Posts with the tag 'Veepstakes'
(ED NOTE: As this will be the talk of the day, we’ll keep this thread on top of the blog at least through noon on Saturday)
Drudge Report says a Kansas company that specializes in political literature has been printing Obama-Bayh material…
Keep your eyes and ears open.
Fox News is reporting that Biden is Obama’s VP selection.
UPDATE: the Fox News story.
UPDATE: Secret Service on the way to Biden’s house.
UPDATE: For all of you out there saying “Biden who?”, his bio.
UPDATE: Quick commentary by Mark Noonan:
If this is other than the world’s biggest head fake, then I can’t imagine any thing positive Biden brings to the Obama ticket - Biden is more experienced that Obama, but will be on the bottom of the ticket; Biden is Senator from a small, very blue State Obama will win handily; Biden is the archetype of the career politician, having been in the Senate since Nixon was President; Biden is up for re-election to the Senate, thus opening up the possibility of a GOP pick up in the Senate; Biden has said things which make Obama look bad…all in all, I’d say its a hoax, but its being reported by Fox and the Associated Press.
UPDATE: Peter Robinson over at NRO’s The Corner weighs in:
Before winning election to the Senate three-and-a-half decades ago—Biden ranks fourth in seniority among Democrats, sixth overall; how’s that for a fresh face?—Biden practiced law for three years. That’s it. Three years of fresh-out-of-law school practice represents the sum and total of Biden’s profession experience before joining the Senate.
Obama-Biden? A candidate with an astonishingly thin professional background—Community organizer? Desultory lecturer in law school?—has just named as his running mate a man whose principal professional achievement is to have perfected his skills as a gasbag.
Mark Noonan sez: the more I think about it, the more I figure its got to be a bogus story…its like Obama wants to lose. Or perhaps he just still thinks he’s got it in the bag?
UPDATE: Biden on the issues, by Mark Noonan:
A practising Catholic, Biden adheres to Church teaching on when life begins, opposes federal funding for abortion and favors the ban on late term abortions. On the other hand, Biden supports the Roe decision and makes no move towards ending the practice of abortion. All in all, Biden has trimmed himself to the pro-choice side of the aisle as far as he can without risking a breach with the Church. God bless him, he’s one of my brothers - and I’ll pray for him to come back entirely to the pro-life side of the aisle.
Biden is an old-fashioned tax and spend liberal as far as budget matters go - and is still a believer in axing the Defense budget in order to free up funds for social programs. In spite of the clear failure during his life time, Biden still believes that the heavy club of government spending is a magic wand to bring prosperity and happiness to the people.
Biden is pretty convention on the litany of liberal issues - while he technically opposes same-sex marriage, he’s not out there fighting against it; meanwhile, he is in favor of affirmative action, racial set asides, attacks corporations (though this may just be a Catholic thing, as I attack them, too - though probably not for the exact same reasons), supports hate crime laws and has co-sponsored a re-submission of the Equal Rights Amendment for ratification.
Biden raises conservative hackles for a lot of reasons, but conservatives going forward will probably start to concentrate on Biden’s disgraceful behaviour during the Thomas hearings.
UPDATE: Maybe this is why Obama picked Biden?
Tags: Barack Obama, Evan Bayh, Joe Biden, Tim Kaine, Veepstakes
August 23rd, 2008
From Politico:
A classic Joe Biden ad from 1988, which begins: “The White House isn’t the place to learn how to deal with international crisis, the balance of power, war and peace, and the economic future of the next generation. A President has got to know the territory, but that’s not enough.”
Experience was a major theme of Biden’s pitch in the primary (take the above, and add 20 years), and it’s a contrast they’ll have to aim to avoid if he’s Obama’s running mate.
If Biden gets the nod, you can bet the GOP will run that ad again and again and again.
Tags: Barack Obama, Joe Biden, Veepstakes
August 20th, 2008
The news story:
…McCain plans to celebrate his 72nd birthday on Aug. 29 by naming his running mate at a huge rally in the battleground state of Ohio, Republican sources said.
That’s a week from Friday, and the day after his rival, Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois, accepts the Democratic nomination at a 70,000-person spectacular in a Denver stadium.
