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McCain's Better Half?

Filed under: US Elections

It seems like John McCain would have to be quite insane not to pick a female running mate. Real Clear Politics reports:

A new Pew Research Center poll points to a surging tide of fury, especially among white women. As recently as April, this group preferred Obama over the presumptive Republican John McCain by three percentage points. By May, McCain enjoyed an eight-point lead among white women.

Female voters have every right to be outraged by the way in which Hillary Clinton -- the far better qualified alternative -- has been treated during the Democratic primary season. If they're smart, they'll send a clear message in November that they constitute a majority in this country and their vote is not to be trifled with by means such as the disenfranchisement of Florida and Michigan. If they do, this will be the last time the male-dominated power structure takes their concerns so lightly.

And yet, not a single female name appears on McCain's short list. In fact, among the names he's now floating only Bobby Jindal of Louisiana represents the kind of scintillating choice McCain needs to make in order to shore up his Republican base and show he's not just a cantankerous old man but an agent of change. McCain needs to understand that the foolhardy nomination of Obama means this election is his to lose. That means not getting complacent or arrogant and not losing focus. Only by taking his eye off the ball, like the fabled hare against the plodding tortoise, and getting self-indulgent can McCain fail to win the White House against such a polarizing, unqualified candidate as Barack Obama.

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Comments


abu al-fin says:

Obama has energy, charisma, youth. He has armies of financial backers, and armies of campaign workers who will go the extra league for their candidate.

McCain has nothing. He is a democrat who caucuses with the pubbies, then spends time with his Dem friends helping them beat the pubbie strategies.

The pubbie establishment (led by Crist of Florida) fixed the race for McCain. They're going to pay for that stupidity big time.


La Russophobe says:

Obama has a mentor who is a racist and, now, another mentor who is a convicted criminal:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/05/us/politics/05rezko.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin

McCain, not so much.


Scrapiron says:

I thought McCain had been, or is, in discussion with the Gov of Alaska, without doubt a fine speciman of a female, and with a brain. Something not available in the democrat party.


Scrapiron says:

La Russophobe: Hussein O has financing from every criminal element and terrorists organization worldwide. Not so much working Americans. I can draw 75,000 to a rally if I provide a 'free' rock concert by a popular group and only speak at half time. What Hussein O doesn't have the terrorists (his brothers) will buy for him using the money you spend on gas. Go ahead, I'm betting you will be ahead of me when starving and dying time comes due to his, Hussein's, stupidity.


Charlie says:

Scrapiron, much as I admire Gov. Sarah Palin (R-AK) and the reformist, thoroughly conservative agenda she's brought to Alaska -- which by the way has saved the state's GOP from falling into corruption-induced irrelevancy -- she wouldn't be much of a choice as a running-mate.

McCain's biggest knock against Obama is the latter's inexperience and brief tenure at the big-league levels of government. Not only does Gov. Palin not offer a counter to that shortcoming, but at the statewide level she's actually got less experience than Obama (gov only since Jan 2007, and before that just two terms as mayor of Wasilla and a failed bid for LG).

Gov. Palin is brilliant, driven, effective, and immensely popular (not to mention easy on the eyes), but the first criterion for any candidate to keep in mind when picking a running-mate is, "Can I visualize this person taking over the presidency at a moment's notice in the event of a catastrophe?" She simply does not pass this test. Maybe in another few years, but not now. This is an especially pertinent question for voters in this case, given McCain's age. FDR dumped the Soviet-loving Henry Wallace from the ticket for the more hawkish Harry Truman during his fourth run, because his frail condition made people especially aware of who might (and in this case, did) be filling in for him. Same strategy applies to McCain.


Charlie says:

Publius, keep in mind that the last three GOP vice-presidential candidate picks (G.H.W. Bush, Dan Quayle, Dick Cheney) were all complete surprises. Nobody in the media expected any of them (and of course they were all dismissed out of hand as unfathomable choices, since their respective top-of-the-ticket candidates hadn't taken the MSM's sage advice).

In other words, don't be surprised if McCain dispenses entirely with the short list making the rounds in MSM circles.


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