Now that Barack Obama is embarked on his glitzy global tour, having already won the Nuri al-Maliki primary, the McCain people are quite unhappy with their predicament. During all those weeks when they were baiting Obama as a rookie with scant war-zone exposure, they apparently never figured out that, if Obama did go, he would surely garner an outsize share of public attention. So now, until Obama returns home, they're stuck with the onerous challenge of competing for the spotlight.
Thus far, they have been reduced to bitter fuming (aide Mark Salter said yesterday, "'The One' went to Europe, and homage must be paid"); ahistorical sputtering (McCain said yesterday that Obama has "no military experience whatsover," conveniently forgetting that Ronald Reagan, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Woodrow Wilson didn't have any, either); and fact-free huckstering (a new McCain TV ad blames Obama for "rising prices at the pump," even though, in the world of factual reality, gas prices have been on the rise for 10 years, sparked largely by competing consumer demand in countries such as China and India - and besides, even if one is to accept the erroneous premise that U.S. senators control gas prices, hasn't McCain been a senator 18 years longer than Obama?).
But perhaps their most tantalizing bid for the spotlight concerns the choice for running mate. Yesterday, the veteran Washington columnist Bob Novak wrote that he had been told, by McCain campaign contacts, that the veep nominee would be publicly unveiled by the end of this week. Novak is derided in some quarters as "the prince of darkness," and liberal readers don't like him, but he does have good sources in the GOP. On the other hand, McCain sources (presumably, different ones) have hinted elsewhere that this week might be a bad time for a veep launch, since Obama's media footprint might squash theirs anyway.
Taken together, however, it's clear that the McCain people have pondered the idea. How else would they get on the public radar this week? And a glance at the calendar shows there are few other opportune times. The summer Olympics will suck up media oxygen from Aug. 8 to Aug. 24, and then comes the Democratic convention, from Aug. 25 to Aug. 28. If McCain waits on the veep announcement until the Democrats are done, he'll have only a four-day window until his own convention begins - and that window coincides with Labor Day weekend. And since there's always the possibility Obama might want to announce his own choice during one of the few remaining weeks before the Olympics, that factor further narrows McCain's timing options.
Therefore, just in case McCain decides to spring a surprise this week, here's my own list of the top-five possibilities. Like every other observer who is outside the tight circle of veep vetters, I have absolutely no inside info. But you don't have to be Charlie Black (the longtime Washington lobbyist-fixer who serves as McCain's uber strategist) to conjure the ideal GOP running mate resume. It's merely someone who can galvanize the Christian right, turn on the swing voters, compensate for McCain's self-confessed weakness on economic issues, shake things up by putting a new face on the Republican party (either via gender, or as a reputed reformer), and perhaps even help tilt a blue state. Quite a tall order.
So, in alphabetical order:
Marsha Blackburn, a three-term congresswoman from Tennessee. Playing the gender card would create buzz. She's a conservative Southerner (a staunch opponent of taxes, spending, abortion) who would help galvanize the conservative base, and perhaps help McCain among women in general. Foreign policy is not her forte, but McCain figures he has that covered.
Bobby Jindal, the Indian-American governor of Louisiana. He'd be a racial breakthrough for the GOP, potentially a big help in the year of Obama. He's a pro-life Catholic, which could help McCain with the conservative base, and generally with Catholics, traditionally a swing electorate. A former congressman who was elected governor last year on a reform agenda, he can talk fluently about domestic issues that tend to bore McCain, such as health care. McCain is slated to meet with Jindal this week, for what that's worth.
Sarah Palin, governor of Alaska. As the first woman to run that state, she's another potential mold-breaker. Like Blackburn, she has conservative credentials for the base (she has signed a lot of budget cuts, and she's a lifetime NRA member). She's enormously popular at home, typically drawing support from 85 percent of the citizenry. She's colorful and young (42). She eats mooseburgers, rides snowmobiles, amd smoked pot when it was legal in Alaska. And not that this matters at all, but she's a former beauty queen; in the words of conservative commentator Jonah Goldberg, she might help draw the voters of "visually unimpaired heterosexual men."
Mitt Romney. A safe pick, assuming that rascally flyboy McCain can find a comfort level with him. Romney can talk domestic economics far better than McCain. He's also popular with a lot of the evangelicals and Bush money donors who have yet to warm to McCain. Business leaders like him. He's also has family roots in Michigan, a traditionally blue state that McCain would dearly love to snatch from Obama. And he has never suffered a bad hair day.
