I think McCain will choose a woman as his VP nominee

[Ediacara]

In an effort to grab these supposed PUMA voters.

It may be a Senate veteran like http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kay_Bailey_Hutchison">Hutchison (who claims she doesn't want the job), or a "maverick" like http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarah_Palin">Palin (who has a hilarious family scandal going down). But I think it will be a woman because the media keeps yammering on about these PUMAs.

I doubt it'll work.

[polichick]

1. He can have the six PUMA members who actually exist.

[Ediacara]

3. Exactly

I'm sure there may be a few disaffected voters out there who may vote against everything they believe in to spite Obama, but they probably number in the tens.

[RedShoes]

4. or kinda sleaxy. Maybe Karen hughes would run with him. That'd be hugh!!!111

[flamingdem]

51. My thoughts exactly.. let's hope he picks a woman and

she has to justify his prolife agenda.

[julialnyc]

2. There's also Carly Fiorina, Meg Whitman and Condi

N/T

[BlooInBloo]

5. He won't. McPOW hates women.

[Stop Cornyn]

6. I doubt he does, but I think we may well lose if he chooses a female VP.

[Sulawesi]

7. Palin is having legal issues...

[NJmaverick]

8. For every PUMA he snares he will lose a sexist

that doesn't want a woman a heart beat (of a very old man) away from the presidency.

[Franks Wild Years]

10. Exactly.

And honestly, there are no qualified Republican women. They all favor Bushinomics, they are all violent, war thirsty people.

[Orangepeel]

21. "They all favor Bushinomics, they are all violent, war thirsty people"

That's 99% of republican men, too.

[Franks Wild Years]

26. Well that goes without saying...

..I just think that the notion of McCain nominating a woman increases his chances ten-fold is a misnomer. The Repub women still aren't gonna help you pay for your food, help you fill up your car. Obama has already used the 'Reagan Question' in town hall appearances and I think he'll use it in the final debate and put the icing on the cake, so to speak.

[endthewar]

14. His V.P. pick will be viewed as the next leader of the Republican Party

No way will McCain choose a woman.

[Ediacara]

15. This is true

But he's a POW, so nothing he does can be called into question :-)

[dano81818]

9. perhaps, but are the sexist republicans really ready for a female president?

mccain's age makes his the elevation of his VP selection to president far more likely than if the standardbearer were younger.

[endthewar]

11. Hutchison has been a subpar surrogate for him so far

Carly Fiorina has been McCain's best economic surrogate. However, she's never been elected to public office so she's pretty much a non-starter as a running mate but would be considered by McCain for a cabinet position.

[Stop Cornyn]

23. Hutchison is a wicked effective fund raiser and shares McCain's inexplicable skill at fooling people

into beloieving she is "moderate" when she is a complete right-wing tool.

She would be a VP candidate who would bring independent women's votes to McSame's ticket.

[Bucky]

25. I think you're right, but I'll still be very surprised if he picks her.

I think she'll have cross-regional appeal similar to Phil Gramm's (meaning nonexistant). She's not one of the two types of VPs Republicans look for: neither a scheming Svengali (Cheney, Kemp, Poppy Bush) nor a huggable scamp who blithely rallies up the base and has no hope for promotion to the Oval Office (Quayle, Agnew). Kay Bailey may be a scamp, but she's far from huggable.

[Stop Cornyn]

30. Me too. I'd worry about Hutchison, Snowe, Whitman, even Ridge, but McCain will pick Romney and it

will only cost us Michigan so we'll win anyway (but what once looked like a landslide will now be uncomfortably close).

[endthewar]

32. His conservative base won't allow a pro-choice pick

McCain's position on abortion is already on thin ice as it is. As recently as 2007 he stated that he wanted to rewrite the Republican Party's platform on abortion to include exceptions.

[Stop Cornyn]

49. McCain has got his base triangulated on abortion; he can pick whoever he wants. They are stuck with

whoever McCain picks and we're stuck with whoever Obama picks because neither McCain nor Obama could pick someone so bad that the party base will vote cross-party.

[endthewar]

29. Have you seen her on TV?

She gets her ass handed to her by her Democratic counterpart each time. She's almost as bad as Rob Portman. Biden would have her crying in the V.P. debate he'd crush her so bad. At least Romney shows up for the debate. She almost sounds like someone who is being forced into a primetime role when she isn't ready.