The campaign has begun building a crowd of 10,000 for Dayton, Ohio, according to an organizer. McCain is scheduled to appear with his running mate at a large-scale event in Pennsylvania shortly thereafter.
Senior Republicans are in the dark about who he’ll name, although they say former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty are prime contenders after a trial balloon by McCain gave him very negative feedback about the idea of picking an abortion-rights running mate such as Tom Ridge, the former governor of Pennsylvania and the first secretary of homeland security.
Sources close to McCain say he has wrestled with the choice, torn between a high-stakes, high-reward pick like Ridge or Connecticut Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman — the Democratic vice presidential nominee in 2000 — or a safer and more conventional selection such as Romney or Pawlenty.
Friends say he has yet to make a final decision, and is not expected to do so until after Sen. Barack Obama announces his choice.
That last bit is probably correct - its better for McCain to wait until Obama’s pick is known that way both the VP nominee and the manner of presentation can be geared for maximum positive effect. Other than that, I really don’t have a clue whom McCain will pick…I still have my slight hopes of Palin (yes, I’d still love Jindal, but I want to “save” him for 2012 or 2016), but McCain has kept this so close to the vest that I doubt more than one or two of his closest aides really know where he’s going.
My only worry was the trial balloons McCain was floating on a pro-choice VP…its not that any pro-choice GOPer is absolutely unacceptable, but that such a choice would put at risk the growing, yet still fragile, conservative movement support for McCain, espcially amongst conservative Catholics and Evangelicals. In the end, of course, the VP pick is only of marginal importance - there aren’t that many voters, if any, who will merely vote based on the VP nominee, but for both candidates the VP selection is important in what it will say about the men, themselves. Public perception will decide this race - and the man the public perceives as the most “Presidential” will win - so the VP pick won’t secure victory, but combined with other things it can go a long way towards helping a candidate to defeat.
Tags: John McCain, Veepstakes
August 18th, 2008
THere is much speculation - and much conservative heartache - over this concept. As for me, I’ll quote that really clever guy, myself, from January 2, 2006:
The United States has many problems facing it over the next ten yeas. In spite of assertions to the contrary in some quarters, we must reform Social Security and Medicare before they go bankrupt, or bankrupt the nation. We must get a handle on our energy shortages - both expansion of current sources and development of replacements demand our attention. We have to figure out what sort of immigration policy we are going to have. These are just some of the bigger issues we face - there are, of course, scores of lesser issues which also must be given their due time - but the most important issue facing the United States over the next ten years is the War on Terrorism. Literally millions of lives are at stake, as well as having the liberty of the world hanging in the balance. The War on Terrorism is a war we must win, and it is a war which will take at least another 5 to 10 years to win.
In five years, it will be January 2nd, 2011…President Bush will have been out of office for nearly two years. We know that President Bush will keep fighting this war no matter what right up to the end…but the end for President Bush comes on January 20th, 2009. Who shall take over on that day? Will that person be as determined upon fighting until victory? God help us all if he is not…
…McCain is just about my least favorite Republican and while Joe Lieberman is my favorite Democrat, he is quite the liberal, and this conservative doesn’t agree with either man all that much. But one thing we can know with fair certainty is that both men have the guts and determination to see this war through to victory. A man who spent time in the Hanoi Hilton isn’t going to quit when the going gets tough, and Joe Lieberman has stood up to his Party’s leftwing base when most center/liberal Democrats have cravenly given into it. So, I propose a ticket with John McCain and Joe Lieberman.
It is my view that a McCain/Lieberman ticket is not only just about unbeatable, but is a ticket which any smart politician will recognize as unbeatable. Only a full-blown fanatic would think of running against them - and that, in the end, is precisely what we want.
You see, it isn’t good enough in 2008 that a pro-victory candidate wins: he must win convincingly. War is called politics by another means, and there is massive truth in that. The politics of this war are that we must, as far as possible, show a united face to our armed enemies - this is the only way we’ll ever convince them of the hopelessness of their cause. Right now, outside observers could easily believe that there is a massive anti-war movement in the United States which, any day now, will force America to withdraw from the war and hand our enemies a victory. Truth is, the anti-war movement isn’t that large, and no amount of old hippies out there demonstrating are likely to change President Bush’s mind…but this does make fighting the war harder, and it’d be a lot easier if the President and Vice President on January 20th, 2009 can claim a mandate from a large majority of Americans.