John Thune. Again, if sex appeal on a McCain ticket is a necessity, then remember that this guy is as handsome as Romney. The reliably conservative senator from South Dakota sent Tom Daschle packing in 2004, and he reputedly has a better personal relationship with McCain than Romney does. And, at age 47, he's 14 years younger than Romney - a potential asset, if one assumes that McCain will put a premium on youth in a year when "change" is the predominant mantra.
All told, if McCain does choose one of my fave five, I want points for perspicacity.
On the other hand, you should know that, back in 2000, I never once imagined that George W. Bush would choose Dick Cheney. And when he did, I lauded Cheney as "a master of the S-word: sober, serious, solid, stable, steady, substantive and seasoned." How's that for full disclosure?
Posted by Dick Polman @ 7:14 PM
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69 comments
Isn't Jindal even younger then Obama?
Don't forget Fiorina. She would be a risk, but one worth taking in my opinion. ----- Also, McCain need not be worried. Any help Maliki did was undone by Obama in his disastrous ABC interview. I wonder what Maliki would think of Obama's position that the surge, despite its amazing results politically and militarily, and rescuing Iraq from the brink of chaos, was still a mistake? (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBO5s8NUOxw)
Conservatives are acting like Malaki has somehow been deceived into siding with Obama. If Clinton had beat him, Malaki would be on her side. Don't you guys get it yet --- they want us out of their country. They've always wanted us out. Obama just happens to be on the right side of this issue (for them). No matter what Bush (or even McCain) has said, Bush's real Iraq strategy involves us never leaving. Why would there be so much focus (& money spent) on our constructing PERMANENT bases there?
Calvin: Jindal is 37, but he has worn a lot of hats in a short time. He was assistant secretary of health and human services, he was a congressman and he is now a governor. Despite being close to a decade younger than Obama, you could say he has accomplished more. :)
bon - ha, you wish. How about the press conference today? Please. I say he takes a woman, but of course, then Obama will pick Sebelius (which I think he will already). I think it would be extremely dumb to pick first and allow Obama to consider his choice with his own pick, but obviously, he doesn't have many options. I think he'll go with Romney since he provides a good counter to McCain's weaknesses, but I'm just not sure the public gives two hoots about Romney. A little handsome competition might help, however. (I would strongly warn McCain against selecting a beauty queen - doesn't he already have a bit of a reputation there? Plus, how will they ever pull the "Obama used drugs" card then?)
I'm also a little hard-pressed to understand why one year as Governor and three years in Congress is a "better resume" than three years as a US Senator and seven years as a state senator...aren't you GOPers supposed to be pro-state government?
yobill626: The Iraqi government was not calling for total withdrawal of US troops in mid-2006, when the country was on the brink of a civil war. Obama was, though. Obama said during the Democratic primary that not even genocide within Iraq was enough to warrant US military attention. It is a bit cynical for he and his supporters to now brag of their convergence in policy with the people they seem to have no interest in protecting from death.
squintymc: I am not sure I follow you. McCain has never brought up Obama drug use. (Though Obama supporters on blogs sure like to bring up Cindy McCain's struggles along those lines.) ----- Jindal does not have a long resume. It is objectively longer and more distinguished than Obama's, though. Fiorina is still my choice, but Romney would certainly be safer. ----- I doubt Obama has the guts to pick a woman who isn't Hillary. Hillary's supporters will see it as just another insult so there will be no advantage in it for him. Obama will pick a Dodd or a Biden or someone along those lines. As we have seen, Obama is not one to take risks.
No, he'll pick a Governor, which McCain would be wise to do as well. Sebelius is a fantastic pick and it wouldn't be for the benefit of Clinton supporters who can't get over it, it will be because she has a similar approach to governing and a strong executive resume, plus, she's popular in a red state. She's a boomer white lady too, after all, and I very much doubt that when all is said and done the so-called "feminists" who can't get over Clinton will reject a woman of Sebelius's stature. (BTW, the ranks of those hardliners are diminishing very quickly - I have a number of family members who had many a screaming match with me during the primary and they're over it...after this month, they'll be WAY over it. Or they'll write her name in. Which is fine with me.) Biden would be a solid choice, of course, Dodd would absolutely not be. I'll bet you $100 it will be Sebelius. The "Obama has no guts" argument seems a little thin at this point, no? How does that jive with the "who does he think he is" argument? Seems a little contrary to me...which is it? Is he a namby-pamby liberal or a self-absorbed jerk?
Fiorina is really your choice? You like her successful resume? Really, with picks like this no wonder the GOP will have their hides handed to them in a few months.
