My Worst Nightmare: Obama/Anyone But Clinton vs. John McCain/Kay Bailey Hutchinson

[McCamy Taylor]

I assume that everyone knows the senior Senator from Texas, Kay Bailey Hutchinson, former cheerleader from UT, pro Roe v. Wade but still popular with many Republicans, in the Senate for 15 years and fairly high ranking.



Here is a link for those who need a refresher course. It is from this summer. In it, Hutchinson repeats what she has been saying all along. She is planning to run for Governor of Texas in 2010, when Rick Perry retires, and she is not thinking about being VP. But, for the first time, she admits that if John McCain needs her, she will not necessarily say no.

http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=26958#continueA

Her preference is to serve two more years in the Senate and then run for governor of Texas in 2010, when incumbent Republican Rick Perry is expected to retire from the office in which he succeeded George W. Bush in 2001.

“Well I’m certainly hoping that I can run for governor,” she told me, “I really want to.

But, I persisted, if Senator McCain called her and offered her second spot on his ticket, would she turn him down?

“Well, I never said that,” she replied, “because I don’t anticipate that, really, he will. And I don’t answer hypotheticals. But I’m not trying to position myself in anyway. And I think he has some other good options, I’ll say that.”

There are a couple of things that would be good to know. One of them is that Rick Perry has announced that he plans to run for re-election in 2010.

http://www.star-telegram.com/804/story/589097.html

GRAPEVINE -- Gov. Rick Perry, after speaking Thursday at a forum held by the Republican Governor's Association, told reporters that he plans on running for re-election in 2010.

If his plans do not change, that means that Hutchinson may have to look for a different career opportunity. From the first link above, above her qualifications for Vice President.

“She is opposed to outlawing abortion and favors embryonic stem cell research.”

snip

Much of the conservative distrust for her from past years has faded with her overall conservative voting record (lifetime American Conservative Union rating: 90 percent). Although still opposed to outlawing abortion, Hutchison won over many pro-lifers with her votes against federal funding of abortions and to ban partial birth abortions Senate Appropriations Committee Member Hutchison also backed all of the Bush tax cuts and was in the forefront of the movement in the Senate to repeal the marriage penalty. After 32 years, nearly all of the alumni of the Reagan primary campaign have put aside differences and voice admiration for Hutchison’s voting record.

If Karl Rove is running the show, he will want to mobilize the right wing base---that is his usual strategy. That would typically mean bringing on board a VP whom the conservative Republicans can embrace. Someone whom they can picture taking over for McCain when God "calls him home" shortly after the inauguration in response to all their prayers. However, Karl Rove is not a complete dunce. He knows that if McCain's VP is someone like Cheney, for instance, or Jeb Bush, the Democrats will have a ready made campaign issue. Since McSame was chosen for his middle of the road "maverick" appeal and since everyone can see that he may drop out of commission at any moment, the safest bet is someone just the same as McSame . Someone the middle of the road can look at and say "Yep, we will be sure to have a moderate presidency no matter what happens. Nice and safe. No surprises."

And they do not come much safer than Kay Bailey Hutchinson. Nor do they have broader appeal. Remember the 2006 elections? The ones in which Democrats did so well? The city of Dallas went Democratic. Well, among state level office holders, Kay Bailey Hutchinson got more votes than anyone. And that was with another woman running for the Senate.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_state_elections,_2006

Which brings me to the only reason why John McCain would choose Hutchinson as opposed to anyone of a number of other moderate, male Republicans. If Barrack Obama selects a man to be his running mate, and if Hillary Clinton's supporters do not take the choice well, the timing of the two conventions will allow McSame to adjust his choice accordingly. He can offer the slot to Hutchinson---or to some other Republican woman---and the general election will get a whole lot messier. Women who supported Clinton will now have to consider a different woman---Republican and Independent women won't have to think too hard about it. And some Republicans who have been dreaming of Reagan will start thinking about Margaret Thatcher.

On the other hand, if the ticket is Obama/Clinton, McCain with go for something loaded with white bread and testosterone.