While a McCain/Lieberman ticket might upset some of my fellow conservatives, I don’t think the political bleeding on the right will be even close to the number of centrist Democrats who will flock to a McCain/Lieberman ticket…
…Victory in war and the health of our political system may end up requiring a McCain/Lieberman ticket - and if we secure a crushing victory for pro-victory liberals, centrists and conservatives, then we will have entirely marginalized the left. Eventually, of course, a political contraption which includes Joe Lieberman and Jon Kyl will fly apart due to internal contradictions - but we only need such a thing to work for 6 years or so. This would allow us time to win the war - or do so much that even a defeatist couldn’t lose the war - as well as purging the left from our political discourse. Eventually the more liberal part of the new coalition splits off to form a replacement party for the Democrats, while the more conservative elements of the GOP remain in charge of the Party.
I don’t like the idea of President McCain all that much - he is too easily swayed by elite opinion makers (the guy is a major camera-hog and it gets him into trouble with the right time and again), while Joe Lieberman adheres to too many economic liberal positions. But this isn’t about winning one for the Party or even winning one for conservatism - this is about ensuring that the United States government has the leadership necessary to secure total victory. For the sake of the nation, all men of good will can certainly swallow a bit of gall and get on with the important things - we can always start arguing about levels of taxation at a later date; I’m a member of an organization which stands for God and Country - and that is motto I hope to genuinely live up to. Much as I like clear victories for my particular side, the fate of my nation is far more important.
Do keep in mind that this is the official position of no one but myself - I owe the concept to no one, and I am unaware of anyone other than my father who agrees with the idea. Nothing which has happened in the 2 years, 7 months since I wrote that has caused me to change my opinion about the worth of a McCain/Lieberman ticket.
Tags: Joe Lieberman, John McCain, Veepstakes
August 16th, 2008
William Ruger in the Anchorage Daily News thinks so:
Despite the apparent closeness of this presidential contest, one does not have to be either a rocket scientist or a political scientist to realize that McCain faces long odds. Intuition, academic forecasts, and even political futures markets all suggest that the election is Obama’s to lose. And this tells us something important about the vice-presidential candidate McCain should select. His steep challenge dictates a very unorthodox pick.
McCain needs to create buzz for his campaign and give voters a reason not to toss the Republicans out of the White House. He should avoid the dubious conventional wisdom of picking someone with electoral votes in mind. McCain needs a bold, unconventional pick like Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin or Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal. Selecting Jindal certainly has advantages. He would add much-needed youth, diversity and vigor to the McCain camp. His selection would also go a long way toward exciting the conservative base that has long been wary of McCain. And it would help the Republican nominee’s own attempt to be seen as an agent of change by picking a new face, and an Indian-American at that.
However, it is Palin who could best ruin the predictions of the pundits, traders and forecasters.
Palin, the 44-year-old mother of five and popular governor of Alaska, would add a lot to a Republican ticket that will face an uphill battle no matter who is picked. First, the attractive young governor, like Jindal, would provide much-needed energy and youth to a ticket whose main candidate is frequently on the receiving end of “he’s so old” jokes. McCain should remember that this did not work out too well for Bob Dole, another senior war hero.
Ruger goes on to note that Palin would help Hillary voters to cast a McCain vote, that she’s the outsider’s outsider as far as DC politics goes, that she’ll help on both energy and environmental issues (being as she’s the governor of a very wilderness yet very oil State) and, finally (and perhaps most importantly) that she’s a Reagan conservative who could very well rally a conservative intensity for McCain that he can only dream of at this point. Ruger does also throw a semi-pitch in for Jindal, but the case he lays out for Palin is strong.
As for me, either Palin or Jindal would be excellent and automatically far superior to anyone Obama could pick.
Tags: Bobby Jindal, John McCain, Sarah Palin, Veepstakes
August 3rd, 2008
Interesting:
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?
Tags: Joe Lieberman, John McCain, Veepstakes
June 18th, 2008
Couldn’t agree more:
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) said Sunday that Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal “would be far and away the best candidate” to appear on the Republican presidential ticket with Sen. John McCain (Ariz.).
