McCain chooses running mate?

**jwinch2** · 08-28-2008, 16:55

http://northernvirginia.cox.net/cci/...alidatearticle

If this is in fact his choice, I think it is a pretty good one. It should shore up his support among more staunch conservatives as well as bring in some of those who are on the fence in the middle ground. Pawlenty seems to have a pretty strong record of good fiscal management as well as passing some pretty substantial education reforms in Mn during his tenure as Gov. It will be interesting to see if it is true or not. And, if it is, does this bring him enough help in battleground states to win the electoral math or not?

**Cliff Hargrave** · 08-28-2008, 21:51

I was kind of hoping for Tom Ridge.

**TonyU** · 08-29-2008, 07:56

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080829/...cvn_veepstakes

**jwinch2** · 08-29-2008, 08:13

Interresting. There is a female senator or congresswoman from Alaska that some people are talking about but other than that, unless it is Lieberman, I do not know who it would be.

I don't think it would be Ridge. McCain is going to need to distance himself from Bush as much as possible and that certainly is not going to make it easy. Unless Ridge is still hugely popular in Pennsylvania or something along those lines.

**TonyU** · 08-29-2008, 08:49

Originally Posted by jwinch2

Interresting. There is a female senator or congresswoman from Alaska that some people are talking about but other than that, unless it is Lieberman, I do not know who it would be.

I don't think it would be Ridge. McCain is going to need to distance himself from Bush as much as possible and that certainly is not going to make it easy. Unless Ridge is still hugely popular in Pennsylvania or something along those lines.

http://www.optimum.net/News/AP/Article?articleId=456281

Man, talk about a slick move. You already have history in the making with an Afro-American potentially being a president but now the possibility of a female vice-president. But the most important play here is the fact that by picking her he's going to try to draw the female voters that were rooting fot Hillary but don't want Obama. What a strategy if true.

**Robv82** · 08-29-2008, 10:14

Fox News....

**sean_stonehart** · 08-29-2008, 11:25

To quote Porky Pig...

"edbit... edbit... edbit.... edbit... huh??"

**Webmaster** · 08-29-2008, 11:57

Gov. Palin is a FANTASTIC choice. I learned about her several months ago and thought she was pretty terrific, but figured it would be one of the other folks that ran against Sen. McCain.

Anyway, if you didn't hear her speech, go watch it! If you don't know anything about her, go and do some research. She is a home run all the way! She has more executive experience than Obama and is far more qualified.

**Dennis Monk** · 08-29-2008, 12:05

I agree about her. She will make a very good Vice President candidate.
She will almost assuredly pull on the fence Democrats over due to her being a female. There are still many in the Democrat party that feel betrayed due to Obama getting the nod. I don't care what Hillary says in her speeches to support Obama, she is merely saving face for the liberal cause.
This may have been the best choice McCain could have made.

**sean_stonehart** · 08-29-2008, 12:21

I admit I know 0% about this lady. That will have to change. I can't compare her to the other contenders that didn't get the nod.

We'll see... 80 +/- days until it gets real interesting around the fire.

**jwinch2** · 08-29-2008, 12:49

A pretty old pic but looking good can't hurt either...

**Cliff Hargrave** · 08-29-2008, 13:03

Interesting pick. I have to admit I know nothing about her. I think I remember reading something about her in the past because she likes to hunt. She is definitely the best looking one in the race!

**sean_stonehart** · 08-29-2008, 13:29

Originally Posted by Cliff Hargrave

She is definitely the best looking one in the race!

True that!

**Dennis Monk** · 08-29-2008, 14:56

Originally Posted by Cliff Hargrave

Interesting pick. I have to admit I know nothing about her. I think I remember reading something about her in the past because she likes to hunt. She is definitely the best looking one in the race!

I am so definitely voting the McCain-Palin ticket!!!

**David Craik** · 08-29-2008, 15:07

Oh yeah. Reading the Wikipedia article about her, she seems a very interesting woman indeed...strong convictions, but not polarized. For instance, she opposes gay marriage but her first veto was used to block legislation that would have barred the state from granting benefits to the partners of gay state employees. Seems a pretty multifaceted and complex lady. I especially like the part about right away exposing unethical practices within her own party, reducing her own salary, and reducing property taxes by 60%! Also not shy whatsoever about getting rid of the underperforming and corrupt and replacing them wholesale. I am way more swayed by actual voting records and past practices than I am by the ability to whip people into a frenzy with rhetoric and promises.

I wanted to see her site, but could not connect to it...maybe too many people swamping it. I think this was a very smart choice by Senator McCain. A shame that like our current president she can't pronounce the word 'nuclear' either...perhaps this is a requirement of the GOP.

Looks like either way, this is going to be a historic election.

**jwinch2** · 08-29-2008, 20:42

All good points Dave. I think it is worth noting however that she has even less experience than Obama. Less than two years as a govenor of a small population state and now she is a heartbeat of the presidency? If Senator Obama is going to be criticized for lack of experience, the same could certainly be said for Palin as well.