Of course McCain has never brought up Obama's drug use, he has a lot more class than that PLUS he wouldn't want to open that door for the very reason you mentioned (which I, as an "Obama supporter on blogs" haven't ever mentioned...in fact, I see it mentioned more by McCain supporters trying to call out Obama supporters for not being sufficiently lovey-dovey and "respectful" and it always seems to reference comments made on "other" threads - nonsense. No one needs that kind of smear to beat this guy, it'll come a lot easier than that.)
McSame could dig up Abraham Lincoln to run with him and it wouldn't help.
squintnyc, yeah, how about that press conference today. Why, he spoke so, um, er, uh, um, let me phrase that this way, let me, uh, er, um, wow, a lot of questions in there, uh...eloquently. Too bad they could not have put up a teleprompter, or taken his 300 foreign policy advisors who give him scripted answers every morning to possible questions on this trip with him. I loved the answer that Obama stated , and I paraphrase, that if he listened to his commanders on the ground and took their advice (which he said George Bush purports to do), then he would not be doing his job as Commander-In-Chief. This was after he said the surge was only successful because of the Sunni awakening and the Sadr cease fire...both of which took place AFTER the surge was announced and begun. Remember, this is from the party of Harry "this war is lost" Reid; Hillary "willing suspension of disbelief" Clinton, and Barack "the surge will not end violence, in fact it will only increase it" Obama. Funny how in January, 2007, Iraq was in the throes of a civil war, yet Obama wanted to out political pressure on them.
McCain's risky call out of Obama's perceived inexperience on forgein relations has really backfired. Now, in an attempt to regain some of the lost juice, McCain's people are hinting at him revealing his VP is desperate at best. Neocons better get used to saying President Obama very soon!
"Objectively longer and more distinguished"? Really? Jindal didn't start in the public sector until 1996 when he was appointed to the LA Dept of Health and Hospitals where stayed until he was nominated and appointed to Asst Secretary of Health and Human Services in 2001. In 2003 he ran for Governor of LA and lost because he couldn't carry the traditionally red northern LA parishes. Then he ran for Congress and won. But the 1st District is considered the most conservative in the entire state and has elected a Republican to that seat since 1977. And Jindal had to move their to even run so he was essentially a carpetbagger. From there he crushed the competition and was elected Gov last year. But, he was nearly recalled because he wouldn't veto a bill that doubled the pay for state legislators (he eventually did veto it and the recall was stopped).----------------- Now Obama moved to Chicago to help the poor in 1985 and spent several years organizing in the projects. From there he went back to school, got a law degree, was elected President of Harvard Law Review (first black ever) and returned to Chicago to continue his work with the poor. He was elected to the Illinois State Senate in 1997 and served there until 2004 when he was elected to the US Senate and has served there since.------------ So, let's compare, Jindal has less time in public service overall, lost an election and was nearly recalled as Governor. Yeah, okay, "objectively longer and more distinguished." If you consider losing and election and nearly getting recalled from office "more distinguished" then you can have the guy.
Tom, I'd rather have Obama stammering then have McCain saying ""it's a very hard struggle particularly given the situation along the Iraq Pakistan border." At least Obama knows that Iraq and Pakistan have this great big thing called IRAN in between them. Apparently McCain doesn't.
Ronald Reagan, from Wikipedia - More experience than Baraq Hussein Obama: After completing fourteen home-study Army Extension Courses, Reagan enlisted in the Army Enlisted Reserve on April 29, 1937, as a private assigned to Troop B, 322nd Cavalry at Des Moines, Iowa. He was appointed Second Lieutenant in the Officers Reserve Corps of the Cavalry on May 25, 1937, and on June 18 was assigned to the 323rd Cavalry.
Reagan was ordered to active duty for the first time on April 18, 1942. Due to his nearsightedness, he was classified for limited service only, which excluded him from serving overseas. His first assignment was at the San Francisco Port of Embarkation at Fort Mason, California, as a liaison officer of the Port and Transportation Office. Upon the approval of the Army Air Force (AAF), he applied for a transfer from the Cavalry to the AAF on May 15, 1942, and was assigned to AAF Public Relations and subsequently to the 1st Motion Picture Unit in Culver City, California. On January 14, 1943 he was promoted to First Lieutenant and was sent to the Provisional Task Force Show Unit of This Is The Army at Burbank, California. He returned to the 1st Motion Picture Unit after completing this duty and was promoted to Captain on July 22, 1943.
In January 1944, Captain Reagan was ordered to temporary duty in New York City to participate in the opening of the sixth War Loan Drive. He was assigned to the 18th AAF Base Unit, Culver City on November 14, 1944, where he remained until the end of World War II. He was recommended for promotion to Major on February 2, 1945, but this recommendation was disapproved on July 17 of that year. He returned to Fort MacArthur, California, where he was separated from active duty on December 9, 1945. By the end of the war, his units had produced some 400 training films for the AAF.