Gingrich, who appeared on CBS’s “Face the Nation,” heaped praise upon the former congressman, saying that he is a “spectacular” governor and predicted that Jindal would be a presidential candidate in the future.
However, Jindal, who also was a guest on the show, said that he already holds the job he wants.
“I’m certainly supporting Sen. McCain, will do whatever I can to help him get elected, but I’m focused on being governor of Louisiana,” Jindal stated.
Asked whether it could be a problem that the governor, who is 37, might be perceived as not ready to lead the country in case he would have to replace McCain, Gingrich said the case can be made that Jindal’s “experience in the executive branch and in the legislative branch is greater than” that of Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.).
“It strikes me that it’s going to be very hard for Obama’s campaign to explain that Jindal, as a governor, who has served as an assistant secretary of Health and Human Services, has served as a congressional staffer, has served as a congressman, is not qualified but Sen. Obama is qualified,” Gingrich said.
Aside from being a brilliant man, an excellent legislator, a superb governor and an all around good egg, Jindal as VP would entirely show up the lack of depth in Obama - the complete phoniness of his quest for the Presidency, and the arrogant presumption that he, Obama, is better fitting than McCain to hold the most powerful office in the world. Gingrich went on to note that running merely against Obama’s inexperience won’t work (though I’m not 100% sold that it won’t), but the fact does remain that Obama’s lack of experience coupled with his wrongheaded and destructive policy proposals can be the right mix to beat him in November - and in this the rather wonkish Jindal would also be a great asset to the more rough-and-ready McCain. Jindal can clearly lay out precisely why Obama’s policy proposals are not just mistaken, but already known to all well informed people to be massive failures-in-waiting.
McCain/Jindal ‘08 - that is my preferred ticket.
Tags: Bobby Jindal, John McCain, Louisiana, Veepstakes
June 16th, 2008
What you get when conservatism is at the helm:
In a major legislative success for Gov. Bobby Jindal, the Louisiana Senate voted 25 to 12 on Wednesday for a bill that would let up to 1,500 low- to middle-income students in New Orleans attend private schools at taxpayer expense.
Already approved by the House, the bill, a $10 million school voucher measure, needs one more routine vote in that body on the Senate language changes before it goes to Mr. Jindal, a Republican, for signing.
Backers say the bill will help some New Orleans children escape a struggling school system that has for years been known for corruption, bad management and poor student performance.
The public school systems don’t work - and in fact, for the most part, they never can work…given the nature of humanity, trying to figure out what is best for millions of kids from a huge variety of backgrounds is impossible. The best we can do is allow parents the flexibility to choose what education they think best for their own children - and school choice is the sharp edge of this new education paradigm which will return to families their power to educate their children.
More and more I come to the conclusion that the strongest indicator of impending failure is how big the proposal is - the more anyone tries to do, the more likely they’ll get it wrong. Keep it small; keep the decision making down on the lowest level possible - do that, and even if there is a monumental screw up, then it will at least affect a smaller number of people. Right now, a few school board dimwits can wreck things for hundreds of thousands of kids at a stroke - a private school can, at most, mess up the lives of a few hundred kids. Additionally, when you put the choice down at the lower level, you’re more likely to get a decision driven by genuine knowledge of what is needed - here in Las Vegas, we have a school board which proposes to figure out what a kid in Summerlin (the rich area) and a kid off Fremont Street (the poor area) needs. It can’t be done. The parents of the Summerlin and Fremont kids, however, likely do know what is needed - as would someone running a private school in each area.
And, now, as an aside - this is yet another major accomplishment which pretty much outweighs all of what Obama has done in his lifetime…given this, I’ll once again offer my prayer that John McCain will look towards Louisiana for a Vice President.
Tags: Bobby Jindal, Education, Louisiana, school choice, Veepstakes
June 13th, 2008
Interesting:
Senator John McCain, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, on Friday is scheduled to meet with two Republican governors who have been prominently mentioned as potential running mates, according to Republicans familiar with McCain’s plan.
The two governors, Charlie Crist, of Florida, and Bobby Jindal, of Louisiana, have both accepted invitations to meet with McCain at his home in Arizona, according to Republican familiars with the decision. One Republican said that Mitt Romney, a former rival of McCain for the presidential nomination wasalso expected to visit him this weekend. Romney’s advisers declined to comment.
