Vice-Presidential picks
Joe Lieberman is poised to be this year’s Zell Miller.
I loved Zell’s fiery speech at the 2004 Republican convention. Lieberman is considerably less colorful (as are most people). But I’m looking forward to his address anyway. However, I’m going to go out on a limb right now to say that LIeberman won’t be McCain’s VP choice, although I haven’t a clue who it will be.
As for Obama’s, I can’t read his tea leaves either. It could even be Hillary—although I can only see him asking her if he thinks he’s very unlikely to win without her; the enmity between them is that great and that real. And I can only see her accepting if she thinks he’s very likely to win without her; otherwise, why not just let him sink, and wait to run again in 2012? And since these two perceptions about Obama’s chances seem to be mutually exclusive, I just don’t see a Hillary draft happening.
But I’ll make another prediction: if Obama chooses another woman such as Kathleen Sibelius, the Hillary supporters he’s already alienated will become even more hopping mad than before. And if he picks someone like Biden, his own supporters won’t be pleased because Biden is such a Washington insider, although Obamaphiles will probably swallow anything Obama does.
McCain’s pick is especially important because of the age factor. Obama’s is especially important because of his callow inexperience. Both men are Senators, so picking another Senator doesn’t make much sense except in the special case of Hillary.
This race continues to be one of the most interesting I can ever remember.
Pawlenty seems like the logical choice. Working-class, conservative yet not in a way that annoys moderates, zero baggage, executive experience — he may put Minnesota in play and help J-Mac in states like Pennsylvania and Ohio where ordinary white dudes matter.
Lieberman would be a disaster — this will be tight election. McCain worked too hard to make up with his base just to piss them off again. Same goes with Ridge on the abortion issue.
If not Pawlenty, then there is a chance Romney would be picked. Romney is competent, can raise bucket loads of $$, and has leadership experience in both the private and public sectors. However, Romney has a reputation for being a slick flipflopper, and many equate Mormonism with scientology.
For the dark horses — I don’t see what Sarah Palin adds to the ticket. Portman has been suggested since he’s from Ohio. He’s also from the Bush administration– this would enhance the McSame argument lefties make about Bush’s evil economic policies. Being from a state doesn’t mean you’ll pick it up, like Edwards in 2004, or Gore in 2000.
Yeah, logically, it has to be Pawlenty. McCain unfortunately can be more instinctive than logical though.
I’m guessing either Biden or Kaine will be Obama’s choice. Both would be pretty bad picks, but I really am starting to get the feeling that Obama is so insecure, his chief criterion might be someone who can’t possibly upstage him.
Thus, even though his lack of experience is a problem, he might go with Kaine for precisely that reason (i.e., nobody will say “Hey, shouldn’t *this* guy be the candidate instead of you?”)
And Biden for a slightly different reason – he’s “experienced,” sure, but he’s also a dumb guy and a buffoon, so The One will always look good next to his running mate. Plus, Obama’s people think that *we*, the voters, are all dolts, so we’ll just swallow stuff like “Biden’s such a great foreign policy expert!” or whatever else our betters tell us to believe.
McCain worked too hard to make up with his base just to piss them off again.
Ok, which part of “Maverick” do you need me to explain to you? Johnny Mac has been pissing on the base since, oh, McCain-Feingold. He thinks we have no where else to go and that Obama is so odious to us that we’d have no choice but to vote for McCain.
Unfortunately, he’s right.
I R A Darth Aggie:
“Unfortunately, he’s right.”
Yup, and ain’t it the most fun we’ve had for a long time?
If someone had told me a year ago i’d be voting for a global warmist who opposed Bush’s tax cuts, i would have told em they were crazy.
Obama makes McCain look good for the same reason four dollar gas makes three dollar gas look like a steal.
I honestly do not think Obama can work with women, so he would never choose one as VP. Given how Hillary supporters like Charles Rangel are being treated, I think Hillary pretty much sits back and lets Obama lose on his own.
What Sarah Palin would bring to the ticket is something besides the same old two-white-guys running on the Republican side. And it just might bring in a few PUMAs. After all, those of us who used to be Dems had to have had some moment of truth when we pulled the lever (so to speak) for the other side. I really can’t work up any enthusiasm for any other potential McCain VP pick.
“Joe Lieberman is poised to be this year’s Zell Miller.”
Joe Lieberman is no Zell Miller…but I know what you mean. It should prove to be entertaining, if nothing else… 😉
For what its worth, I think that Palin is the missing piece of the jigsaw puzzle especially after Saddleback. Obama’s misstep on the abortion question brought the spotlight to bear not on the Democratic party’s pro-choice stance but on his extremist views and voting record.
With conservatives beginning to take a shine to McCain, the choice of a conservative woman who eschewed abortion herself in the face of devastating news from her amniocentesis brings the whole issue into clear focus. This is not a cold, impersonal medical procedure but a defenseless human being that is being killed. She can peel off more than just a few of Hillary’s voters on the basis of gender alone; there’s nothing wrong with stealing a bit of the Democrats mojo on the identity politics thing as long as the person doing the thieving embodies sound principles and morals. Sarah seems to be in good shape there.
You Palinophiles are just as nutty as the Obonga crowd. She was mayor of Wasilla, now governs AK, had a Downs kid because of a post-40 pregnancy, and these are the good reasons you really want her a heartbeat away from the Presidency???
I’m bewildered by conservatives who buy into racial and gender choices for perception advantages. One of these days we’re going to finally heed the words of that famous republican MLK and allow peoples merits to take them where it will.
Until then we’re stuck in this time frame i’m sure history is itching to label for its shallow attention to image over actual substance.
Funny. For me, it’s one of the most frightening I can ever remember.
> his own supporters won’t be pleased because Biden
Biden, jeez. Not content with losing the 2004 election by putting forth the #3 and #4 most liberal twits in the senate, the Dems want to follow this by putting forth the #1 most liberal twit in the senate and yet another one of the most liberal twits to go with him.
McCain is getting his path to victory carefully detailed for him by the Left.