T Nation

McCain's Running Mate

Politics and World Issues
#1

I would love to see him ask a conservative like Keyes or Hunter to run with him, this would be the one saving grace he could do for me. Obviously Keyes won’t happen, and Hunter isn’t very likely. It would be great to have a real conservative though, and give him a stepping stone for a run for presidency in 2012.

I’ve also seen Condoleeza Rice’s name thrown around a bit. As far as winning goes, she would probably be the best running mate he could get. It would be the only way he could compete with Obama.

Then there is the train of thought that he will ask John Kerry or Ted Kennedy. I don’t think this will happed because McCain alone already has crossover appeal, and running with a dem will just alienate conservatives even more. If this happens it would definitely be the downfall of the GOP.

I’ve also heard talk about Florida Gov. Charlie Crist and South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford, but I don’t know anything about these guys.

Thoughts?

#2

I think it will be a governor, on the younger side - all of Crist, Pawlenty and Sanford fit the bill. If I had to pick one, I’d say Crist is the most likely, because he should lock down FL.

This George Will article is interesting:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/22/AR2008022202173.html

ADDENDUM:

Another interesting piece:

[i]Handicapping the VP Race
By DAVID ROTHSCHILD and JUSTIN WOLFERS
February 12, 2008

With the race for the Democratic presidential nominee likely to stretch on for some time and the contest for the Republican ticket basically over, let’s look at something fresh: Who will be the Vice Presidential nominees?
…

With Mr. McCain all but locking up the Republican nomination, forecasting the Republican ticket seems more straightforward. Mr. McCain’s advanced age means that he must look beyond pure electability, as succession concerns are likely to be important.

While Mike Huckabee’s recent strong performances have done little to increase his chances of winning the Republican presidential nomination (he is currently less than a one-in-30 chance to beat Mr. McCain), he is now a one-in-four chance to be his VP nominee.

Mitt Romney traded as high as 18% right after dropping out, but has quickly fallen to about 8%. The other likely contender, Governor Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota, is largely unknown outside the Midwest. But as co-chair of Mr. McCain’s campaign, he is rated a 16% chance. Rudy Giuliani’s stock has largely faded in the last week, while Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice, who would certainly add interesting demographic balance to the ticket, is about a 5% chance.

But the real favorite to get Mr. McCain’s nod is that elusive “other” candidate, currently rated about a one-in-three chance. That field definitely includes the former Democratic vice-presidential nominee, Senator Lieberman of Connecticut, who was recently stripped of his Democratic superdelegate status for endorsing Mr. McCain.

…

David Rothschild and Justin Wolfers are PhD student and assistant professor, respectively, in Business and Public Policy at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School.[/i]

#3

[quote]tedro wrote:
I would love to see him ask a conservative like Keyes or Hunter to run with him, this would be the one saving grace he could do for me. Obviously Keyes won’t happen, and Hunter isn’t very likely. It would be great to have a real conservative though, and give him a stepping stone for a run for presidency in 2012.

I’ve also seen Condoleeza Rice’s name thrown around a bit. As far as winning goes, she would probably be the best running mate he could get. It would be the only way he could compete with Obama.
[/quote]

Huh? Rice would possibly be the worst choice he could make. No better way to hang all the failed policies and outright disasters of the last 8 years around his neck than by picking as a running mate the incompetent National Security Adviser and Secretary of State who presided over many of them.

#4

[quote]BostonBarrister wrote:
I think it will be a governor, on the younger side - all of Crist, Pawlenty and Sanford fit the bill. If I had to pick one, I’d say Crist is the most likely, because he should lock down FL.
[/quote]

He also owes Crist, who played a big role in McCain’s winning Florida (and thus knocking Romney out).

#5

[quote]GDollars37 wrote:
Huh? Rice would possibly be the worst choice he could make. No better way to hang all the failed policies and outright disasters of the last 8 years around his neck than by picking as a running mate the incompetent National Security Adviser and Secretary of State who presided over many of them.[/quote]

Two words.

Black. Woman.