McCain, after a week of campaigning, is heading home on Friday for three days without a public schedule. His campaign declined to comment on the meetings.
“We don’t talk about the V.P. selection process,” said Steve Schmidt, a senior adviser.
Still, the names of McCain’s visitors and the timing — coming three weeks after the Arizona senator told reporters that he had a list of 20 potential running mates — strongly suggested that he was moving into an intensified phase in his search for a vice presidential candidate.
Jindal is the best pick, in my view - his only drawback being the brief time he’s been governor of Louisiana, but given that the Democrats’ guy hasn’t got the requisite experience to be dog catcher, that might not be a high hurdle to overcome. Jindal would bring youth (I believe he’s 36 years old), ardent Catholicism, ethnic diversity (he’s the son of Indian immigrants), policy expertise (he’s a bit of a wonk on that) and a vision of the GOP future. Romney and Crist would also be fine picks, but Jindal is the man of the moment, I believe.
UPDATE: A sample of Jindal:
When I first learned you had invited me to come to the Press Club, I was excited at the prospect of being your biggest newsmaker this week.
Then, on Monday morning, I turned on the TV and saw Reverend Wright standing right here in this pulpit. I mean podium.
I’m a little disappointed the cable channels aren’t broadcasting live again this morning. Where are satellite trucks?
I have to tell you, I will never be as colorful or interesting as Reverend Wright. So if that’s what you came to see, I suggest you get another cup of coffee. In fact, I am less interesting and less colorful than any Louisiana governor you have ever met. I told my staff the very first day I was sworn in that was one of my goals.
Our state has had its share of colorful, quotable, entertaining politicians. In fact, in many elections it seemed that was the only criteria to get elected in Louisiana. You may remember our former Governor Edwin Edwards’ slogan….. “Laissez les bon temps Roulez.” Let the good times roll.
It made for great copy and funny sound bites.
But the problem was that the good times did NOT roll. At least not for everyone. The good times rolled for the people in power in our government, but they did not roll for most people in our state. “Who you know” became far more important than “what you know.”
Last year, during the campaign, I put the challenge to our citizens to roll all of that back. I went to every city, every parish, every wide spot in the road and said “we CAN change, we MUST change, we WILL change.”
And our people responded. They gave us an historic victory on the first ballot…
…with our resources…from agriculture to transportation to petroleum…we can be at the center of innovation and commerce in this country again.
If you have a solution to the impending problems with the world’s food supply? Come to Louisiana, where the growing cycle lasts most of the year.
If you have a way to stretch our domestic oil supply and decrease our dependence on foreign oil? Come to Louisiana, where one third of the nation’s oil and gas comes in off our coasts.
If you have a product to export to the nation and the world, come to Louisiana, where we have five of America’s largest ports, and three of the nation’s major railroads.
Louisiana has always been perfectly situated to be the capital of American innovation…if only Government would get out of the way.
And we are doing just that, right before your eyes.
Our first task was ethics – we now have a predictable playing field for outside investors. You won’t get beat by a rigged game. After that, we moved to dramatically alter our tax code.
In a second special session in March, we ELIMINATED anti-business taxes on business utilities, new equipment and debt.
We sped up the elimination of the tax on business investment – meaning Louisiana is no longer one of only THREE states in the country that taxes manufacturing machinery and equipment.
We accelerated the elimination of the tax on capital investment – meaning Louisiana is no longer one of the ONLY states in the country that taxes business debt.
We completely eliminated the “penny” tax on business utilities.
And – we re-authorized Louisiana’s New Market Tax Credits to encourage further investment in our state, and especially those areas that are still working to rebuild from the storms of 2005.
We also did something government too rarely does…we used a one-time surplus to make one-time expenditures that strengthen our economy. Thanks to the price of oil and the pace of reconstruction, our state budget is actually doing pretty well.
More sober governors might have created big new programs…setting a higher baseline for spending that might not be sustainable once revenues take a dip.
We did just the opposite.
We invested hundreds of millions of dollars in economic development… on priorities like roads, bridges, ports, and coastal restoration.
