McCain's rollout.
How does McCain's VP rollout compare?
The idea was to take the narrative and bounce away from the Obama campaign, but, thinking about the comparison to last night, I gotta wonder if this was a good idea.
He will steal time on the nightly news from Obama's speech, but he's also spending his biggest chit to do so.
Gotta wait and see.
(Pawlenty ruled himself out this morning. There's a rumor running about Alaska Gov Sarah Palin. All the participants are saying they won't be there, but Palin's came through a spokesman, as did Romney's. Wait and see.)
Hardly the same fervid speculation that Obama received.
(Please let it be Lieberman... Please let it be Lieberman....)
The idea was to take the narrative and bounce away from the Obama campaign, but, thinking about the comparison to last night, I gotta wonder if this was a good idea.
He will steal time on the nightly news from Obama's speech, but he's also spending his biggest chit to do so.
Gotta wait and see.
(Pawlenty ruled himself out this morning. There's a rumor running about Alaska Gov Sarah Palin. All the participants are saying they won't be there, but Palin's came through a spokesman, as did Romney's. Wait and see.)
Hardly the same fervid speculation that Obama received.
(Please let it be Lieberman... Please let it be Lieberman....)
posted by mikevotes at
7:43 AM
12 Comments:
It will be a women.
By
-epm, at 8:35 AM
But wouldn't Palin completely invalidate the "experience" argument with a 72 year old president?
By
mikevotes, at 8:47 AM
Palin being reported
By
zen, at 10:11 AM
Wow, her husband Todd works for BP at an oil field on the North Slop.
By
zen, at 10:18 AM
A woman. Told ya.
I think it's a loser choice. They think they'll pull the PUMAs (a species as rare as Sasquatch) because they've got a woman. Look for the GOP talk about being pro-woman.
Palin herself fits right in to the Bushian mold of ideological, make no compromise, political fundamentalism. She is Dan Quayle and Monica Goodling rolled into one. The Dems will have no problem using her -- and McCain's decision to pick her -- as evidence of more of the same.
By
-epm, at 10:26 AM
Ha! Just noticed the Quayle reference over at Daily Kos. (Don't know whether I should be proud of that or not. lol)
Also, forgot to add, McCain is known for his women issues... both his lust and his contempt. The chemistry could get interesting...
By
-epm, at 10:42 AM
I think the key item is that it invalidates the "experience" issue.
And, Zen, she probably does bring "oil" experience just for being the governor of Alaska.
By
mikevotes, at 10:52 AM
But is that "oil experience" a plus or a minus? When the discussion will surely be about renewables and green(er) energy, is pushing a century's old (dying?) industry really helpful. Not to mention that Bush and Cheney are oil-men.
I don't see this as a plus.
Yes. In one fell swoop, the experience canard is dead as an attack issue against Obama. But I think there's more to Palin's negatives that the Dems will find when the do their own vetting of her (rather shallow) history.
Also, everyone knows how Biden is, but I'll bet there's an equal number of people who are saying "Palin who?" The GOP now has to spend time and money introducing and selling Palin... At least we'll get a break from John "get off my lawn" McCain.
I'm having trouble understanding why Palin is a good choice for McCain. Is it just to sure up the unenthusiastic GOP base?
And let me leave you with this: The VP debates. But that's a topic for a different day.
By
-epm, at 11:07 AM
This is such an additional gamble for the McCain campaign. And one where the the risks far exceed the reward. Inexperience. Oil ties equals no change.
What's the upside? Women? Pro-choice?
I think the additional money needed to introduce Palin is going to be a huge issue. Break the bank and limit McCain's choices of where to try to compete.
By
zen, at 11:14 AM
Zen, I'm very prone to agree, but also note that Alaska is one state whose economy is doing well because of oil prices so she can claim "success."
And, that's a really good point about the money for introduction.
....
EPM, among republicans, a plus.
And, just to respond broadly (because I'm watching the announcement in the background) I agree that it's a huge gamble, and the fact that the press is playing it that way, doesn't bode well for them.
And, check my next post up. I have a hunch it's to shore up "7 houses" and economically out of touch.
Looking at how Obama portrayed McCain as out of touch last night, and with this VP, there must be polling supporting this idea somewhere.
By
mikevotes, at 11:33 AM
I'm having a hard time seeing this as plus for the GOP base.
At McCain's age, surely one of the most important things to consider in a VP pick is the ability to take over if McCain would die in office.
Do Republicans really see Palin as managing two wars (plus any other ones McCain may have started while in office)? Do Republicans really see Palin staring down America's enemies or herding our reluctant allies to go along with whatever foreign policy McCain has left her?
I think that the GOP is so consumed with just holding on to the White House, that they have really given very little thought to what it would mean if they won. I know that the Republicans generally follow their marching orders, but this pick has got to give them pause.
And, just to join the choir, the issue of Obama's "inexperience" just died as a campaign issue. They are now left with:
- unpatriotic
- scary Muslim
- scary black radical
- will raise your taxes
which all are either very thin gruel or effectively countered in Obama's acceptance speech.
Aside from the desperation engendered in this VP pick, I see yet another hopeless attempt to capture the mythical PUMA vote.
Like the GOP tried to sell Pawlenty as Commander-in-Chief of the MN National Guard, they are doing the same with Palin. As if she knows a howitzer from a Wurlitzer. Yeah, she's a real military genius.
Women already break for Obama significantly. Palin is just an updated Ferraro. Her subservient demeanour toward McCain will likely turn off more women than it will attract.
On the plus side for the Republicans, this pushes forward the next generation of GOP leadership.
By
Todd Dugdale , at 1:48 PM
I think this was a gamble and very likely a mistake.
I think it's also pretty important to notice that with "experience" out of the way, the economy becomes the headline issue.
(Has she ever even uttered or written one word on foreign policy?)
I think gender might be effective defending Republican women, ie giving a reason for those who want to vote for McCain, not reaching into the broader pool. But, they do need to shore that up.
By
mikevotes, at 2:19 PM
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