Traditional Friday VP Speculation Open Thread

Please complete the following:

If McCain selects [      ] I will personally [        ].

We are looking for originality here - I have already pre-empted "Romney" and "gag myself with a spoon".

SPOILER ALERT:  Or, if you want to cheat and read the actual pick, go ahead.

Comments

[Jane]

Better late than never TM?

My longshot quess is [Sarah Palin], and [I'll jump for joy]. I'm willing to put 10 million bucks on it. Any takers?

[Semanticleo]

Palin is a hottie.

McCain has good taste.

http://www.capitolhillblue.com/cont/node/4611

[Gabriel Sutherland]

Sarah Barracuda! Former sportscaster, gives birth and three days later is back at work?

Can she flip the coin to kickoff the NFL season?

Kills the bridge to nowhere.

Sells the Alaskan state jet.

Maverick and Barracuda!

[kim]

Ho, ho. In their slide show, the AP calls Alaska a 'tiny, out of the way state'. Maybe in their tiny minds.
===============================

[Chris]

Surprising and pretty cool. Way to go team McCain!

[Semanticleo]

Let's see;

Cindy McCain--age 54

Vicki Iseman--age 40

Sara Palin--age 44

Sorry Cindy......

[Jane]

the AP calls Alaska a 'tiny, out of the way state'.

Did they compare it to Iran?

[Jane]

I can honestly say this is the most exciting pick in my lifetime - at least for me.

[Chris]

Cleo,
Was there a point you wanted to make? Didn't think so. Just fling the poo and moveon.org, huh?

[Ann]

This is brilliant and I am so loving it. Faces on MSNBC are very sad.

Sarah Barracuda!! Good Morning America!!!!!!!

[GMax]

Cleo has just let you in on the townhouse memo on Palin. It will be about her being a former Miss Alaska contestant. You want misogynist, they are going to give you it in spades! Being male, I can only speculate about how that will fly with the 52% of the electorate that is not male, but somehow I just dont see that being wise. But hold on cuz a flood of that is coming.

[M. Simon]

I thought it was a good idea on 26 May 008.

I still think it is a very good idea.

Post up at Power and Control with links.

[M. Simon]

Cleo has just let you in on the townhouse memo on Palin. It will be about her being a former Miss Alaska contestant. You want misogynist, they are going to give you it in spades! Being male, I can only speculate about how that will fly with the 52% of the electorate that is not male, but somehow I just dont see that being wise. But hold on cuz a flood of that is coming.

That will cement the Pumas.

McCain is brilliant.

[thelonereader]

Think about it----McCain 1,2 punch Obama now and Clinton in 2012---How does the very experienced Hillary stack up against Palin's experience as VP for 4 years?????

[glasater]

Hey Semantic!--You must be concerned about a female VP running mate to get so vicious so quickly:-)

Palin is a terrific choice!!

[kim]

Why he's old enough to be her father. Heh, Obama's too.
====================================

[thelonereader]

Leo, I really did expect better from you---how very disappointing.

[M. Simon]

Jane,

We desperately need some excited Republicans.

Another point in favor of McCain.

BTW I'm excited too.

Will you still love me when I'm 64? (coming up in October).

[Je support les troops]

If Obama's "not ready," how is Palin ready?

She's been governor of Alaska for less than a year. Before that she was the mayor of a tiny fishing village. She's 4 years younger than Obama.

McCain is a 72 year-old cancer survivor.

Who's fooling who now?

[kim]

Every now and then Leo is bitter about his waterboy status. This is one of those times.
=================================

[Jane]

Will you still love me when I'm 64? (coming up in October).

But of course!

Where are Clarice and DoT? Wake up JMH - I want to hear everyone's reaction.

Won't someone take my bet?

[kim]

Well, point guard, mayor, governor, Jslt, but still, we are not voting to give Palin the football. Why do you only bring weak points to the table?
=========================

[Jane]

If Obama's "not ready," how is Palin ready?

Well she has more experience than Obama, and has passed a hell of a lot more legislation - most aimed at ending corruption.

Obama has done nothing but traffic in corruption, and has no legislative accomplishments, no resume and apparently no friends who he can name at least.

Oh and Obama is on the top of your ticket. But please, go on.

[Jane]

I think Andrea Mitchell is drunk. Who can blame her?