For a conservative, it doesn’t get any better than this…
Tags: Bobby Jindal, Charlie Crist, Mitt Romney, Veepstakes
May 21st, 2008
McCain is getting a lot of positive press about his climate change speech - juxtaposing the speech with the “take the gloves off” note to Newsweek, I begin to see a strategy here of hitting out both right and left…nothing like making everyone catch up with you - it means you control the terms of the debate.
Edwards endorsement of Obama has a lot of people talking of him being the Veep, again. I say: bring it ON!!!! Talk about handing us the election on a silver platter…two lawyers who are hip deep in questionable actions running against a war hero…
How much wood would a wood chuck chuck if a wood chuck would chuck wood?
Not much, they’re pretty small.
Discuss these and other burning questions of the day.
Tags: Barack Obama, Climate Change, global warming, John Edwards, John McCain, Veepstakes, wood chucks
May 15th, 2008
I’m not entirely sure about a McCain/Romney ticket - though such a thing does have many things to commend it. But, be that as it may, GOP unity continues to grow:
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - In a show of Republican unity, one-time bitter foes John McCain and Mitt Romney raised money and campaigned together Thursday for a single goal - getting McCain elected president.
“We are united. Now our job is to energize our party,” the Arizona senator said in an airport hangar, flanked by Romney and Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr., an early McCain supporter. Both have been mentioned as potential vice presidential picks, and McCain praised each.
Romney lauded McCain and promised to do all he can to help, saying: “He is a man who is proven and tested” and without question the right man to be president.
In February, Romney won 90 percent of the vote in Utah to McCain’s 5 percent. Romney’s ties to the state run deep, from his Mormon faith to his work overseeing the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City.
“Look, that wasn’t the only state I lost to Governor Romney in - it was just the largest loss,’ McCain said chuckling. He joked that it was abject humiliation but understandable given Romney’s Utah links. “I was at least hoping to break into double digits though!”
“I think he did just fine in New Hampshire, South Carolina, Florida, California …,” Romney said, laughing about states McCain won.
Country before party and country before individual desires - Romney very much wanted to be President, and probably very much would like to try again one day…but now his task is different; it is to ensure a man qualified to be President is elected in November, and of the three contenders for that office, only McCain has the experience, vision and tested leadership skills to hit the ground running on day one - a thing we’ll need in these dangerous times.
Tags: GOP Unity, John McCain, Mitt Romney, Veepstakes
March 28th, 2008
Well, when someone said that the GOP governor of Alaska is sharp as a tack, and a babe, I just had to take a look - and correct on both counts:
Challenges lie ahead, but let’s look back at the last year and at some accomplishments. In Education, we are shaping a three-year funding plan to finally shift the school debate from perpetual “money talk” to accountability and achievement! We are focusing on foundational skills needed in the “real-world” workplace and in college. In Natural Resources, we’ve opened arms to welcome development – but only responsibly, or not at all. Thanks to those abundant resources we will be able to provide for the urgent needs of our citizens. In Revenue, Alaskans ushered in a new era of stability with ACES, our new oil and gas appraisal system. It will provide protection even when oil prices aren’t as high as they are now. Ronald Reagan warned, “Government always finds a need for whatever money it gets.” I agree and that’s why we must save our surplus. My administration is proposing $7 billion dollars into the Permanent Fund, Constitutional Budget Reserve, the Education Fund and PERS/TRS debt relief. In Fish and Game, we are managing our fisheries based on science, not special interests. Alaska’s predator control program is showing results with greater wildlife populations so more Alaskans can hunt and feed their families the world’s healthiest, cleanest protein on God’s green earth. In Environmental Conservation, our Climate Change Sub-Cabinet has begun working on ways to adapt to impacts and we’re implementing the voter-mandated Ocean Rangers program. In Administration, we redesigned technology for government efficiency and transparency, including our nearly-complete online checkbook, showing Alaskans where their money is spent.
A lot of this relates, of course, to Alaska issues, but the Reaganism is loud and clear, and not just in the wonderful Reagan quote; free markets, free people, responsible stewardship. As for the “babe” judgement - picture available here.
McCain could do far worse in his Veep selection.
Tags: John McCain, Sarah Palin, Veepstakes
February 27th, 2008
Speculation grows:
One name that’s begun to surface on various media lists making the rounds is Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue. He’s received at least two mentions in the Washington Post and several plugs from the army of pundits that populate the cable news channels.