[Stop Cornyn]

50. You could say the same for Bush; his inability to win a debate against a wet paper bag has not

hampered his political career.

[endthewar]

53. He connected with people on faith issues

That's why he won. Hutchison doesn't have the ability to connect on TV. She needs a lot of coaching. Carly Fiorina, on the other hand, always shines brightly when the spotlight is on her.

[Stop Cornyn]

55. All I'm telling you is that -- here in Texas at least -- Hutchison is unbelieveably popular; even

moderate Democratic women of a certain generation like her. It is disgusting. As much as you or I may dislike her, her popularity is through the roof high according to every poll.

[opihimoimoi]

12. Hey...whad about the Spunky and Moxie Harris Twins...? get her on a HORSE...

[Name removed]

13. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[QC]

16. More details on that hilarious family scandal, please!

Republican scandals are the best!

[Ediacara]

19. Ask and you shall receive

Her sister was married to a state trooper. They were getting a divorce and Palin was pushing to get her brother-in-law fired. The Public Safety Commissioner refused, so Palin fired him.

http://www.adn.com/monegan/story/492964.html

[QC]

42. Oooo! That's a good one! Not only illegal, but also petty and spiteful.

I don't think even McCain would be so clueless as to run with her.

[endthewar]

20. Her staff got her former brother-in-law fired as state trooper when in a custody battle with sister

This one sounds pretty juicy. :rofl:

http://www.adn.com/monegan/story/492964.html

Moral of the story: Don't divorce your wife if she's related to the governor and you have a state job. :rofl:

[QC]

43. Yeah, that one really does have great potential.

It's not as good as a senator hiring prostitutes to change his diapers, mind you, but still pretty good.

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

17. Someone like Olympia Snowe could actually make the election close

The "McCain can't afford a pro-choice pick" idea is completely backward.

Since he cannot win with his base in any 2008 scenario his only hope (albeit a slim hope) is to expand his indy appeal while using fear to get the nut-right to vote for the lesser of two evils (in their view)

Fortunately he will be bullied into throwing away the election by listening to the nut-right echo chamber.

[Stop Cornyn]

18. I'd trade Joe Biden for Olympia Snowe -- THAT would have been an historical choice which would have

exemplified change

[endthewar]

22. I strongly disagree

The conservative base has made it clear that they will oppose a pro-choice pick. Pat Buchanan actually predicted that if McCain chose Lieberman, Lieberman would be defeated on the convention floor.

Also, if McCain isn't trying to appeal to his base, then why is he describing himself as a purely pro-life President? Especially when it's clear looking at his past that he wanted to rewrite the Republican Party's platform position on abortion to allow for exceptions due to mother's health, rape, and incest.

[Stop Cornyn]

24. The Repub base would dislike a somewhat pro-choice candidate like Snowe, but they wouldn't let that

disappointment dissuade them from voting to keep pro-choice Obama out of the Whitehouse.

[endthewar]

27. Even Rush Limbaugh is threatening to withhold support from McCain if he does this

He said that it would set the conservative movement back big time. And if he chooses Lieberman who is pro-choice and liberal on other stances, Pat Buchanan believes the Republican Party will defeat his V.P. pick on the convention floor. I might just tune in to see that.

[Stop Cornyn]

28. Dude, Limpballs made the same threat when it looked like McCain was going to win. Empty threats are

his forte.

[endthewar]

33. McCain picking a pro-choice V.P. would severely damage him

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0808/12542.html

There will be riots in Minneapolis if he chooses a pro-choice candidate. Most top Republican strategists think that he's floating Ridge's name out there to please his conservative base in the end. Get them anxious about Ridge then they'll accept Romney with open arms, even though Romney was pro-choice just a mere 2 years ago. It's a brilliant political strategy that will help Romney look more conservative than he actually is.

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

34. All you say can be true, but

All you say can be true, but the fact remains that McCain cannot win with the religious right in 2008.

Once that is recognized the move becomes forced.

He might lose MORE with a pro-choice running mate. He might take down lots of people down ticket.

But it's his only shot at actually winning in any scenario that doesn't involve a really big Obama scandal of some sort.

I am not saying it would be best for the republican party or would be likely to win. I am only saying that a VP that the base likes finishes him off.