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McCain's advisors really screwed themselves by attacking Obama's supposed lack of foreign policy experiene. In essence, Obama's trip to the ME and Europe hase been a huge success and only highlights McCain's shortcomings. By forcing Obama to go to these places, he has assured Americans that he is a ready to be POTUS. This nonsense of McCain's VP is merely a ploy to divert all the positive attention Obama has received worldwide over the past few days.
amg, Jindal was not "nearly recalled" as governor. The issue was he promised to veto the pay raise bill, then said he would sign it, and then changed his mind because of his earlier promise. The so called "nearly recalled" news you spout was just MSM blather....after all, he was no Grey Davis.
Also, Obama may have served 4 years in the US Senate, but he spent the last 3 campaigning for President, and never held a hearing on the subcommittee he has chaired since 2006. That committee, by the way, is part of the Foreign Relations committee and is responsible for Afghanistan, where Obama says now the situation is perilous and urgent....so urgent he never felt the need to hold a single hearing on the subject. Can you name one legislative accomplishment credited to Obama either in the Illinois state or US Senate? No...nobody can...except voting "present" over 100 times.
amg, you are right. Obama does know Iraq does not border Pakistan, and today he said "Israel will always be a friend to Israel"....and yesterday he talked about "the bomb that fell on Pearl Harbor" in an interview. Yes, he knows about the Iraq
He knows about the Iraqi border, after all, he has 300 people feeding him answer sheets every morning. He just doesn't know anything else...perhaps he should visit all 57 states first.
Any of you who believe Obama's trip has been a huge success must be living on a different planet. Of course, with over 200 reporters and all three network anchors on the trip, how else will it be reported. But for those who actually listened to his press conference instead of panting at the Messiah, this trip is not a total success...just as it is not a total failure. Obama gave nearly ZERO credit to the troops for the surge success....
Hey, Tom, your foaming comments today prompt me to answer your whine of yesterday that I never get into arguments with the righties. Let’s face it: Debating issues with you, or bon, tit for tat is a waste of time. It’s clear from months of posts that you have your ideological position and you cling to it. I keep urging you to see the big picture; you keep mentioning Rasmussen polls. Here’s the big picture: Republicans, in total power for 6 years of Bush and in major control for the last 2, have badly damaged the country, financially, diplomatically, morally, security-wise. No matter the NYT’s decision on McCain’s op-ed piece, the important argument is, we need the GOP tossed out. People must be responsible. Actions must have consequences. As to attacking, I have learned one thing from the Repubs during Gingrich, Bush, Rove, DeLay, Swift Boaters: Democrats and independents make a mistake to let the right smear and spin without response. I promise I won’t do that. So, you can play "Israel will always be a friend to Israel" gotcha, but I don't plan on getting into masturbatory debates with you. Until the Repubs (which used to populate a moderate party, but no more) are reformed, it’s a war for the future of this country.
I guess it depends upon what demographics McCain wants to target. Should he shore up what he already has or eat into other categories. I predict a real renaissance in the 18-29 year old vote, and as it stands, I think McCain will get brutally pummeled in this demographic, because those of this group who actually will put down the xbox to vote, are motivated by the "change" slogan. Should he try to capture some ground here or is it a lost cause? Romney would be a terrible choice in my opinion.
And Tom of Wilmington DE has been less nuanced and articulate as of late. It's more boilerplate and less big picture than I am used to from him. Maybe they hired someone else. As for Bon, you won't get a response, because he doesn't clock in until 8:30.
I'm for him picking " Big " Ed Rendell. It would be a smart move on his part and would not cost too much for " Fast Eddy " to switch! What a country!!
Who's the president of Mexico? I pick him.
Jindal strikes me as an opportunist. He is an HONORS grad in biology from BROWN and freakin' OXFORD for cryin' out loud, and accepts Creationism! I wonder if he really believes it, or just finds it to be convenient political position in a yahoo red state...I suspect the latter.....
Fiorina couldn't get elected dog catcher. She was run out of HP and it is well documented that she was not loved by the rank and file as well as the Senior Management at HP. She is a little smarter Kathleen Harris - remember her - "all show and no substance Carly" is how she is known in the business world. The smart choice for Johnny boy would be Jindal, Rob Portman or Thune. Any one of the three would bring a lot of Economic street cred to the ticket vs. anybody else except Romney but my observation is that Romney is way too ambitious for McCain.
Middle...., are you equating Reagan's military experience and elevation in rank to that of a Captain in a combat outfit?