#6

[quote]GDollars37 wrote:
tedro wrote:
I would love to see him ask a conservative like Keyes or Hunter to run with him, this would be the one saving grace he could do for me. Obviously Keyes won’t happen, and Hunter isn’t very likely. It would be great to have a real conservative though, and give him a stepping stone for a run for presidency in 2012.

I’ve also seen Condoleeza Rice’s name thrown around a bit. As far as winning goes, she would probably be the best running mate he could get. It would be the only way he could compete with Obama.

Huh? Rice would possibly be the worst choice he could make. No better way to hang all the failed policies and outright disasters of the last 8 years around his neck than by picking as a running mate the incompetent National Security Adviser and Secretary of State who presided over many of them.[/quote]

Which is why I wouldn’t be surprised if he chose her.

#7

My money is on Joe Lieberman.

mike

#8

Rudy Giuliani, if he wants to take NY from Hillary.

Wait, is Giuliani Catholic? There goes that idea!!

#9

[quote]Mikeyali wrote:
My money is on Joe Lieberman.

mike[/quote]

I was wondering if he’d dare do such a thing.

#10

I read that McCain is considering Alaska Governor Sarah Palin.

I think that a McCain/Palin ticket would be good for America.

#11

[quote]skaz05 wrote:
I read that McCain is considering Alaska Governor Sarah Palin.

I think that a McCain/Palin ticket would be good for America.[/quote]

I was hoping for Condoleeza Rice…then we could all have Condi/Cain, just in time for Christmas!

#12

[quote]skaz05 wrote:
I read that McCain is considering Alaska Governor Sarah Palin.

I think that a McCain/Palin ticket would be good for America.[/quote]

Does anyone actually WANT McCain? I’m sick of this. I’m voting Ba’ath Party.

mike

#13

[quote]Mikeyali wrote:
skaz05 wrote:
I read that McCain is considering Alaska Governor Sarah Palin.

I think that a McCain/Palin ticket would be good for America.

Does anyone actually WANT McCain? I’m sick of this. I’m voting Ba’ath Party.

mike[/quote]

There are only three issues that really matter over which conservatives and McCain have issues:

Immigration; stem cells; and global warming.

McCain is for keeping the Bush tax cuts and he would fight tax increases; he doesn’t want to expand the ill-thought-out campaign-finance reform (and probably couldn’t repeal it if he wanted to do so); and his position on waterboarding in and of itself and drilling in Alaska aren’t deal breakers by any means.

For immigration, if we believe he’s willing to stick to “enforcement first” that should be good enough - if we border and law enforcement we solve many problems. For global warming, McCain wouldn’t sign Kyoto, but would be in good position to demand any agreements on emissions included China, Russia, Brazil, India and other “developing nations.”

For stem cells there is a problem with embryonic creation. McCain favors federal funding for research that involves destroying human embryos at fertility clinics, on the ground that those embryos would otherwise be thrown away or indefinitely frozen. But he may be willing to change that position when and if the science advances so that embryo destruction isn’t necessary. But thinking of the issue in totality, he’s against federal funding and promotion of abortion - and what’s the alternative?

Think about it, and compare McCain with Obama or Hillary. There are only two real choices: McCain or the Democrat.

#14

[quote]BostonBarrister wrote:
Mikeyali wrote:
skaz05 wrote:
I read that McCain is considering Alaska Governor Sarah Palin.

I think that a McCain/Palin ticket would be good for America.

Does anyone actually WANT McCain? I’m sick of this. I’m voting Ba’ath Party.

mike

There are only three issues that really matter over which conservatives and McCain have issues:

Immigration; stem cells; and global warming.

McCain is for keeping the Bush tax cuts and he would fight tax increases; he doesn’t want to expand the ill-thought-out campaign-finance reform (and probably couldn’t repeal it if he wanted to do so); and his position on waterboarding in and of itself and drilling in Alaska aren’t deal breakers by any means.

For immigration, if we believe he’s willing to stick to “enforcement first” that should be good enough - if we border and law enforcement we solve many problems. For global warming, McCain wouldn’t sign Kyoto, but would be in good position to demand any agreements on emissions included China, Russia, Brazil, India and other “developing nations.”