[kim]

Hah, Jlst, and try attacking her because of inexperience. It contrasts well to Obama's. Oh well, another sad meme for the trash heap of history. Try thinking these through, please, you are ennuying.
====================================

[Charlie (Colorado)]

Sorry Cindy......

Leo, with all due respect...

Fuck you.

[JJ]

Palin, meh.

If McCain had selected Joe Lieberman I would have personally been more pleased.

[Soylent Red]

Let's see...

Dems want to run on ageism and sexism. Offend the two largest segments of the population. Brilliant strategery.

[Uncle BigBad]

I've been watching MSNBC. Andrea Mitchell is near suicidal. She's interviewing Dems, natuarly, who are roundly trashing Palin. I think that's a good sign. Dems enthusiasm from last night seems to have diminished.

[MayBee]

Sarah Palin family pictures via http://althouse.blogspot.com/>Ann Althouse

Helllooo first dude.

[Mr. F]

Love the pick. Was DYING for him to pick Palin, but I'd completely given up hope the last week. I'm legitimately freaking out. Well done, McCain.

To those babbling about experience: she matches up fine with The One, actually, and is the only one of the four people on the two tickets with executive experience, besides. And if she undermines McCain's theme of experience, wouldn't Biden undermine Obama's theme of change? Hmm?

Most importantly, though: she's being put forward as VP, not President. Believe it or not, that makes a difference.

[Pofarmer]

Palin, meh.

If McCain had selected Joe Lieberman I would have personally been more pleased.

Well, consider me happy you're not happy then. That mix would have been toxic.

[kim]

Oh don't worry, Charlie, sometimes he does it to himself, like the instant case, but resentfully. How progressive can you get, Leo?

JJ, I like Lieberman, too, and believe he would have guaranteed a McCain win, But Palin is a lead in to the next generation of Republican leaders, and will offer ideological battle as well. I also preferred Romney, but he'll find a place.
=================================

[Pofarmer]

Let's see...

Dems want to run on ageism and sexism. Offend the two largest segments of the population. Brilliant strategery.

But, but, but, I thought the Dim's were against all that stuff?

[bio mom]

The Ds here and on the cables are falling into a big trap. The more they talk about her inexperience the more an inexperience issue gets attention. And that means the inexperience of their PRESIDENTIAL candidate. McCain is still free to question the readiness of Obama-he is the one running for president. When attacked, he can say he has no plans of dying right now no matter how much the Ds would like him to.

[Charlie (Colorado)]

If McCain chooses Palin, I will jump up and down shouting and scared the rap out of my cats. Ali'i is just now coming out from under the couch.

Boy is this guy a fighter pilot. He is completely inside Obama's envelope. After the whole mess with Obama's continual teasing, what does McCain do?

- lets it be known that he'll make an announcement about Obama on the day of the speech. Lets all the calculation go on, the rumors --- he'll announce his VP, he'll challenge Obama --- watches the left get nuts about it, until finally Obama's side says it would be "political malpractice" to do something like that --- and issues a congratulatory message on his nomination on the anniversary of the "I have a dream" speech;

- does a dozen head fakes for a whole bunch of Old White Guys, and manages to keep things more or less completely quiet --- keeps it secret even from Sarah Palin's parents --- then picks a young, gorgeous, charismatic, maverick, anti-corruption campaigner who actually turned down a famous bit of pork and saw to it that corrupt Republicans were jailed.

Result: Obama's folks look like asses twice, and Biden is in the position where the first time he makes an ugly assertion and follows it with the big grin, she's gut him like a moose.

Gerry Ferraro loves it, by the way.

[Semanticleo]

"Leo, with all due respect...

Fuck you.'

Chaco;

Tony Soprano couldn't have said it as well.

Other than the obvious reasons, what are the positives for this choice?

(I mean, other than a pathetic attempt to corral PUMA vote which made the hollow threat to vote McCain, rather than Obama)

[Sue]

Oh my gosh! I'm a McCainiac. I didn't think McCain could do anything to get me excited about voting for him. He just did it. Last night, Chrissy Matthews said, is this what we have been waiting for, the big surprise of McCain's pick? Pawlenty? And Howard Fineman laughed and said it certainly looks like it. This pick, if for no other reason than to knock the wind out of Chrissy's and Howard's sails, just made me into a McCainiac.

[Charlie (Colorado)]

Hmm. "scare the crap".