The real question is who will Obama pick for VP. Hillary, snicker, she will be stabbing him in the back. Biden.......you must be kidding. It would be the frick and farck show. Sam Nunn, who hasn't been in Washington since 1990..........there is a barn stormer and isn't he McCains age? What's his name from Indiana......was that Dan Quayle? Perhaps Harry Reid or Nancy the Pelosi who have run Congress to an approval rating 11 points lower then Bush's. Well lets have some fun Carolyn Kennedy or Chelsea! Here is the deal guy, with lots more money and a much bigger staff Obama is not performing well. He is 4.2% ahead of McCain. Where is the beef. Obama has the problem it proves you can't buy an election, Well there is always Ross Perot.
Mccain ...will pick Romney.....Obammy the muslim salami will probably pick Maliki ..or maybe Jesse jackson....or how about Louis Farrakhan..all true friends and and phonies...just like him
MNH, Reagan was a PR flak are you going to compare his military experience with my grandfather's in the South Pacific during WWII. Oh, I forgot Reagan is a saint.
What does it matter, the liberal media has already elected Barry Husein Obama president, and king of the USA. The way ABC, NBC, and CBS following him over to the middle east is positively sickening.
Rob Portman will be the VP.
Never even heard of Blackburn...
It doesn't matter, he won't remember it tomorrow
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The thing is that the Repulicraps can't really pull the 'Obama used drugs' card considering McCain's wife is a pro at writing fake prescriptions using the names of her employees. What Obama did pales in comparison to committing an outright felony. Oh, and because of political connections, she avoided punishment. Talk about a worthless piece of garbage.
Tom, Jindal was nearly recalled. He only vetoed the raise when he realized his opponents might have enough votes to recall him. If there wasn't such and uproar over it he never would have vetoed it. He did it purely for survival. As for Obama's subcommittee, maybe you don't know how it works in Congress but it's a SUB committee which means the only time a meeting is convened is if the FULL committee assigns something to it. Not having one meeting means he hasn't had anything to meet about. And since we are at war the FULL committee makes all the decisions and keeps the decision making process in their committee. The sad thing is most people, like you, have no idea how it works so your little talking point will possibly grow legs. Nuance and procedure is lost on most of the voting public.
puttinonthefoil: If you are expecting me to spend my whole day here you will be disappointed. I will respond when I can ( :) ----- amg: Jindal has been in the big time for around 8 years. He has won contentious elections in that time and enacted sweeping, meaningful legislation. Obama has been in the big time for a little over 3 years, and has only two (arguably) meaningful piece of legislation to his credit. Obama was in the Illinois state government for a long time, sure, but an examination of his record there reveals little to write home about.
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Danny55: Fiorina is a great success story and a brilliant business person. She was "run out" of HP because the board did not have her vision. Almost everything she did that was considered controversial (the Compaq merger, in particular) has been vindicated since she left. Even many of the people who forced her out now speak of her only in glowing terms. (Tom Perkins, for example.) She is also a very good communicator of conservative economic policies and puts the lie to the liberal myth that all women are pro-choice. She is a very good candidate for veep. There are a number of good books about her tenure at HP (including a very well written autobiography). I highly recommend them.
Romney is the best choice. He's smart on the economy, so he'll easily extract all of the socialist theory from Obama's plans and pound it through the skulls of his supporters. McCain has the only realistic plan for the Middle East, which he can continue pounding into peoples skulls. The wheels on the Obama bandwagon are bound to fall off soon. The media coronation of him is an abomination, and I can hardly stand reading/listening to the garbage. Everyone touts his trip overseas as "groundbreaking" and "motivating", when he has done nothing since but repeat things that we have known all along. Yes, Obama, we know Iraq would like us to leave soon, and we will, once the job is done. Yes, Obama, we know that the situation in Afghanistan is rather urgent, and we will send troops there, once they are trained and ready. Thanks for the 6 month old news flash, moron. Argentina is trying to align Russia against the US of A. Do you really think that Obama has the testicular fortitude to deal with what that may mean? I dont, since he has already shown that he is a pacifist, and is not willing to finish the job when the going gets tough.
Venezuela........not Argentina..........long day.........
Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska! She's young, articulate, solidly conservative, and a female!
squinty, you really area leftist turd. 7 years as a state senator doesnt mean jack. Vince Fumo has 28 years as a state seantor...maybe he should be Barry's running mate? Jindal helped Louisiana's Medicaid program go from a running a $400 million deficit into three years of surpluses totaling $220 million. In 1999 he was appointed as Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Services. During his time in congress He was elected freshman class president and was appointed to the House Committee on Homeland Security, the House Committee on Resources, and the House Committee on Education and the Workforce. He was made vice-chairman of the House Subcommittee on the Prevention of Nuclear and Biological Attacks.