**Webmaster** · 08-29-2008, 21:10

Originally Posted by jwinch2

All good points Dave. I think it is worth noting however that she has even less experience than Obama. Less than two years as a govenor of a small population state and now she is a heartbeat of the presidency? If Senator Obama is going to be criticized for lack of experience, the same could certainly be said for Palin as well.

The difference is that she is a heartbeat away, and Obama is going to go straight into the office.

As far as experience is concerned. As I have stated before, Obama was in the Illinois Senate from 1997-2004. That's a whole eight years. He was elected to the US Senate in 2005. That's a little over three years, most of which he has spent in running for President. He has no significant legislative accomplishments in the Illinois or US Senate and no foreign policy experience. He has also no executive or business experience. He does have significant facts about his life that will undoubtedly influence his governing... 20 years in a black separatist church, over 20 years of being buddies with a known terrorist, and his association with convicted criminal Tony Rezko who financed a sweetheart deal for Obama's home.

Then there is Sarah Palin. She served 1 term on her city council and 2 terms as Mayor serving for 7 years. Palin was also elected president of the Alaska Conference of Mayors. From Wikipedia, "Governor Murkowski appointed Palin Ethics Commissioner of the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission,[17] where she served from 2003 to 2004 until resigning in protest over what she called the "lack of ethics" of fellow Alaskan Republican leaders, who ignored her whistleblowing complaints of legal violations and conflicts of interest.[18][3] After she resigned, she exposed the state Republican Party's chairman, Randy Ruedrich, one of her fellow Oil & Gas commissioners, who was accused of doing work for the party on public time, and supplying a lobbyist with a sensitive e-mail.[19] Palin filed formal complaints against both Ruedrich and former Alaska Attorney General Gregg Renkes, who both resigned; Ruedrich paid a record $12,000 fine." In 2006 she was elected as Governor of Alaska.

The bottom line is that both her and Obama are weak in experience, but the experience that have is very different from each other. Obama has legislative experience which he exercised by often voting "present" in the Illinois Senate, but no executive experience. He associates with question individuals.

Sarah Palin has limited legislative experience, but she does have 9 years of executive experience and has had to actually make actual decisions. Rather than associating with those of questionable repute, she has actively worked to expose and get rid of them.

Governor Palin is just as experienced as Obama but the difference is that she'll be the number 2 on the ticket and not the candidate for President.

**dao** · 08-29-2008, 21:17

I don't think the women who were supporting Hillary Clinton were doing so simply because she's a woman and I think it is insulting to suggest that. So I don't think they get quite the long-term boost some Republicans seem to expect.

That said she seems ethical, smart and charismatic and it is nice to have candates who can actually deliver speeches! While I doubt that I'll be voting for them, I will say the McCain/Palin ticket doesn't make my skin crawl the way the Bush/Cheney ticket did.

**Jonathan Randall** · 08-30-2008, 02:25

She appears to be an outstanding choice that reflects well upon Senator McCain's judgment and political acumen. If only Republican Administrations weren't so successful at being fiscally irresponsible (Democrat Administrations give it their best shot but are usually blocked by Republicans in Congress) and were a President McCain not so likely to give unrealistic and ultimately unenforceable security guarantees to Eastern European countries in Russia's orbit, I would probably vote for the two of them.

Still, she does sound pretty good...

**Jeff C.** · 08-30-2008, 06:15

Originally Posted by dao

I don't think the women who were supporting Hillary Clinton were doing so simply because she's a woman and I think it is insulting to suggest that. So I don't think they get quite the long-term boost some Republicans seem to expect.

As insulting as Newsweek saying that if us white folk don't vote for Obama we are racist? http://www.newsweek.com/id/155117/page/2n

Debra, I think it is naive to think that many, many people DON'T vote for candidates for ridiculous reasons. I am certain there is a very large number of blacks who are voting for Obama because he is half-black. We have a LOT of idiots in this country who are registered to vote. A sizable enough percentage of idiots that politicians feel the need to woo idiots.

Look at Obama's campaigning. He uses tactics to specifically attract idiots. I am not criticizing the procedure; it is necessary for him to do so. If you can't sell substance to the crowd, the idiots will step right up for their free glass of Cool-Aid. McCain is doing his own idiot-wooing too - in spite of the fact that he has far more substance and far more BALLS to actually state how he expects to pay for and accomplish his goals as President of the US.

Idiots are a pretty large voting demographic in this country. McCain can't let Obama get ALL of those votes, with his mantric chants for "change" and his empty rhetoric that seems to turn the idiots into adoring zombies. McCain has to compete for those votes too.

I will be curious if there will be any meaningful polls of female voters within the next few days or weeks, to see if their is a noticeable increase in his female supporters. Let's keep an eye on it. If there is not, then I will publicly admit, as an apology to you, that I am the idiot!

Good luck to you on your apparently-pending Gustav deployment. I may be seeing you out there in the field on this one.

Jeff Cook