DISQUS

kawika · 1 year ago

Pawlenty seems the safest pick. Hutchinson might mess with the media's predictable story lines. Rice, the riskiest pick, would shuffle the deck completely. Romney and Lieberman would spook the religious right. I think the polls are close enough for McCain to play it safe. I suspect McCain's camp will do whatever it takes to focus it's efforts on driving up Obama's negatives rather than his positives, given the latter doesn't offer the public much of anything new and the former is easier with low-information voters.

@SocialJulio · 1 year ago

If Senator Biden is Senator's Obama foreign policy guy, Senator McCain needs the CEO of the global marketplace to help him with the economy! I think he will go with Meg Whitman.

marco · 1 year ago

Good analysis. I don't want Lieberman even close to the possibility again though because he's pro-fraud.
He really does make a farce of democracy. Last night I had a feeling it was going to be Kay Bailey Hutchinson to kind of say "you dissed a woman, I picked one," but all the talk about Biden passing the "violence to women" act, probably dashed it if it was even going to be a possibility. After Beau Biden's speech though, I think it doesn't matter who McCain picks, he has no chance of winning. Beau Biden's understatement of his military duties spoke loud and crystal clear.

John Grey · 1 year ago

Is there anything in the rumour about Colin Powell?

sboiling · 1 year ago

I really don't think he'll pick Lieberman. Yes McCain may be a maverick in terms of the party organisation but he's not a fool.

I think he'll pick Romney.

-sean

evanwolf · 1 year ago

Huckabee. Brings in the religious right, a governor for executive experience, relative youth, and charm/charisma/likeability

AdamR · 1 year ago

Looks like he choose Tim Pawlenty.
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/index.ssf/2008/0...

robert · 1 year ago

kay hutchison might be the worst choice for the democratic ticket. she is moderate enough to attract hillary supporters.

theworst · 1 year ago

I think Romney is terrible choice for McCain - so it's exactly what I'm hoping for.

First, his Mormonism will alienate the Christian base, which McCain needs to embrace.

Second, it would reinforce the growing image of McCain as rich and out of touch.

Third, they'll be subject to the same sorts of attacks they launched with Biden and Clinton criticizing Obama. No one went after McCain harder than Romney in the primary.

Fourth, Romney has a robust record of flip-flopping, which, again, opens the door for the Democrats to call him out.

I think Lieberman would be tough - still alienates the Christian conservatives, but mobilizes Jewish voters to some extent.

His best choice might be Huckabee - but that's pretty unlikely.

omarks · 1 year ago

VP meg whitman will be perfect for a party that is reducing the us economy to online flea market size, especially now we need to move all that repossessed stuff after the lending pyramid scheme fell over....

Loren · 1 year ago

If McCain chooses Lieberman, he must want to lose. A vote for Lieberman is a vote for Bush is a vote for McCain. He'd lose conservatives and Dem's would not cross the line to vote for two war mongers.

tjarrett · 1 year ago

I so hope that Romney gets it. I would really relish watching him get beaten again. Color me still bitter over the way he ran for governor of Massachusetts so that he could slam us in every stump speech he gave.

dan · 1 year ago

I'm hoping it's Pawlenty. In addition to his horrible track record as Governor, he's also had a few gems out there.

At the 2006 MN GOP Convention:

"I can tell you what your worst nightmare is, it's one of the big-spending, tax-raising, abortion-promoting, gay marriage-embracing, more-welfare-without-accountability-loving, school-reform-resisting, illegal-immigration-supporting Democrats for governor who think Hillary Clinton should be president of the United States."


On Talk Radio around the fishing opener earlier this year:

"I have a wife who genuinely loves to fish. I mean, she will take the lead and ask me to go out fishing, and joyfully comes here. She loves football, she'll go to hockey games and, I jokingly say, 'Now, if I could only get her to have sex with me.'"

Classic

Robi Ganguly · 1 year ago

Hey Dave, despite what the AP is saying, I'm still thinking it's going to be Romney. It wouldn't be the first time the Republicans managed to fake the press out, that's for sure :). I put my rationale here: http://bit.ly/gO2zb but basically, I think that Romney is the most politically powerful choice within the Republican Party. I guess we'll find out soon enough right?

mahboud · 1 year ago

How about Meg Whitman or Carla Fiorino? He'd hope to gain some disgruntled women voters that way and many undecideds may go with "a woman's better than a black man". (Ugh, I feel dirty typing that)

Scott Fl · 1 year ago

Mittens

Sean · 1 year ago

He's picked Alaska gov. Sarah Palin. Pure genius.

theworst · 1 year ago

Apparently, John McCain has gone insane.

A 44 year-old Alaskan? Who has been in state office less than two years? As VP to the oldest non-incumbent candidate in history?

Astonishing.

Will Cate · 1 year ago

Well, please allow me to retort!

This is a totally brilliant move by McCain. He makes history. He wipes last night's Obamapalooza off the front page. He's just given millions of disaffected Hillary supporters a reason to vote Republican. He solidifies his conservative base.

Oh, and really classy move by the Obama campaign response, essentially dissing all of small town America. That is insanity, my friend...

theworst · 1 year ago

My turn.

Obama would be off the front page anyway. And to think that "millions"
of people who supported a strong, hardened liberal woman will be wooed
by an arch-conservative 18 months into office is either naive or sexist.

Will Cate · 1 year ago

Ah, but you're assuming that all potential Hillary votes would come from "strong, hardened liberal" women. I don't believe that's necessarily so.

(and BTW, uh... "hardened?")

theworst · 1 year ago

Hardened is a nice way of saying "older".

Ken Hudak · 1 year ago

Palin it is! If anything, it's going to make for a fantastic race. No matter who wins now, history will be made this election....and that my friends, is real change you can believe in.

People who control oil are important. King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia. Sarah Palin of Alaska!

Larry · 1 year ago

Palin... PALIN I SAID!!

Mark M · 1 year ago

Palin is a really interesting choice and is probably causing some intense reorganization in Obama's campaign strategy. I live in Alaska and Sarah Palin has shown herself to be somebody who is able to make people forget that she is very conservative and she has gained a following that cuts through party affiliation; people just like her. Having said that, it seems like a very risky move as well. McCain is running on a platform of experience and judgment and if Gov Palin doesn't seem ready to fill his shoes, especially when standing on the same stage as somebody like Biden, it will be a huge problem for them. The Obama campaign should be careful not to be too dismissive.