What has Obama done since getting elected? Oh, thats right. Run for president and give a few vague speeches, and get slapped around by Katie Couric tonight in an interview. Sorry, if you cant handle Katie Couric, maybe you wanna come back in 4 years, when you grow a spine.
chrissmith: She is great, but she and her husband just has a child who will require special attention. It is hard to imagine they want to spend months away from home.
the reason McCain's VP pick is so important is McCain's age and health problems (malignant cancer). His VP pick has a good chance succeeed him before the 4 or 8 years are up. So if he picks a young VP without experience he is negating any argument he is making against Obama as being too inexperienced. Given that he is hoping to take white male voters it makes no sense to choose a woman, there are not that many who will still be against Obama when faced with McCain getting to be the Supreme Court Justice selector. I see either of the white guys, but probably Thune as then John doesn't have to explain all his insults to Romney in the primary. However, Romney would help in Michigan, where McCain is rapidly fading.
the reason McCain's VP pick is so important is McCain's age and health problems (malignant cancer). His VP pick has a good chance succeeed him before the 4 or 8 years are up. So if he picks a young VP without experience he is negating any argument he is making against Obama as being too inexperienced. Given that he is hoping to take white male voters it makes no sense to choose a woman, there are not that many who will still be against Obama when faced with McCain getting to be the Supreme Court Justice selector. I see either of the white guys, but probably Thune as then John doesn't have to explain all his insults to Romney in the primary. However, Romney would help in Michigan, where McCain is rapidly fading.
At this point for me it does not matter who McCain chooses for Vice President. The McCain gaffes are getting TOO numerous and frankly a little scary to me (Czechoslovakia for one) to consider him a foreign policy "expert".
And just what foreign policy expertise does McCain offer ???
Most of us MODERATE voters who regularly vote for candidates of both parties see Iraq as an unmitigated disaster which took resources and attention away from the hunt for Osama Bin Laden and his murderous cabal.
McCains self professed weakness in economics also suggest that hiring McCain to be commander in chief is a bad idea in these troubled times. How many of us expect the financial sector / transportation sector / food and other sectors of the economy to be done with the bad news ???? Especially with the financial sector we will be paying for the GOP's zeal to deregulate !
atp2007: I feel like I should clarify your cancer remark. McCain had cancer in 2000 and has not had a recurrence in 8 years. According to his doctor (who was released to answer questions from the media) this puts him nearly in the clear. ---- Nothing McCain said to Romney or vice-versa compares to the things Bush 41 and Reagan said about one another. There is a long history of primary fights between running mates being quickly forgotten come the general election. I doubt McCain will even take that into consideration when picking his running mate.
HollandPaul: Yep. Thankfully Obama talks to the media about 10% as often as McCain and rarely takes questions from voters. It is easy to avoid gaffes when you spend all day reading from a script. (Incidentally, that is also how Karl Rove ran Bush's campaigns. That's some good company Obama is in.) :)
Bon -
Perhaps Obama speaks to the media when he has something to say then ???? Better to say nothing then speak and confirm that you are a fool !
And as for the Rove comparison - it is specious at best. If one looks back at the 2004 election just when did GW Bush campaign NOT at a military site or somewhere where the audience was controlled ??? No matter what one thinks of Obama he campaigns in many locations not just the "safe" locations.
I frankly find the Obama attacks by McCain supporters to be asinine frankly.
Take the campaign finance controversy for instance. Instead of ONLY castigating Obama for opting out of public funding - how about McCain trying to back out AFTER HE USED PUBLIC FINANCING MONEY TO OBTAIN LOANS ????? When pointing the finger at Obama it would be nice if McCains hands were clean which they were NOT !
McCain has come across to me as a Bush rubberstamp who would probably be a sort of 3rd term of George W Bush. ANYONE who gives the GOP props for how the war in Iraq has been prosecuted is very foolish.
And lastly what exactly are the McCain qualifications that suggest he will be a good president ????
I believe McCain will take the safe choice Sen Thune. He will get the choice out soon to get some of the press time before the Olympics.
The right ought to step up the fight - with intelligence though. Right now they seem like crybabies and their attacks on Obama so far have been petty and nonsensical.
I cannot wait for the debates !!! Finally 2 candidates with command of the English language. While I voted for GWB in 2000 (for misguided reasons), his inability to communicate intellgently should have prevented his presidency and that communication gap was a big reason his presidency will ultimately go down as a failure.