Could the governor who made fishing tourism the centerpiece of his legislative agenda last year really be a vice presidential contender? Some political experts say it’s not out of the question.
McCain will need to bolster his support among social and religious conservatives, especially in the Bible Belt. As a senator, McCain might want to turn to someone with executive experience, like a governor. And the proven ability to raise large sums of money would be a plus.
On paper, Perdue fits the profile almost perfectly. A Southern governor who led a prayer service for rain on the steps of the state Capitol, Perdue was also at the helm of the Republican Governors’ Association last year as it shattered its previous fundraising record.
His national star rose among Republicans when he coasted to re-election and solidified the GOP hold on Georgia in 2006, a year dominated by Democratic victories elsewhere.
Perdue’s also got a friend who has McCain’s ear. Former Georgia Republican Party Chairman Alec Poitevint is Southern co-chairman of McCain’s campaign.
Seems to have a lot going for him, and he would probably help McCain lock down the South without much effort, thus allowing McCain to try a bit of poaching in the light blue States (Minnesota, Wisconsin, eg). As for me, I have to admit that Perdue has been off my radar - I just don’t know much about him at present to form a solid judgement. But this is not the first mention I’ve heard about Perdue for Veep.
What do you think?
Tags: John McCain, Sonny Perdue, Veepstakes
February 17th, 2008
A really quite good AP article on the subject:
…REPUBLICANS
Given McCain’s age — at 72 on Inauguration Day, he would be the oldest first-term president — there could be more focus than usual on his choice for vice president.
McCain batted away questions Friday about what he’ll be looking for, saying it would be inappropriate to go there with Huckabee still in the race.
Even so, he offered some clues to his thinking. A regional strategy — picking a Southerner, for example, to help carry states in the South — doesn’t work like it did in the past, he said.
McCain even laid out a job description of sorts: “The fundamental principle behind any selection of a running mate would be whether that person is fully prepared to take over and shares your values, your principles, your philosophy and your priorities,” he said.
Under one theory, McCain should use his veep choice to shore up support among wary conservatives.
“That’s the high-profile, easy way” to get right with conservatives, said David Keene, chairman of the American Conservative Union. “If you said, ‘I can’t change because I’m too old to change and I’m too ornery and I don’t want to be nice to you but I’ll select as my running mate someone you really love,’ then they’ll all say ‘OK, we’ll put up with the ornery old guy.’”…
…DEMOCRATS
Still battling delegate for delegate, Clinton and Obama need to keep their focus right now on securing the nomination.
Others, though, have more time to ponder the ramifications of the two candidates teaming up — in either order.
Many see that as the unstoppable “dream unity ticket,” says Goldstein.
Republican Galen, however, thinks it would be more of a nightmare scenario.
A President Obama, he says, wouldn’t want Bill Clinton roaming around “reminding everybody of how he would have done it.”
A President Clinton, he says, wouldn’t want to be overshadowed by the star appeal of Obama.
If the Democratic candidates decide to look elsewhere for a running mate, one strategy is select someone who reinforces their own qualities.
Obama, for example, could pick a Washington outsider to supersize his change message, for example a governor like Arizona’s Janet Napolitano or Kansas’ Kathleen Sebelius…
Anything is possible, but I really don’t see Hillary subordinating herself to Obama, and I see no upside for Obama in becoming Hillary’s VP pick (being a Clinton VP did just a bang up job for Gore, right?) - given this, I do look for a relatively unknown person to wind up as the Democrat’s VP pick - with Napolitano and Sebelius being very good choices for Obama. As to who Hillary would pick - look for a non-entity who won’t be able to upstage her, nor compete with Bill for the second-banana spotlight. Perhaps some former Clinton cabinet member, or a really obscure governor.
As for McCain - I’m thinking youthfu, governor and rock-ribbed conservative. Bobby Jindal (R-LA) would be best, but he only took office this year…oln the other hand, if its Obama, no one would be able to complain about Jindal’s experience, which actually far outpaces Obama’s even without the governorship. Mike Rounds (R-SD) is another possible pick - youthful, good looking family, solid conservative credentials on spending, regulation and education.
What do you think?
Tags: Barack Obama, Bobby Jindal, Hillary Clinton, John McCain, Mike Rounds, Veepstakes
February 10th, 2008
