McCain/Lieberman, ‘08?
June 18th, 2008 at 05:33am Mark Noonan
More than almost anyone in public life, Joe Lieberman knows from experience how to finesse a vice-presidential question. At the end of an impromptu press conference after a visit to discuss global warming with sixth graders here on Monday, Al Gore’s 2000 veep pick was asked if he would be John McCain’s running mate this time around. “No,” Lieberman says flatly, as if the question were as ludicrous as his joining the antiwar movement. All Lieberman would add when prodded by a follow-up question is, “I think in this, as in so much else, [McCain] has his head screwed on right. I think he’s looking for somebody who shares his priorities and would be capable of being president.”
But in a presidential year filled with firsts (African-American nominee, serious woman candidate, former POW to be his party’s standard-bearer), Lieberman retains the intriguing potential to become the first Jewish, party-crossing, second-time-around vice-presidential nominee in American history. While McCain is keeping his vice-presidential deliberations intensely private, it is not hard to pick up Republican whispers that the wild-card Lieberman speculation is grounded in reality rather than water-cooler fantasy. No McCain campaign sidekick — not South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham nor former Hewlett Packard CEO Carly Fiorina — does more than Lieberman to burnish the GOP candidate’s reputation as a different-drummer Republican. As top McCain strategist Charlie Black says about Lieberman (talking in general, not as a potential running mate), “Joe, who is nationally known for having run for vice president and being elected [in 2006] as an independent, is the best possible character witness you can have for McCain’s independence and bipartisan approach.”
Only a Shemanesque, “if nominated, I will not run; if elected, I will not serve” denial would put this concept to bed. Still, it appears unlikely - but it also comes down to a careful calculus in an election year which promises a close vote at the end of the race. Conventional wisdom (which I think correct) holds that McCain’s best chance of completely uniting and energising the conservative base is to nominate a VP who is firmly in the conservative camp. On the other hand, would a McCain/Lieberman ticket pull in more disaffected Democrats than might be lost on the conservative side, with the additional prospect of a Lieberman right turn luring conservatives back to the fold? It must be kept in mind that Lieberman is a conservative Jew - and while he trimmed a bit to the left in 2000 for the sake of Gore, I think that he could easily wind up “out conservativing” McCain on some of the social issues crucial to Evangelicals and orthodox Catholics. Nominating Lieberman would likely put Florida completely out of reach for Obama, and might well put New York, Connecticut and New Jersey in play for McCain - a fatal mixture for any Democrat seeking the White House.
Movement conservative or “hand across the aisle”? What should McCain do?
Entry Filed under: Campaign 2008, Republicans
27 Comments
1. Pain | June 18th, 2008 at 6:00 am
We really thought your talking points this morning would have included that Al Gore’s home in tennessee consumed enough power in the last year to run 232 avergae sized homes for a month or 19 times the normal energy utilization.
2. Dollardays | June 18th, 2008 at 2:30 pm
McCain/Lieberman, ‘08?
Run with the most likely two men in America to honor Bush Jr. by implementing plans that would keeps us in Iraq for the next 100 years. “McCain/Lieberman - Iraq 100 years or bust” makes for a nice bumper sticker.
3. neocon | June 18th, 2008 at 3:32 pm
I don’t think 100 years in Iraq is long enough. In addition, I think we should suspend Habeus Corpus indefinitely, for everyone, until we get a handle on this terrorism.
have a nice day
peace, neocon
4. BARRASSO | June 18th, 2008 at 3:55 pm
“I think we should suspend Habeus Corpus indefinitely, for everyone, until we get a handle on this terrorism.”
Have your pants ever been dry?
5. Jonathan | June 18th, 2008 at 4:00 pm
I don’t think 100 years in Iraq is long enough. In addition, I think we should suspend Habeus Corpus indefinitely, for everyone, until we get a handle on this terrorism.
-neocon
“Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little Temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.”
-Benjamin Franklin
6. neocon | June 18th, 2008 at 4:26 pm
Right on queue. Two knee jerk, drama queen liberals take the bait.
Thank you for proving to me how gullible you all are to phraseology.
Change indeed!
have a nice day
peace, neocon
7. js | June 18th, 2008 at 4:26 pm
they should start talkin about treason charges against members of congress that are promoting socialist ideals and programs…maybe then we could work on the basis that if you are not for freedom, you are against it…
8. Doug | June 18th, 2008 at 5:06 pm
It’s imperative that the proletariat work towards freedom…freedom from the tyranny of capitalism, freedom from the chains of responsibility. It is we Republicans that don’t know what liberty and freedom are. How dare we depose a tyrannical dictator to instill a representative democracy in a foriegn country. How dare we fight to surpress an advancing theocracy in the making.
All Americans need to bow down to the one true liberty divining party and they will give you rationed energy credits, free and responsibly largess free medical care, and laws that will guarantee to suppress all non-Islamic religions.
Lieberman would be a good choice, but so would Tom Ridge - neither of whom I’d want to be selecting Supreme Court justices. E. Dole would be another interesting possibility and someone I wouldn’t mind being President. The evangelicals will be staying home for the most part if they don’t have an egg in the basket, I don’t see that happening with the Suburban Republicans if they don’t get Romney. McCain can either go with a Lieberman or a Female to draw off Dems, or he can go with a Ridge to try to snag PA and OH, else he should be looking at the evangelical votes to shore up the rural votes to counterract the huge urban vote Obama will turn out.