It is amazing, that the people who marvel at people who still believe Obama to be a Muslim there can be so much misinformation. First, McCain NEVER lauded how Bush prosecuted the war. For years he called for more troops and the firing of Rumsfeld. Funny how when he was doing that he was considered a maverick, but now he is a continuation of Bush...a supposed third term. McCain does talk about the surge, which he called for years before it was enacted. Those who believe otherwise are delusional. The constant whine that Iraq took resources away from the hunt for Bin Laden (didn't Kerry try that in 2004) is to the point of nausea. What would have been done differently to find Bin Laden? Did we stop looking for him? Should we have invaded Pakistan...a sovereign country that never attacked us and had no link to 9/11 (gee, like Iraq)? What would have been different...give us an idea or some information to back up the diverted resources claim. As for Supreme Court, I guess most people want more justices like those that voted for the Kelo decision. Yep, why have a legislature when we can get things done through the court system. atp....I guess Obama cannot choose HRC then due to all the things they said about each other during the primary....although it did not seem to bother her when she endorsed him (recall her saying he was not qualified to be Commander In Chief...BUT NOW HE IS). As for Djoko, nobody wants to get into an argument, but I do wish you would bring something to the table besides calling bon and I Republican machine spinners who mention talking points. Man up and bring some substance son. Is that nuanced enough for you foil?
Really backfired? Nope. The man says that things are great on the ground but the surge was still a mistake. McCain has played Obama like a musical instrument, first shaming him into going to Iraq and then forcing him to acknowledge the progress and still repeat his earlier statements. McCain should go with Palin. Remember that McCain had a three month head start on picking his veep prospect so the campaign should have it's due diligence done by now. Picking Palin now would avert any "historic" pick Obama could make at the convention... like Hillary. Doing it now would make Obama's pick nothing but reactionary.
Please get any information regarding McCain off of your site and replace it with NObama information, as s standard practice for your rag because you're confusing the Communists here.
NObama and Europe: the same moral arrogance -- and ignorance
NObama won't debate John McCain in free-form Townhall settings, so he is jetting off to Europe, where millions of liberal suckers will fall down, kiss the ground, and worship him. He figures he deserves it.
Senator NObama should be running for President of Europe, not America, because Europe and NObama deserve each other. They share exactly the same attitude of moral arrogance and ignorance about reality.
NObama can loftily dismiss genocidal Iran as a "tiny country" that poses no threat to anybody. That was when he was lying to his own troops on the Left. Today NObama is talking more sense about Iran, but still not nearly enough to match the reality of the threat. Those deliberate, cynical, arrogant lies are typical of Europe's tenured Ruling Class -- socialists to a man and woman, amazingly arrogant, and completely helpless in the face of real danger. Europe's rulers have rejected tough choices, so when Slobodan Milosevic was committing daily genocide and mass rape in the Balkans, our moral superiors in Europe called on Bill Clinton to bomb the Serbs, and Good Ole' Bill obliged his friends. Europe didn't want to get its hands all dirty.
Yesterday, Balkan genocide and Saddam; today, Robert Mugabe and the jihadicide in the Sudan. It's all the same. Europe wrings its hands when real people get killed and tortured and blames George W. Bush. Sound familiar?
amg, while a recall petition was filed, it needed 933,000 verifiable signatures gathered within 180 days of being filed. I would hardly call this "nearly recalled" since it never really got off the ground.
amg, as for Obama and his subcommittee, you are talking about legislation that is sent from the full committee to a subcommittee. Obama's committee had little legislative responsibility. However, according to Ambassador John Ritch, who for two decades was the Foreign Relations Committee senior staffer for European affairs and East-West relations BEFORE going on to represent the Clinton administration at UN organizations in Vienna, Obama could have examined items like NATO's role in Afghanistan (where the situation is perilous and urgent NOW), Europe's response to the rise in energy costs and its response to Global Warming (hoax), and Bush's undermining of the Atlantic Alliance foundations (not my words). So, contrary to your view, he could have done a lot...but chose to do nothing. Guess he was too busy running for his next office.
Tom - McCain caved to Bush time and again in his handling of the Iraq war. As for attacking Pakistan - who knows - but surely stopping the billion$ in aid would have been in order.
As for the Kelo Supreme Court decision either you are for states rights or you are not. The right cannot have it both ways. There have been many decisions of late which are reduced to soundbites which give misleading assessments of the issue decided. If you are saying that a President Obama would appoint Justices to the Supreme Court who would be more mindful of individuals rights than say Alito or Roberts I say bravo ! In none of the decisions giving alleged enemy combatints court access rights has the court said release them !!! The rights that are being protected are OUR RIGHTS !!! Who on earth would trust ANYTHING the Bush administration says on anything ??????? I for one welcome court "intrusion" when legislatures enact laws which are counter to other laws or the US constitution.