[kim]

There has to be some kind of tactical genius working for McCain. I mean, wasn't Brownback jumping at Intrade last night. Couldn't you hear the Obamites licking their chops? And now, to push 'inexperience'? This is turning into a clown show.
=========================

[anduril]

Palin could turn out to be an inspired political pick. She only has to get through her debates without a total crash and burn.

See her Wikipedia bio (partial) here.

I like her strong pro-life stand. I detest her pro civil union position. I think she's shockingly unqualified to be president--the presidency almost always turns out to be largely about foreign policy, no matter how the campaigns are waged. All that time hunting mooses and other outdoor pursuits was time not spent learning about the world. That she'll be Veep to an old man is worrisome. She embodies the strengths and weaknesses of America.

[ROA]

If Alaska is a tiny out of the way state, what is a south Chicago community organizer’s territory?

[Charlie (Colorado)]

Leo, sometimes as asshole remark deserves no more. On your other question, see my response to Tom's fill-in-the-blanks.

[kim]

I'll turn it around, Leo; what are the negatives for this choice? Inexperience isn't gonna get it, not when you are leading with Obama, whose experience seems to be in accumulating a criminal gang to back him.
=============================

[Sue]

MayBee,

Hello first dude indeed.

[MayBee]

How does a less experienced VP pick negate an inexperienced Presidential nominee?

I guess it's what the Dems have got.

[GMax]

Hahahahaha

Cleo is getting spittle all over herself with the little temper tantrum she is throwing. You got to admit, seeing a moonbat implode is serious fun now aint it?

[anduril]

It's not just the lack of FP knowledge. To be a successful president you have to be a political animal with experience. She has just about none. If McCain had a heart attack his first night in the WH, who would help her with Supreme picks, etc.? America loves the myth of the outsider who convinces one and all with sincerity and goodness of heart. Reality is different.

Still beats Obama/Biden with a stick, I suppose.

[MayBee]

Mika just said Palin has "not a lot more experience than" Obama "as far as we know".
Killer argument there.

[Charlie (Colorado)]

Anduril, she's at least as well qualified as Jimmy Carter, a helluva sight better qualified than Obama --- as someone pointed out, every time someone brings up Palin's inexperience as VP, it just points out Obama's inexperience and he's running for President --- and in all probability she'll have OJT as VP before she's ever required to act as President.

YES!!

Oh, and she's an Alaska Republican, which is to say a Code Of The West libertarian. (Which is to say, "If you don't like the way I cut my grass, then you can get the hell out of my yard.")

[kim]

You have a sour and parochial opinion of outdoor pursuits, anduril. It's an excellent way to learn about the world. And the rest of your criticism of her seems just as puerile. Not a foreign policy expert? Well, neither is Obama, and neither, if you want to get into the nitty gritty, is Biden. He's a foreign policy gasbag.
======================================

[MayBee]

If McCain had a heart attack his first night in the WH, who would help her with Supreme picks, etc.?

Whoever was going to help McCain.
I don't think he's been writing a list and keeping it in his bedstand.
At least I think McCain will pick good people to help him/her pick. Obama, not so much.

[Charlie (Colorado)]

To be a successful president you have to be a political animal with experience. She has just about none.

Sarah Barracuda? Are you nuts? Quoting someone or other "Alaska politics is littered with the corpses of people who crossed Sarah Palin."

[anduril]

Maybee--doesn't negate it, but it's the age factor. I hate the idea of senators becoming presidents to begin with--in general. McCain isn't an exception to the general rule for me. Obama clearly has no experience and qualifications--and many disqualifications. Biden had every opportunity to get smart about important issues, and blew every one of the opportunities--it's a character thing. McCain never served on the nitty gritty committees and...it's a temperament thing.

[Charlie (Colorado)]

GMax, we did determine Leo is male. I've even received email from him in his normal guise.

[Appalled]

Leo:

1. Energy.

2. Governor.

3. Keeps conservatives happy (which was a problem with other names being toseed about).

4. Makes "surprise!" news after Obama's speech, thereby stepping on Obama's bounce.

The Dems don't have an "inexpereinced" argument. Not after Al Gore just got through reminding us that Obama's expereience was on a par with Abe Lincoln's. They also don't have the "bimbo" argument -- not if they want to impress the women who feel (wrongly) like the Obama campaign was the triumph of sexism.

