind of acknowledged that in my post...

 

and I'd say it's almost certain he broke federal law AND state law as well.

 

Obama isn't out there claiming what he did was legal

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The hypocrisy has indeed started already. I just read this post:

 

 

http://scienceblogs.com/strangerfruit/2008/08/palin_and_mccains_judgement.php

On August 10th, Karl Rove had the following to say about Tim Kaine who he wrongly assumed was to be Obama's choice for VP:

 

With all due respect again to Governor Kaine, he's been a governor for three years, he's been able but undistinguished. I don't think people could really name a big, important thing that he's done. He was mayor of the 105th largest city in America. And again, with all due respect to Richmond, Virginia, it's smaller than Chula Vista, California; Aurora, Colorado; Mesa or Gilbert, Arizona; north Las Vegas or Henderson, Nevada. It's not a big town. So if he were to pick Governor Kaine, it would be an intensely political choice where he said, `You know what? I'm really not, first and foremost, concerned with, is this person capable of being president of the United States?

 

Sarah Palin was mayor of Wasillia (a lot smaller than Richmond) and has been Governor of Alaska for a mere twenty months. To channel Rove, I don't think people could really name a big, important thing that she's done.

 

Should the septuagenarian McCain fall ill while in office, the highly unqualified Palin would take charge. Is that really what is best for the country?

 

Last night, Obama said:

 

Senator McCain likes to talk about judgment, but really, what does it say about your judgment when you think George Bush has been right more than ninety percent of the time? I don't know about you, but I'm not ready to take a ten percent chance on change.

 

Once again, McCain shows bad judgement. It is obvious that McCain is unconcerned with what is best for the country and is more interested in vacuuming up stray Clinton supporters and keeping the far Right happy.
That
is an intensely political choice.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sarah Palin

 

First Woman Governor of Alaska 2006 - Present

Mayor of Wasilla, Alaska 1996 - 1999

Wasilla City Council 1992 - 1996

Sports reporter and commercial fishing 1988 ?

BA journalism Idaho Univ 1987 ?

Miss Alaska(2nd Place) 1984

Miss Wasilla 1984

 

 

Barack Obama

 

US Senator 2005 - Present

Illinois state senator 1996 - 2004

served on various boards of directors

attorney at Davis, Miner, Barnhill & Galland 1993 - 1996

University of Chicago Law School constitutional law lecturer 1992 - 2004

Juris Doctor (J.D.) magna cum laude Harvard 1991

elected first black president of the Harvard Law Review 1990

Director of the Developing Communities Project 1985 - 1988

B.A. from Columbia 1983

 

 

I agree iNow, McCain is making my choice much easier. Palin's resume should have gone into the garbage - no interview needed.

 

Is she the best candidate he could find? Is she the best woman candidate he could find? Maybe the best woman in Alaska.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Actually I think anyone who finds Obama's resume light should also find Palin's light. And Palin isn't running for president. I guess I'm glad I'm not basing my decision on the experience issue.

 

Obama isn't out there claiming what he did was legal

 

Wait, what? Are you saying Obama's saying cocaine and similar drug use shouldn't be illegal? I don't believe that to be the case, unless this is one of your "read between the lines" deals.

 

According to OnTheIssues.org, he favored a bill to require chemical resellers to regularly certify that they weren't using or selling methamphetamine components.

 

According to this article he's talked about setting up a DEA office in New Orleans to fight the War on Drugs in the region. A position which drew criticism because (a) the DEA already had an office there, and (b) it lead to StopTheDrugs.org to declare him the worst Democratic candidate on the subject.

 

And he's talked a lot on the stump about expanding the Drug Court concept, which, while considered by Democrats to be a more humane and responsible (root-causes oriented) way to fight the battle, is still very much an enforcement issue.

 

Hell, Obama's not even in favor of lowering the drinking age from 21 to 18.

 

So, uh, when did he say it shouldn't be illegal? I must have missed that one. Unless I'm just misunderstanding you.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Actually I think anyone who finds Obama's resume light should also find Palin's light.

 

I find Obama's resume much more impressive than Palin's, no comparison. Obama had to convince the people that he was worthy, raise the money, etc. Palin was hand picked by a few people.

 

It would be nice if Obama had more experience and had different views on a few issues, but McCain is further from the goalposts. This pick looks bad the more I think about it, but we will see.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well Obama has ten years' legislative experience, versus Palin's 10 years executive experience. I think a state governor is roughly comparable to a state senator in some respects, and Obama has a little more experience at that level, but he is running for the head of the executive branch. I don't know, I can see how some will see it as a wash and others will see an advantage to Palin.

 

One thing about it that's interesting is that the selection of Palin renders McCain's attacks based on experience somewhat more difficult to wield. Not only is the argument seemingly hypocritical given the selection of Palin, but it drags the debate down to a level of detail that most people won't be interested in. Sometimes when that happens to an argument it loses traction. McCain may have undermined one of his best weapons.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well Obama has ten years' legislative experience, versus Palin's 10 years executive experience. I think a state governor is roughly comparable to a state senator in some respects, and Obama has a little more experience at that level, but he is running for the head of the executive branch. I don't know, I can see how some will see it as a wash and others will see an advantage to Palin.

 

One thing about it that's interesting is that the selection of Palin renders McCain's attacks based on experience somewhat more difficult to wield. Not only is the argument seemingly hypocritical given the selection of Palin, but it drags the debate down to a level of detail that most people won't be interested in. Sometimes when that happens to an argument it loses traction. McCain may have undermined one of his best weapons.

maybe the McCain campaign is thinking Obama would be a hypocrite if he attacks Palin for lack of experience.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

They can also paint them as sexist monsters if they challenge her ability. It's a tough trap McCain has set for the Dems, since in the debate if Biden stomps her (like he mostly likely could) they'll just say he's an old white woman basher and that he lacks chivalry. They'll play the sex card both ways.

 

Also, she can't really lose the debate, since going into the expectations of her will be so low. Many folks are looking at her like an incompetent, so all she needs to do is remember her name and the year and people will think she performed stunningly. Then, if Biden slips up even one tiny bit, the media will repeat it on an endless loop saying how he got tripped up "by a girl."

 

It's really a tough spot for Dems, and a smart trap for McCain to set. While I vehemently disagree that she was the BEST choice out there to lead our nation if something happens to McCain or his health, and while I sincerely think this was nothing more than a political play, I can't help but still see the smarts in this choice and how it shores up the base (guns, abortion, oil) and also makes counter attacks by Dems a much stickier situation to traverse.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest
This topic is now closed to further replies.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.