Did you guys see the news that they finally caught the Serbian president Karadzic charged with genocide and war crimes. He's been on the run for what, 10 years? His top general (Radic) is still on the loose. And you guys think Bin Laden was not captured because of Iraq????
Tom,
Iraq was a diversion we did not need to have.
It would have been far more productive to go after Osama Bin Laden than create a multifronted war.
While I think little of the frankly dumb remarks that George W Bush is stupid (he is not), he is incurious which is very damaging to his job.
Based on what I've seen the last couple of weeks, McCain better pick a running mate that knows how to run a campaign...This is getting embarrassing!
jyoders19: "McCain has played Obama like a musical instrument..." --- Wow! What are you looking at (I'd really like to know)?
Yobill,
I couldn't agree more that McCain needs someone who really knows how to campaign. The numberous geography mistakes from non existant Czechoslovakia to country border mistakes in that hot bed region suggest someone who is more versed in DUMB DOWN soundbites than someone who really understands foreign policy.
Ya just gotta luv those who post on this site. McCain makes a mistake and he is dumb, losing it, running a poor campaign. Obama makes a mistake (when you can find them in the MSM), and you are spewing right wing talking points or some other drivel. As for the Supremes, I am all for states rights as I am for individual rights. If people agree with the Kelo decision (which I have read), then hooray for them. Let's hope some developer never wants to build an apartment building on their property. We have a lot of that going on right now in Wilmington, where the city wants to take businesses it says promote blight (auto parts stores, auto body repair shops, etc.) to build condominiums and townhouses. Some of those businesses have been there for decades, but now they are blight. So if you are for government trampling on individual property rights, then vote for Obama and live with the court he gives you. Holland, if you believe McCain banging the drum for Rumsfeld's firing, for more troops when Bush held the status quo, for a new direction in Iraq back in 2004, was caving in to Bush, then have a nice day. There is no hope.
Tom,
I fully agree the Supreme Court is an important criteria in evaluating which candidate to vote for. It is fallacy to rate the justices on one decision and one decision alone. Obama will appoint justices who are mindful of individuals rights which is not a bad thing. The last thing this country needs is another justice in the mold of Antonin Scalia whose individual claim to fame can be illustrated by his asinine quote that "Mere factual innocence is no reason not to carry out a death sentence properly arrived at".
And as far as mistakes go - it is funny to think the one who made more gaffes on Obama's trip is McCain !!! Obama is making sure that the GOP does not get to define him and McCain does not know what to do ! If we are talking support the troops - then it's funny that Sen Webbs new GI bill of rights was OPPOSED by John McCain. And for such a supposed expert it sure took him a LONG TIME to go against Rummy.
Tom,
I fully agree the Supreme Court is an important criteria in evaluating which candidate to vote for. It is fallacy to rate the justices on one decision and one decision alone. Obama will appoint justices who are mindful of individuals rights which is not a bad thing. The last thing this country needs is another justice in the mold of Antonin Scalia whose individual claim to fame can be illustrated by his asinine quote that "Mere factual innocence is no reason not to carry out a death sentence properly arrived at".
And as far as mistakes go - it is funny to think the one who made more gaffes on Obama's trip is McCain !!! Obama is making sure that the GOP does not get to define him and McCain does not know what to do ! If we are talking support the troops - then it's funny that Sen Webbs new GI bill of rights was OPPOSED by John McCain. And for such a supposed expert it sure took him a LONG TIME to go against Rummy.
I think McCain should choose the guy with the pinkest face and the fattest neck as his VP.
Yes, McCain called the Czech Republic Czechoslavakia, but at least he did not say Iran and Venezuela were tiny countries who posed no real threat to the United States....then called Iran a grave threat to the security of the United States.
Bon: Fiorina screwed up the Compaq merger. It was Mark Hurd her replacement at HP who made it work not Carly. I know some very high up people at HP here in San Diego who have utter disregard for her. They agree that the HP Board made the right decision in asking her to step down. Her spin is they lacked her vision but it was her vision that scared the board because she did not have the requisite management and leadership skills to drive her vision. I have worked for Women CEO's who were very good so this is not a gender-related slam. The bottom line is that she would not be a good candidate for VP for McCain. I think she is better suited for a Chief of Staff position. I will give you that prior to HP, she was successful particularly in sales and marketing and would have been a better VP of Sales or Marketing at HP vs. CEO. I personally don't care about her pro-life choice because that is what every Woman should have is the right to choose whether they are pro-choice or pro-life and not have it forced down their throats by the Federal or State Government.
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