I have a prediction for the VP stakes: McCain has, very carefully, sent up the “pro-choice vp trial ballon” in the form of his public dance with one Tom Ridge. On the other hand, He is trying to keep the conservative base in place by pledging his undying commitment to the life cause. I don’t think the base is buying it but My prediction is that Mr. McCain will choose political necessity over principal and select Tom Ridge as his VP candidate.
Now, this will have an interesting effect on Mr. Obama. If Obama believes that Ridge can deliver PA (and I suspect he can) then he will almost certainly be forced to make an unpleasant choice. Our erstwhile Governor just isn’t an option as he can’t deliver VA and Obama is going to need serious pull in PA, MI and Ohio if he is to win. Only one person offers that – Hillary.
Overall I think it would be a brilliant move on Mac’s part if he can keep the base put. The chaos he would inflict on the Obama campaign by forcing the Clintons into the tent would be immense and likely fatal.
Lemme know what you think….
August 17, 2008 at 9:46 am
Peggy Noonan in Friday’s WSJ-
” But part of me tugs for Tim Kaine of Virginia, because he has a
wonderful American Man haircut … He looks like he goes once every
ten days to Jimmy Hoffa’s barber and says ‘Gimme a full Detroit’.”
(Recent history -Clinton, Edwards – indicates that folks with perfect
hair and $500 haircuts may be much too taken with themselves –
there are worse thinks than a “full Detroit”)
August 17, 2008 at 10:01 am
That, of course, should be “worse things than a ‘full Detroit’.”
August 18, 2008 at 11:48 am
An interesting article in the London Times (Brits often seem to pay
even more attention to US politics than we do) on the views of
Roanaoke based Democratic campaign strategist
Dave “Mudcat” Saunders.
Mr. Saunders declares, “The nominee’s difficulties are not about
the color of his skin but the tin in his ear. Your swing vote
in the Appalachians comes down to common-sense thinking people
who have strong faith, and what Barack Obama needs to do
is understand and embrace their culture. Instead of high-falutin’
exhortations, Mr. Obama has gotta come out here -and time is short
and emphasize social and economic justice. Inside many rural
Republicans is a rural Democrat begging to get out.”
-After the Saddleback Church interviews, I’m ready to declare
my choice for President — the Rev. Rick Warren.
August 19, 2008 at 10:40 am
Think outside the box.
“McCain-Kaine Can!”
Would be the best use of alliteration by a presidential ticket since
“Tippecanoe and Tyler Too!”.
August 19, 2008 at 2:58 pm
Ridge has other issues besides being for the murdering of babies(abortion for those that can’t face the guilt of the action).
However, the larger issue is that we are forced to accept Ridge and realize that McCain is betting conservatives will not bolt because of course that means putting up with Obama. Why McCain wants to piss off conservatives just as he was making headway with them is beyond me.
We expect the GOP nominee to be true to his party and the voters of the party. We should not have to hold our noses and vote for McCain and Ridge just because we do not want Obama. We should not have to put up with these silly political games. Now, we are forced to accept issues and ideas that go against the core of the party just because the nominee want to show he can some how win over some from the left. I’m not a political adviser, but I sure know there are not many on the far left if any at all that will vote for McCain over Obama because he may have a “pro-choice” running mate.
Besides, there is not guarantee that Ridge can win PA for McCain.
August 20, 2008 at 10:55 am
Andy,
I am not going to approach this from the perspective of who I’d like to see either candidate pick, but rather from a pure strategic perspective:
I don’t think Obama will pick Hillary. She will be too independent, too “in your face” driving her own agenda. Then you’ve got Bill, who is as we know can be a loose cannon. It would be a Barrack/Hillary/Bill triumverate.
She (Clinton) want’s him to fail, as she only has one more shot at the Oval Office left in her, and only if that shot comes in 2012. So, the best scenario for Clinton is for Obama to lose. The Clinton’s know how to look out for themselves. Obama is well aware of this. My guess is he picks a moderate male from some “middle America” fly-over state, so the ticket appears more main-stream. He can’t chose Hillary, and chosing another woman would so infuriate Hillary’s female supporters, that picking any other woman as his running mate would be a disaster for Obama.
McCain needs to choose carefully. Kay Bailey Hutchinson would be a great strategic pick for McCain. He would siphon off many former Hillary supporters. Ridge would be a bad pick. I agree that Ridge is no garantee that PA would go GOP. All this talk about Liberman as a potential running mate..man, I can’t even begin to calcualte all of those variables. Could be a master-stroke, or it could be disasterous.