For stem cells there is a problem with embryonic creation. McCain favors federal funding for research that involves destroying human embryos at fertility clinics, on the ground that those embryos would otherwise be thrown away or indefinitely frozen. But he may be willing to change that position when and if the science advances so that embryo destruction isn’t necessary. But thinking of the issue in totality, he’s against federal funding and promotion of abortion - and what’s the alternative?

Think about it, and compare McCain with Obama or Hillary. There are only two real choices: McCain or the Democrat.

[/quote]

What about Congress sticking their nose in sport? What about his call to ban the UFC? What about McCain Feingold? What about the law of the seas treaty? These are all big issues in which almost all conservatives in the big tent disagree with McCain. There’s only one choice: the democrat.

mike

#15

Don’t know if it is smart to dip into the Congress pool, but what about Kay Bailey Hutchison?
That’d probably grab Texas, but he’d win Texas against cankles or flip-flop anyway.
If Hilly isn’t nominated, (she won’t) grabbing Kay Bailey would grab a good many of the disenfranchised women voting for a woman because and only because she is a woman.
Don’t know if Keyes will capture the same should Obama is snubbed.

#16

[quote]Mikeyali wrote:

What about Congress sticking their nose in sport? What about his call to ban the UFC? What about McCain Feingold? What about the law of the seas treaty? These are all big issues in which almost all conservatives in the big tent disagree with McCain. There’s only one choice: the democrat.

mike[/quote]

McCain/Feingold was addressed above.

The president doesn’t have anything to do with Congress sticking its nose into sports or banning the UFC.

Do you want to tell me that the Law of the Seas Treaty is worth a President Obama?

#17

[quote]BostonBarrister wrote:
Mikeyali wrote:

What about Congress sticking their nose in sport? What about his call to ban the UFC? What about McCain Feingold? What about the law of the seas treaty? These are all big issues in which almost all conservatives in the big tent disagree with McCain. There’s only one choice: the democrat.

mike

McCain/Feingold was addressed above.

The president doesn’t have anything to do with Congress sticking its nose into sports or banning the UFC.

Do you want to tell me that the Law of the Seas Treaty is worth a President Obama?[/quote]

No, but he has been highly supportive of their doing so. It simply demonstrates to me what he feels the purpose of government is. Frankly, the Law of the Seas Treaty isn’t worth a president Obama. I take a long-term view of things. Supporting McCain simply means supporting the continual leftward slide of the Republican party. if we keep voting for them, they will keep thinking that it’s okay.

If you put a gun to my head and told me to vote one of the three I would vote Obama. All three of them are wrong, but Hillary and McCain could push an agenda. Obama is so far off that I don’t think he’d get anything passed. That’s good enough for me.

mike

#18

[quote]Mikeyali wrote:
…
If you put a gun to my head and told me to vote one of the three I would vote Obama. All three of them are wrong, but Hillary and McCain could push an agenda. Obama is so far off that I don’t think he’d get anything passed. That’s good enough for me.

mike[/quote]

How many federal judges would he appoint? How many on the USSC? Scary.

#19

[quote]jp_dubya wrote:
Don’t know if it is smart to dip into the Congress pool, but what about Kay Bailey Hutchison?
That’d probably grab Texas, but he’d win Texas against cankles or flip-flop anyway.
If Hilly isn’t nominated, (she won’t) grabbing Kay Bailey would grab a good many of the disenfranchised women voting for a woman because and only because she is a woman.
Don’t know if Keyes will capture the same should Obama is snubbed.
[/quote]

Dude - “cankles” is my word. Just sayin’.

TO be totally honest - there is no one in this race, on either sid that is worth voting “for”.

I hate McCain, and I hate my party for leaving us with a democrat for our Repub nominee.

I wish I knew what the balance of power would look like in January before I had to vote in November.

Odds are it is going to be at least as left as it is now, with little chance for a conservative voice.

In that scenario - one has to go with McCain. If the balance of power was in favor of conservatives - I’d vote for the left in a heart beat.

My problem is - I have to go to the polls in a few minutes, and I can’t decide who to vote for in the Dem Primary (God Bless Texas).

#20

BTW, on the question of running mates, extra points for Charlie Crist.

The FL governor, out of the kindness of his heart, has let the Dems know that FL can do another primary if they need one… =-)