Maybe the Democrats and Republicans should alternate years in which one side goes first with their convention. It is not fair always having the GOP get to pick second.

[MrSlayer]

1. Pah. Only a fool of a Democratic woman would vote McCain because of this.

I don't think Democratic women are as dumb as you are making them out to be. I don't think this is a concern at all.

[McCamy Taylor]

2. Some people are fools about some things. Study those votes I linked.

Hutchinson gets extra votes from somewhere that the other GOPers don't.

[davidpdx]

3. A couple of things

1) Even IF McCain picks Hutchinson, that doesn't necessarily mean suddenly the conservative base will rally around McCain

2) Despite the repeated opinion of a small minority on DU, Obama's only shot of winning doesn't depend on Clinton being on the ticket.

3) McCain would still have the same problem as Obama if he picked a senator as a runningmate, that is two senators on the same ticket. Add the the fact that Hutchinson IS a Washington insider (15 years in the US Senate) which goes against the theme of change.

[Cosmocat]

7. She is pretty course ...

Seriously ... She is just flat out mean ... That was the meme advanced by the media for Hill, but Kay Bailey is just flat out mean ...

I think she hurts McCain more than she helps ... Texas is McCain's and I can't see a single state where she helps, and I think she hurts him with some of those voters on the edge that he NEEDS ... As others have noted, I don't see more than a trickle of female voters flipping over because of this lady, and I see A LOT of men on the fence who are "not sure" about BO who would get past that REAL quick if they had to listen to Kay Bailey for more than 10 seconds ...

[CakeGrrl]

4. A Democratic woman who would fall for that fake-out wouldn't be too bright

A VP who might be pro-choice...paired with a president who definitely wants to overturn Roe v. Wade.

Gee, I wonder who gets their way?

[Lucky 13]

10. Not all of us are the sharpest knife in the drawer...

Sadly I don't believe these people can be enlightened. Best move on, forget about them, and focus on undecided independents.

[Divine Discontent]

5. that could be a nightmare

and I like your rationale, but I think you're to intelligent, and, frankly - they're not! They won't do this, b/c they won't pick a woman when there's a good chance he'd probably get called home in a first term as his ol' body is gonna give out like we all do eventually, and he ain't young! I think their misogyny is so great they will not do so.

I would lay down a bet on Biden & Romney as the VP noms....

[HughBeaumont]

6. Kay Bailey Hutchison is a Stepford Bewsh cheerleader.

She loves anything hard-right Republican. Could be why I'm forced to see her perky mug on CNBC every single week. Jack Welch must have a giant hard-on for her anti-worker, pro-war viewpoints.

[scheming daemons]

8. Meh.... Hutchinson doesn't bring over ANY women voters from Obama's camp...

Any women who vote for McCain because of Hutchinson were already McCain voters.

[dsomuah]

9. Hutchinson's close ties to Bush are a weakness for her.

Putting her on the ticket would tie McCain to Bush

[karynnj]

11. How many Republican women did Ferrara will Mondale?

Also, even if there was this kind of effect - what about Sebelius or another woman - HRC is not the only woman there is.

By the way, I think Snowe would be more dangerous, as she is very personable and has a moderate record. Just as teh RW has unhappily accepted McCain,they would accept her. To independents, she would strengthen McCain's "maverick" position.

[Lilith Velkor]

12. I doubt he'll pick her

That goes for both candidates.

[jenmito]

13. She's pro-choice. Even Lieberman is unacceptable to the RWers because HE'S pro-choice. The Repub.

base is ALREADY unenthusiastic. If he chose her, he'd be finished.

[Virginia Dare]

14. The woman is one of the biggest Bushbots around..

she will tie that Bush/Cheney noose so tight around his neck it won't even be funny.

[zulchzulu]

15. Kay Bailey Hutchinson has Tom DeLay slime all over her political body

Kay Bailey Hutchinson would be perfect!

Paint McGaffe as more of the same Bush. Paint Kay Bailey Hutchinson as a stooge for Tom DeLay.

[ps1074]

16. She's 65

He's 71 or 72?

No way