McCain’s vp pick a game changer?
WASHINGTON–Sen. John McCain’s decision to pick Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate will unquestionably shake up the race.
First and foremost, of course, the move will help McCain woo those coveted Hillary Clinton backers, who were so disappointed that the New York senator fell short of the nomination. Palin, a mother of five who is in her first term as governor of Alaska, could be a magnet for that disaffected, vital constituency.
Plus, she’s a Washington outsider, with a reputation as a reformer. And she will likely short-circuit efforts by the Obama campaign to make inroads in Western states. The early talk on cable TV was about Palin’s taste for mooseburgers and guns.
On the other hand, of course, she’s young and has a fairly thin resume, which could hurt McCain’s efforts to tar Obama as unprepared for the White House. And who knows how she’ll fare in a debate against the sharp-elbowed agile Biden.
In any case, McCain’s surprise pick of Palin, and Obama’s choice of Sen. Joseph Biden, D-Del., is a mirror image in some ways of the 2000 campaign. Then, Texas Gov. George W. Bush, dogged by questions about his experience and gravitas, tapped veteran Washington hand Dick Cheney, ala Obama’s choice of the seasoned Biden.
Al Gore took the bold route, a la McCain this time, with an outside-the-box pick of Sen. Joseph Lieberman, D-Conn.
What an insult to Hillary supporters to think they can be so easily persuaded…..Sarah who? Biden must still have that big grin on his face.
Too bad there’s only one Vice Presidential debate.
Palin is Spiro Agnew all over again: http://www.mydd.com/story/2008/8/29/112757/660
Come on Brain-Dead Liberals… let’s talk again about Obama’s failure to support the Born-Alive act.
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First of all, Obama is right on abortion. 100%.
Second of all, Garrison is right. It’s an insult to women to think they will fall for such obvious pandering. The only Hillary voters who will fall for it are the ones who would refuse to vote for Obama anyway. He won’t woo any new voters this way.
And McCain is throwing away his ability to challenge Obama on his alleged inexpereince. Palin is younger than Obama!
I saw Governor Palin on the Craig Ferguson show one night and thought she was a pleasant person with a sense of humor. And those are good qualities. Maybe not rising to the standard of succeeding the President, but nice qualities. The best thing you can say about this selection is that it was unexpected and provides us with a new face on the national scene. But this isn’t Dancing with the Stars.
The first requirement for a Vice-President, or at least the one that most nominees consider when selecting their possible successor, is can the person take over the Presidency. This appears to more of a political stunt than a respect for the office of the Vice-Presidency.
I’m sure we’ll learn more about the Governor in the days ahead, but is she really the second best in the Republic Party to be President?
Nice try Garrison - you won’t be saying “Sarah who” for long. She has been an aggressive reformer in Alaska, and will bring REAL change to Washington. Obama wants to point to “old man McCain” and position himself as the forward looking one. But in fact, Obama would push a return to the policies of Ted Kennedy and Jimmy Carter, while McCain and Palin will push our federal government into a future of transparency, efficiency, and responsiveness. I can’t wait!
I am glad that Senator McCain chose Governor Palin. With this choice he sticks his thumb in the eye of the Bush-Cheney-Rove wing of the GOP.
For all of the supporters of Senator Clinton who are now tempted to say Candidate Obama should have picked her because of this, no Presidential Candidate worthy of the name ever allows themselves to be pressured into this one choice.
Well, I was correct when I said Senator McCain would pick a “haircut”, I’ll modify that to “hairstyle”. This must be tying the Mitt Romney wing in knots.
I will be voting for Presidential Candidate Barack Obama in this truly historic election. I am not as impressed with a woman as a Vice-Presidential nominee, as I have already twice voted for women running for President and Vice-President (Congresswoman Shirley Chisolm in 1968 and Geraldine Ferraro in 1984). But I commend the Republican wing of the Republican party for finally getting around to it.
Hey Nick, you must be a person with a lot of money. Only people like us, that actually have to work on hourly wages, can understand that what we have in Bush and McCain is definitely not for us. They never have been, nor never will be. Sounds like you don’t want to get taxed. Sorry to inform you, but everyone that have to actually work for little money, will soon be getting a break. Ted Kennedy, Jimmy Carter and democrats alike have always worked for the people that need it, not the people that have everything already.
“the move will help McCain woo those coveted Hillary Clinton backers, ”
In what world? Diedre, you write as if Hillary supporters were taking a “any women, just make it a woman” approach.
Do you think, had Hillary been triumphant over Obama, that McCain’s picking Alan Keyes would have pulled over some Obama supporters?
The answers is both scenarios is–of course not! People look beyond race and gender and do look at the issues of the candidate. There is very little, if any, overlap in Hillary Clinton and Sarah Palin’s positions.
RHarnack, Are you STILL writing about American politics?
Shouldn’t you be apologizing to those left behind in the killing fields of SE Asia before sprinkling your surrender dust on us?
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