9. neocon | June 18th, 2008 at 5:12 pm
Drug…I mean Doug
Please elaborate on your first two non-sensical paragraphs.
I trying to measure your level of dementia.
have a nice day
peace, neocon
10. neocon | June 18th, 2008 at 5:13 pm
IMHO, McCain has three choices:
Palin, Romney or Gingrich
I support Gingrich
11. FmrMarine | June 18th, 2008 at 5:46 pm
Neo;
we hace Charlie Christ here in the sunshine state.
It has been rumored he is in the contention……
He was a good atty General and so far not a bad Gov.
Who Knows….but McLame BETTER get some good or he is toast.
12. FmrMarine | June 18th, 2008 at 5:46 pm
have
13. Chris | June 18th, 2008 at 7:30 pm
Mark,
First you imply that Lieberman isn’t “firmly in the conservative camp” then, in the same paragraph postulate that Lieberman could be more conservative than McCain. Which is it?
14. Cavalor Epthith, Esquire, D.S.V.J. | June 18th, 2008 at 8:03 pm
Obama by 12 in PA
Obama by 6 in OH
Obama by 4 in FL
From Quinnipiac University Poll . . . 139 days to the election.
15. Matt Margolis | June 18th, 2008 at 8:50 pm
Most polls still have McCain with a slight or substantial lead in Florida… Nevertheless, McCain will win Florida.
Ohio seems to tip either way depending on the poll, but considering we’ve only just seen the end of the democratic primary race, this is a high point for Obama… When the electorate at large learns more about who he is this race will be over and McCain can start picking furnishings for the Oval Office.
16. neocon | June 18th, 2008 at 10:04 pm
Cav,
Those are incredibly small margins considering the supposed “bounce” from the nimination and the MSM on his side.
The bigger problem for you is that McCain is capturing the center, specifically on the current energy issue.
It going to be an interesting summer
peace, neocon
17. bongoman | June 18th, 2008 at 10:48 pm
McCain/Gingrich - the family values team, respecting the sanctity of marriage.
18. neocon | June 18th, 2008 at 11:09 pm
I didn’t realize that sanctity of marriage was so important to you bongo. I am touched.
Don’t let recent events get you upset.
have a nice day
peace, neocon
19. Chris | June 18th, 2008 at 11:19 pm
Bongoman,
I’m new enough to this environment to not know whether you speak honestly or with sarcasm. However, in case you are serious, I’d happily point out to you that both McCain and Gingrich have indulged in extramarital activity that hardly aligns with “the sanctity of marriage”.
20. kjstrouble | June 19th, 2008 at 12:38 am
Chris,
Bongo often attempts sarcasm. As for McCain’s and Gingrich’s “extramarital” activities - were they still married? Separated (legally or otherwise) or had the divorce been final in either case. I have not done the research, and am curious.
21. Chris | June 19th, 2008 at 12:58 am
KJS,
Seriously? You don’t use the term “extramarital” to define something that happened when a couple was no longer married. You can do a lot of easy research yourself but hear are a couple of links:
Gingrich: http://archive.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2007/3/9/211733.shtml?s=rss
McCain: http://www.usvetdsp.com/mcaindiv.htm
22. bagni | June 19th, 2008 at 1:10 am
us martian mccainiacs think his past marital antics were kinda jiggy
however the galactics think gingrich was a high density dirtbag with his previous relationships
bottom line
if you’re cosmically cheating at home
that’s the core
and cheating on anything else after that is easy
morally….ethically
neo?….what do you think….you ok with it their bad dogginess?
23. kjstrouble | June 19th, 2008 at 1:11 am
Sorry to say, but extramartial is used a little more often when the person is legally separated, and so many don’t think that counts.
Read up on McCain in Wikipedia (I know, accuracy is sometimes questionable - but figured they would give the worst not best on him) and feel that maybe he and the first wife should have separated long before they did - and no, that did not excuse the affair. But, given Slick Willie’s record, I just can’t hold it against him. As for Gingrich - I can think of a lot of other qualified canidates for VP.
24. FmrMarine | June 19th, 2008 at 8:03 pm
BUT!!!!!!
NONE of them USED a CIGAR on a 21 year old INTERN, while on the job, as sick slick willy did.
LOVE the BLUE DRESS……..quish OOPS!
25. Ted | June 21st, 2008 at 11:12 am
Mac Pick Palin Veep BEFORE Hil Campaigns w/Obama!
In addition to her overwhelming attraction on the oil/energy issue and the female/disaffected Hillary voters, her human interest story will generate millions and millions of dollars worth of publicity and media coverage — essentially free to the McCain campaign — more than offsetting Obama’s reported money advantage.
26. Vicodin-N-Cocoa | June 21st, 2008 at 11:31 am
I’m for Obama and I love the idea of a McCain/Lieberman ticket. It would be just a massive ass-over-tits for the Republican Party. If you want the guy who ruined Gore’s campaign to ruin McCain’s, please take him.
I’m kind of scared of a McCain/Romney ticket because Romney is a very, very intelligent and capable guy and seemed against all odds to play very well with the White Baptist base.
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