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McCain's momentous blunder

John McCain made a stupefyingly wrong-headed strategic mistake today by naming Sarah Palin as his vice-presidential running mate. If McCain were elected, Palin would be one heartbeat away from the Oval Office, and given the fact that McCain turns 72 today, it is imperative that voters recognize that Palin is running for President just as much as John McCain is; they must also reflect on the fact that Palin's tissue-thin experience in public office consists of being mayor of a town of 6,700 people, then being elected governor of Alaska only 1.5 years ago. In that election, she carried a whopping 114,000 votes (that's not her winning margin -- she garnered a total of 114,000 votes across the entire state; Palin only won by a margin of 17,000).

Her lack of experience makes her grotesquely unsuitable for the vice presidency, much less the Oval Office itself.

In a ham-handed attempt to pull Hillary Clinton supporters away from Barack Obama, McCain has signaled to the American people that he thinks women are too dim to pick up on the fact that his running mate is an anti-choice, anti-environment, creationist, arch-conservative greenhorn (who's currently under investigation), and that those disaffected Clinton supporters should vote for his ticket just because his running mate has ovaries.

McCain might pull a few votes that way, but the near totality of female Hillary Clinton supporters are much too smart to vote so obviously against their own best interests, not to mention the best interests of the country as a whole.

This bone-headed move also completely negates the GOP argument that Obama is too inexperienced for the presidency. If Obama's time in the Illinois legislature and the US Senate aren't enough to qualify him for the Oval Office, then Palin's tenure as mayor of Podunk, Alaska and as governor of a state with a population only slightly larger than Memphis should disqualify her fast enough to make Mike Duncan's head spin.

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Published Friday, August 29, 2008 4:50 PM by RussMcBee
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Comments

Friday, August 29, 2008 9:40 PM by johnthomascook

# re: McCain's momentous blunder

It looks like McCain may have made a mistake.  He only talked with her one time and that was last week about being VP.  There appears to be several major issues.  I'm not a Rep. But he am shocked about a rash decision.  He was close in the polls.   This just does make sense.  

Now the talking heads are starting to talk about McCain's 2 serious runs with cancer.  And that the cancer could set i again.  The last one needed a 5 hr operation.  Is she really ready for the President.  She not a very worldly.  She is not brillant.

Saturday, August 30, 2008 7:45 AM by goodwyne

# re: McCain's momentous blunder

Your logic might hold if McCain was facing a supremely well qualified opponent.  Alas, that is not the case.  Indeed, Palin's resume compares rather favorably to Obama's.  She has run a state, Obama has run nothing but a campaign.  Obama's Senate experience hardly qualifies him for anything.  He's been running for president since he was elected, missing more Senate votes than almost anyone.  He's accomplished nothing in the Senate.  So Palin looks preety good in comparison.

So the voters can either vote for Mcain who might die and leave a less qualified person in the presidency or they can vote for Obama and guarantee an unqualified person in the presidency.  The more Obama talks without a teleprompter, the more people are going to realize that distinction.

Saturday, August 30, 2008 8:08 AM by RussMcBee

# re: McCain's momentous blunder

Are you seriously suggesting that being governor of 700,000 people for a year and half "compares rather favorably" to Obama's eight years in the Illinois State Senate and his time in the US Senate?

Really?

Man, talk about having blinders on ...

As far as Senate absenteeism is concerned, no one matches McCain's lazy record:

http://tinyurl.com/6hkao9

Your assertion that Sarah Palin's complete lack of experience somehow qualifies her for the presidency just goes to show what low standards the GOP has adopted over the last few years. It also smacks of desperation, but that's hardly a surprise either.

Saturday, August 30, 2008 8:09 AM by Jim Petersen

# re: McCain's momentous blunder

I have four reactions to this post:

First, let me say that McBee's knee jerk reaction indicates a strong democrat who would not support McCain under any circumstances.

Second, one day is a long time in politics.  There are still a lot of days before this election.

Third,  I was personally very impressed by Gov. Patin.  Here is a true reform candidate who is the outsider that America is looking for.  

Fourth, on November 4th voters will be presented with a choice between a radically left wing Democrat and a moderate middle of the road Republican.  A lot of water will go over the dam between now and election day.

Saturday, August 30, 2008 8:15 AM by RussMcBee

# re: McCain's momentous blunder

Jim, your first two reactions are correct. Your last two are wildly off-base.

Having almost no experience beyond trying to get her ex-brother-in-law fired, just exactly what kind of "reform" do you think Palin is capable of spearheading?

And who is this "radically left wing" candidate of whom you speak? It certainly isn't Obama, who has never been the favored candidate of the left; he's a centrist to his core, and has always voted that way. During the primaries, he wasn't even in my top five favorite candidates. "Radically left wing" compared to whom? Ghengis Khan?

McCain has completely discarded his former position as a centrist over the last couple of years, during which he's voted with the Bush party line 90 percent of the time. There's the "radical" candidate for you.

Monday, September 01, 2008 12:26 AM by revelator

# re: McCain's momentous blunder

To me, this indicates that McCain may already be slipping into senility. Or perhaps he's just as irresponsible at 70 as he was at 30.  Truly, I consider it irresponsible of him to gamble with the potential leadership of our country for a political stunt.  At best, this indicates to me that he just has horrible judgement.

I can barely fathom the puerile thought process that must have flickered through his mind.

If I'm off base, please help me understand how he could pass on Romney, or Jindahl, or Pawlenty, to name just a few of the obvious high power candidates available to him.

Monday, September 01, 2008 6:26 AM by RussMcBee

# re: McCain's momentous blunder

Revelator, I'm just as surprised as you that he didnt' pick someone with at least a modicum of experience. If he somehow felt it mandatory that his running mate be a woman, then why not Christine Todd Whitman or Kay Bailey Hutchison?

I think "irresponsible" is the most accurate description of his choice.

Tuesday, September 02, 2008 8:14 AM by johnthomascook

# McCain's spokes person said -- you will not believe

McCain camp is imploding

PLEASE DOUBLE CHECK.. I'M in a state of this could not have happened.

Here's something that happened today.  I was watching the TV, but please verify.  I still cannot believe what a McCain (lady) spokes person said.  

I was watching an interview of a McCain spokes person (at Tuesday 7:10 am MST),  She was at the RNC convention.  The interviewer suggested that McCain did not vet his VP selection since he only had talked with her 2 times,  The spokes person, hold your hats, said that McCain had told her that the VP selection  was his soul mate!!! strange but true.!!!!!

Tuesday, September 02, 2008 9:13 AM by RussMcBee

# re: McCain's momentous blunder

Although nobody outside the McCain camp knows for certain how thoroughly Palin was vetted (if at all), the "soul mate" quote is accurate:

http://tinyurl.com/5qgmbe

Tuesday, September 02, 2008 5:09 PM by revelator

# re: McCain's momentous blunder

Don't know if anyone but me noticed but, Sarah Palin was just introduced at the RNC as 'Sarah Pawlenty' !!!  Even the Republicans don't know who she is.

Tuesday, September 02, 2008 5:32 PM by RussMcBee

# re: McCain's momentous blunder

Oh, man, that is hysterical. Thanks for sharing that!

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