I view this pick as certainly no worse than the pick of Biden. of course, we are voting for the top of the ticket, and a vote for McCain means a vote for continued bellicosity at the top. So, even if the VP pick probably stinks less than the other options being bandied about (either Lieberman or Powell would have made me hurl), it still does not make that much of a difference to me.

[PeterUK]

It is said that we share 35% of our DNA with Daffodils,in the case of Cleo the other 65% is beetroot.

"Float like a daffodil sting like a beet" .

[kim]

Sounds to me like she is a political animal with experience, anduril. She knocked off incumbents. Your analysis here is shallow and reminiscent of the irrelevance of Leo's objections; what is it you really don't like about her? Huh?
=====================================

[MayBee]

Mika Brexlsksuoasky is going into the high octaves, so worked up is she.

[Lea]

"If McCain selects [ ] I will personally [ ]."

If McCain Selects (really did select) PALIN! I will personally PUT A SIGN IN MY YARD (by a well traveled cut through street) AND MAYBE VOLUNTEER!!!

Apparently I'm more excited than I thought.

[anduril]

Maybee--agreed. Good advisers can go a long way. Not all the way, though. The buck does stop at the top.

I do also like her economic and budgetary positions, too, and her willingness to veto.

[SWarren]

I'm hearing the Dem line that she has no foreign policy experience. That's so lame!
She will be well versed being VP for four years.

[MayBee]

I agree that good advisers can't go all the way.
There is nobody to put in at VP that has more experience than McCain, nor less than Obama.
I'm hearing people tout Obama's foreign policy experience now- he's been to Iraq, they say.

Well, put her on a plane and send her to Iraq. Mission accomplished.

[kim]

And please, Leo, you know this is not a 'pathetic attempt to corral the PUMAs'. It is going to work very well among a number of the fair sex, who look upon Obama as the 'inadequate black male' of that lovely New Yorker's rant. There are a lot of moderates and even leftists who wonder about the authoritarian methods of Obama's henchmen.
==================================

[Jane]

GMax, we did determine Leo is male.

Which clearly reinforces the notion that we need a woman on the ticket!

(If you are looking for a little reverse sexism)

[Cecil Turner]

I thought it was a good idea on 26 May 008.

She led my list in March. Still think it's a good (the best?) pick.

She's been governor of Alaska for less than a year. Before that she was the mayor of a tiny fishing village.

Gov since Dec 2006, and Wasilla is land-locked. Please advise the Obama minders that we need a better troll (preferably one that can count and read a map).

[kim]

Dem line, SWarren? I thought it was an anduril line, and one not worthy of him either. How am I so confused?
=================================

[MayBee]

Suddenly MSNBC and the Dems loved all the guys McCain didn't pick.

[anduril]

Charlie, Jimmy Carter was the example of the outsider without real experience (and the inability to learn from the experience he did have) that I had in mind but didn't add. Alaska is a smaller pond than anywhere but Wyoming.

I like some of her positions, actually, a lot of them. I also like that she is a governor, even if only for two years. Bobby Jindal would have been my pick by preference. Palin may well be the more inspired political pick.

[drjohn]

"I'm hearing the Dem line that she has no foreign policy experience. That's so lame!
She will be well versed being VP for four years."

Hell, that makes her well versed to be the Democratic nominee.

[Rick Ballard]

"There has to be some kind of tactical genius working for McCain."

Yeah. His name is John McCain. You remember him? Attack pilot, maverick pol who owes no one, committed centrist who never hesitated to bash Bush. That guy.

The Palin pick was strategic more than tactical. Romney would have been a tactical move targeting CO and MI. Palin willl be effective accross the nation (if the media fails in what will be an absolutely all out effort to catch a "potato" moment).

She is more qualified than Barack Obama - as we go forward, that's what I will be holding as trump in any discussion. I'm going to take a look at Baroness Thatcher's bio for a bit. I doubt that Palin has Thatcher's gift for repartee because our system provides no training for it. That said, there are other areas in which their backgrounds will have identifiable similiarity.

[Bill in AZ]

Well, put her on a plane and send her to Iraq. Mission accomplished.

She's already been there - and her oldest son is heading there...

Obama should just wrap up his circus and go home, He's done.

Actually, better yet, he should ramp up his campaign and suck more socialist money away from the various senate and house races.

[MayBee]

Choosing Sarah Palin is just a way to point out that Obama wants to rape white women.

[Soylent Red]

The choice of Palin completely defangs Biden in the VP debates.

