Why wasn’t Alaska Governor Sarah Palin mentioned in the headline or listed first? After all, she IS the most likely of the bunch actually to become President of the United States. There IS a strong possibility she’ll be on the ticket with McCain in November. She IS the VEEP choice of McCain which the Democrats fear the most.

Sarah Palin is clearly the best choice of those mentioned in the article. Gov. Palin has the “change” credentials a majority of Americans have been waiting for.

I started the Draft Claire for Governor in which we had over 75 team captains statewide in 2003. She instead became a US Senator two years later. Claire McCaskill was a prosecutor in Kansas City, a single mom while serving as state representative for 3 terms and then a State Auditor. Her knowledge of local, state, and Federal levels of governments and how they work is extremely important. There has likely never been a vice presidential candidate which such a record of service.

She has become known as a center of the road legislator fighting for anti ear mark legislation and an accountability office for expenditures on the war. What she is most noticed for is that she has a pulse of the people that comes naturally and speaks out for the people when something is not in their best interest concerning government or important issues. Yes two inspiring candidates who bring out the best in people on the ticket sound real good.

Steven L. Reed
1441 South Estate Ave.
Springfield MO
stevenlloydreed@hotmail.com

Well, duh, this post features the three who are from MO and IL, the primary audience of this newspaper!

Madigan would be a stretch; there’s less there than meets the eye. Steelman’s future depends on the degree of her success in the governor’s race. McCaskill has definitely improved her national stature. Sebelius is also a comer.

Palin has the highest favorability rating of any governor, according to Rasmussen Reports. Her most relevant claim to fame is the courage she displayed and the success she enjoyed in challenging the corrupt ruling elite in her own party in Alaska (deposing an incumbent governor in the primary and this year recruiting and supporting a primary challenger to the incumbent senator), which would be a nice reinforcement of the reformer image that McCain seeks to project if she were the veep nominee. On the downside, some may wonder whether her limited resume as a small town mayor and two years as governor of a small (by population) state is adequate experience to step in as president if needed.

I don’t know whether the Times mentioned Elizabeth Dole, who sought the presidency briefly in 2000, but she appears to be in the political fight of her life just to keep her senate seat this year. The latest Rasmussen poll has her trailing her challenger (though within the margin of error).

Love Claire, but she has not been playing the correct political games. Good for Missouri - might not be good for her career if people hold grudges. She pointed out an earmark in the Farm Bill that belonged to Nancy Pelosi. Like Claires nerve to say it like it is.

I have not heard anything about Sarah Palin and I imagine most other Americans have not either. She would have an uphill battle on name recognition, especially if all the Times can dig up on her is that she calls her husband the first dude.

John McCain is not going to pick a two year governor from a state with less than a million people to be his vice president. His schtick about experience would go right down the tubes in doing so. Hes going to need someone who is a known quantity, nobody outside of Alaska and political junkies such as myself know who Sarah Palin is. Kathleen Sebelius has a better chance than any of them. A two term democrat governor in a republican state, she was very successful in turning numerous moderate republicans into democrats. Sarah Palin may have stood up to the republican establishment, but honestly, republicans and change go together about as well as hungry snakes and fat mice.

Knowing the Repubs McCain will not stoop to running with a female only another male–maybe Romney but definitely not any of these 3 nobodies!