[endthewar]

39. While I agree with your sentiment, the McCain camp doesn't seem to

You're making an argument that would be more valid if McCain was trying to win on the issues and appeal to voters on the issues. He's not. He's running a campaign to appeal to voters' fears and to ratchet up the enthusiasm within the Republican Party.

[Stop Cornyn]

54. McCain't win the religious right??? You are just wishful thinking; this polling says otherwise:

http://www.srbi.com/EvangelicalsLoyaltoRepub.html

[LynneSin]

60. HAHAHA you're kidding me right.....

Fundies are already biting their lips and playing ball with McCain even though they can't stand them. You put a pro-choice woman on the ticket and you can kiss their vote goodbye.

[Ichingcarpenter]

31. James Carville's wife...... she's not busy lately

but she and her husband need work.

[IndianaGreen]

35. PUMAS like the discredited (and banned) Tellurian are GOP operatives

Four more years of Bush shit under Cheney, and gods know how many wars, is not something that any self-respecting man or woman would want.

[Ediacara]

41. I don't think that PUMAs exist in any significant numbers

There may be a few, but voting against everything you believe in to personally spite Obama..... I don't think that's a courtable voting block that can swing an election.

[JerseygirlCT]

36. I think when push comes to shove his dislike of women in general

or to be more precise, his disdain for women in general, will not allow him to imagine a woman as VP. I think they'll try to play up the idea this week for all its worth - attempting to wrest some airtime from the Dems.

But I think that patriarchy is alive and well in his little mind.

[quantass]

37. Republican party wont allow it to happen -- To them women belong in the kitchen or on their backs.

[CoffeeCat]

38. Where will all of the Republican mysoginists go?

There are plenty of raging mysognists in the Republican party.

What in the hell are they supposed to do if McCain nominates....a girl?

[Thrill]

40. I doubt it. McCain doesn't respect women

[Vinca]

44. Unless Condi signs on, what's he left with?

Meg Whitman - unqualified, Carly Fiorina - unqualified and dangerous, Kay Bailey Hutchinson - nuts and dangerous, Gov. Palin - under investigation for having her brother-in-law canned from the State Police. Oh . . . wait . . . Marsha Blackburn (every guy's ex-wife on steroids). Or the old crone from Tennessee who always gives a rah-rah economy spiel on the floor of the House. I'm afraid McBush is stuck with his close friend and sidekick, Lieberbush. Maybe he can dress in drag.

[endthewar]

45. Condi would be a bad choice. The link with Bush would be even stronger.

[Vinca]

46. McBush has no good choices - male or female, black or white. nt

[endthewar]

48. Depends on what internal polling shows how Romney might help in Michigan

His father was governor there, so it could give them a boost in Michigan.

[Cleita]

47. How about a black woman? Condi Rice comes to mind. n/t

[chapel hill dem]

52. My bet is on Whitman. She has virtually no political experience (or record) and

has built a global enterprise (even if most of us do not like the way eBay has evolved).

[Stop Cornyn]

56. I think Whitman might deliver New Jersey to McJackass

[ElsewheresDaughter]

57. a black women Condi......

[chapel hill dem]

58. Would really put NC in play for Obama/Biden! The racists would be soooo confused! n/t

[LynneSin]

59. Palin is out - she's under investigation

This isn't Ted Stevens type investigation but she did use her pull to get an ex-brother-in-law state trooper fired.

Dems would love wringing that little scenario over the coals in campaign commericials.

[goodgd_yall]

61. I have an idea---Giuliani!

Why not?

[NorthCarolina]

62. I suspect the "PUMA" voters are already GOP and have been all along

Any true Democrats who supported Hillary's campaign are likely Democrat enough to support the party nominee, regardless of whether it is their first choice or not. This same goes for Democratic Kucinich supporters, Democratic Richardson supporters, etc. It is my suspicion that "PUMA" are a Rove incarnation to perpetuate the "appearance" of disunity and upheaval within the Democratic Party. It's smoke and mirrors stuff, and I really just don't buy it.Real Democrats know the consequences of a McCain presidency from the Supreme Court to the war, to the economy, taxes and Social Security. Surely there cannot be any "real" Democrats that would be so inconceivably ignorant as to cast a vote for McCain based in "spite". No folks, the PUMAs are a GOP incarnation, bet on it.