If he gets to be his usual self, millions of women are going to see him as a sexist bastard picking on a woman.

I don't necessarily agree with that kind of reasoning, but it is still very prevalent.

Outstanding choice.

[PeterUK]

kim,
"Inexperience isn't gonna get it, not when you are leading with Obama, whose experience seems to be in accumulating a criminal gang to back him."

Do you not understand? Obama is so inexperienced he is a expert.

[kim]

Oh, but 'little fishing village' sounds so quaint and inexperienced and not 'foreign affairs' oriented. It's like Alaska, the tiny, out of the way, state. Pumas are not going to like having Palin's accomplishments denigrated, and Obama is false-starting out of the blocks to try that. He should recognize an ideological battle when he sees one, but he's really such a chickenshit that if he did see it, he'd duck it.
===========================

[MayBee]

McCain is soooo happy!

[Charlie (Colorado)]

"Float like a daffodil sting like a beet."

I'm not quite sure what it means but I really like that line.

Charlie, Jimmy Carter was the example of the outsider without real experience (and the inability to learn from the experience he did have) that I had in mind but didn't add. Alaska is a smaller pond than anywhere but Wyoming.

And almost without a doubt, when she becomes President she'll have more experience than Carter did.

Remember, she's running for VICE President.

[Bel Aire]

Biden. Palin.

Which Presidential candidate is saying he'll bring change again?

[Charlie (Colorado)]

Pumas are not going to like having Palin's accomplishments denigrated, and Obama is false-starting out of the blocks to try that.

[kim]

Oh, sure, anduril, and Jindal has vast foreign policy experience. What is with you, today?
==============================

[Charlie (Colorado)]

WTF? As I was saying:

Pumas are not going to like having Palin's accomplishments denigrated, and Obama is false-starting out of the blocks to try that.

BINGO!

[anduril]

When I think about it, her willingness to wield the veto pen may have been a key to the pick--it fits with McCain's preferred image. It will also, IMO, go down extremely well with voters who are concerned about econ/budget issues--which is what the Dems want this campaign to be about. I agree that there should be a real appeal to women, and especially to married women who vote.

[TMF]

Game changer.

No doubt.

I know several undecided women who hate Bush, but were very, very concerned about Obama (not just on the experience factor but also on the waaaaay liberal positions, Wright, etc.) who will probably now vote for McCain.

[anduril]

Veep to an old man. That IS a legit issue.

[Cecil Turner]

And how 'bout that timing? The air was already pretty thin in Denver, and now it's being sucked out entirely.

Politics? Brilliant!

[TMF]

Got nothing to do with "PUMAS".

Theyll come back to Obama- most of them are that dumb.

Its undecided women. HUGE voting bloc- the one that will swing the election

[Captain Hate]

I know that he infuriates a lot of conservatives (including, at times, me) but McCain and his people have run a masterful campaign thus far and have pretty much made Barry Lightworker's look like Amateur Hour.

[Jane]

This is just GREAT!

Great great great!!!!

[kim]

anduril comes back to earth. Yes, she's a fine pick for all sorts of symbolic reasons, for the future of the Republican party, and for executive talents that are precocious, especially in comparison with Obama's.
================

[Charlie (Colorado)]

Aha, he just pointed out this is also the anniversary of women's sufferage. So much for the MLK speech anniversary.

[anduril]

Cecil, I agree. Whether the coverage is positive or negative, the coverage of politics should be wall to wall Palin. McCain's been starving for publicity and this will guarantee it. Nobody will want to hear tired Biden monologues, and Osama droning on about "changing America."

[PeterUK]

"GMax, we did determine Leo is male."

No very.

[Charlie (Colorado)]

The air was already pretty thin in Denver, ...

The air in Denver is just fine, thank you. You folks are just used to unnaturally thick air.

[Jim Rhoads aka vnjagvet]

I just got back to the computer and haven't read the thread. But I am real happy with the pick. My five daughters are too, as is their mother.

BHO's ticket is inverted -- inexperienced Presidential candidate, experienced VP candidate. McCain's is the way it should be. And Palin has more governmental executive experience than anyone on either ticket.

[GMax]

Kim

Today?

[Jane]

Look! She's got her whole family!

[anduril]

Point, Jim. One of the reasons I don't like to see Senators becoming president.

[MayBee]

I didn't want her, and I am inexplicably giddy right now.

[Jane]

McCain should move back.