SLU Veep scholar on Palin: “A very risky pick”
Earlier, we brought you what St. Louis University Law School professor Joel Goldstein — probably the nation’s leading vice-presidential scholar – thought about Joe Biden’s addition to the Democratic ticket. 
Today, Goldstein weighs in on Republican John McCain’s decision to tap Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin’s as his running mate.
The first-term governor’s selection came as shock to Goldstein, who has studied the vice presidency for over 30 years.
“I’m stunned and did not see it coming!” Goldstein says in an e-mail.
More from the Billiken prof::
If she is perceived as a plausible president, it may pay off. If not, it appears like a cynical political move designed to placate the Republican base and reinforce Sen. McCain’s maverick image.
No one with so little experience has been selected as a vice-presidential candidate since Spiro Agnew. The risk is that, given Sen. McCain’s age and prior bouts with melanoma, he could be perceived as putting someone a heartbeat away who is not sufficiently tested.
Moreover, it is a huge leap from dealing with Alaskan problems and the Alaska media to the international and national problems which face a president or vice president all under the klieg lights of the national media.
Sen. McCain’s problem was that he needed to placate the Republican base who view him with suspicion and would not accept a choice of Secretary Ridge or Sen. Lieberman. He also needed to emphasize his maverick image. His other options tended to do one or the other. She does both but puts on center stage someone who no one has yet argued is presidential.
And being the governor of Arkansas was a tough job that gave experience in foreign policy?
The facts are 4 of our last 5 presidents were governors who had little or no foreign policy experience. America needs leaders with the ability to get things done and Palin gets and A for her performance as Governor of Alaska. She is a dynamic choice and a true breath of fresh air.
Well, I’ll say this, Realist: Being governor of Arkansas, Alaska, or even Rhode Island would be better preparation for being President than a handful of years as an Illinois state senator, and two undistinguished years in the United States Senate. But perhaps The Messiah isn’t required to have experience as the rest of us require.
You got the wrong candidate with less than two years experience there Nick. At least she has flip flopped as much as McCain, first she was for the bridge to nowhere now she is against it. First she was for Ted Stevens, now she is against him.
I believe that he made a good choice, although I wish he would have picked Ms. Condoleezza Rice as his running mate, that way he would have got the black vote as well as the female vote.
Kendrick,
You are assuming Blacks and White women who supported Hillary are stupid, some may be, but I refuse to believe as many as you are thinking are.
This was about the worst judgment any leader could have and selfish on all involved.
Both candidates are extremely risky choices for this country. It’s here we go again just like with our current President George Bush, when Evangelicals are happy, you can bet that we are in trouble. Their good intentions are disastrous and scary, and they are blind to their error way of thinking, especially in spiritual matters. McCain is mainly attempting to appease this group of Evangelical Christians but at the same time recruit women who supported Hillary and are disgruntled by Obama’s, which is foolish and poor judgment to think was worthwhile. He is attempting to kill one bird with two stones, with no thought about what is best for this country or Palin’s family and, absolutely no thought for the best interests and good for her newborn “Down Syndrome Baby”. How can people who claim to be so religious and so into family values be so conflicted?
There is only one reason why, and it is because these people are a bunch of hypocrites following after their own warped desires and mind, not God’s. They will stomp to any means to attempt to accomplish their goal.
Have these people learned nothing from Bush and his administration?
Palin a great Evangelical Christian I heard said by an Evangelical leader today. If the claims that she is investigating are true, then these blind evangelicals need to open their eyes and see the contradiction in what she hold her self out to be and what she really is. But they will not because most of them too are conflicted and are in error. Being the mother of a newborn “Downs Syndrome” baby and aspiring to further her career before being with her special needs baby paint the only picture truly needs to be seen. She is a conflicted individual just as most of these Evangelicals.
We have McCain with his bouts of cancer and age going against him. This is just plain risky and crazy.
Old Age, Sickness (Cancer), “Mother with a Newborn Down’s Syndrome Baby”
What a complete mess to have as leaders of the United States, they are bringing with them great stress into the job in the way of their personal lives outside of the stress that the job alone brings being President and Vice President of the United States.
You guys remind me of when Pilate asked the crowd, “Which one of these two do you want me to set free for you, Barabbas! They answered. They chose a crazy murderer over Jesus because of their dark wrong hearts. This is what you people remind me of, those like that in that crowd.
What the heck is a nations leading Vice-Presidential scholar? As a school bus driver, I am now a Transportation Engineer!
Didymus,
Please stop showing your ignorance, sometimes it is best to not be so transparent. Common sense should tell one that it would more than likely mean that this professor has done more research on the subject and issue than any other professor in the country and probaly have more pulished papers on it than most others. It only takes a little common sense to figure that one out.
D. Walker–
ANOTHER (10) paragraphs of cut n’ paste jibberish?
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She’s so unqualified, it boggles the mind that McCain chose her to potentially serve one heartbeat away from the presidency. This was a reckless and irresponsible pick on McCain’s part. As someone who was previously undecided, this arrogant, boneheaded decision has chased me over into the “firmly committed for Obama” camp.
BobZ,
I think that it is acceptable due to the fact that they are my actual comments. Do you have any thoughts to express other than your sick need to attempt to put down others who you do not agree with you? Give it a try, express yourself constructively.