The McCain Thread

[Marx]

Sen. McCain has chosen his running mate and the person will be notified on Thursday, a senior campaign official said.

A friend said McCain had pretty much settled on his selection early this week, and it crystallized in the past few days. Campaign manager Rick Davis flew to McCain's cabin in Sedona, Ariz., a few days ago to confer, and another meeting about the choice was held with top aides Wednesday.

The news leaked on the third night of the Democratic National Convention, detracting attention from speeches by former President Bill Clinton and the Democratic ticket mate, Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware.

McCain's selection process has been conducted mostly in secret, but officials said he was considering one or more candidates who support abortion rights. The disclosure set off a fracas on the right wing, with talk-show host Rush Limbaugh saying such a selection would destroy the party.

McCain is planning to roll out his vice presidential nominee in three battleground states this weekend, with large-scale rallies planned for Ohio, Pennsylvania and Missouri, according to aides and advisers.

The GOP nominee-in-waiting will move to immediately change the campaign conversation from Barack Obama’s football stadium acceptance speech Thursday to the new Republican ticket, to be revealed at a noontime Friday rally in a Dayton, Ohio, basketball arena. McCain and his running mate will then travel by bus to Pennsylvania, where they’ll hold an outdoor event at a minor league baseball stadium in Washington County, just southwest of Pittsburgh. On Sunday, the duo will head to suburban St. Louis for another event to be held at a minor league baseball stadium, this one in O’Fallon, Mo.

The Missouri rally is being billed to local Republicans as something of a unity rally, since it will feature McCain, Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee — the GOP presidential finalists who effectively divided the vote three ways in the Show Me State’s Super Tuesday primary. A McCain aide warned not to read too much into McCain’s planned guests, however.

The campaign’s leadership has imposed a strict rule on staffers to not discuss the process and have further guarded the selection by parceling out very little information.

Speculation is increasingly centered on former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, although Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman remains an option and is in the final mix.

I've seen many many concerts there.

 

[rdh007]

Pawlenty.........

Why not Hutchison?

 

[DACrowe]

It is going to be Pawlenty. Seeing Mitt Romney on a McCain ticket is as likely as seeing Hillary Clinton on an Obama one and for those who go "well there is Mike Huckabee" -- just no. The actual best Republican choice for McCain, I think is Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal. McCain already has the foreign policy side against Obama, so he needs a fresh face that could "lead this country into the 21st century" and Jindal could be that face to counter Obama.

However that won't happen as Republicans don't run the too-young (and 37 is awfully young to be president), much less minorities. Besides, I think the best choice for a VP for McCain really would be Sen. Joseph Lieberman because it would make the Democrats look weak, would hypothetically sink (though in reality, I don't think it would, but hey "this is just politics") Obama's claim that McCain is four more years of the same. It would make McCain look like the unifier while Obama chose an equally liberal senator.

However, I dread that possibility and am thankful that it will likely not happen as the Republican base again is too stupid to realize how deadly and dangerous a combo that would be for a divided Democratic party. They need their old white, Christian, pro-life candidates. And there is nothing like a mid-western Catholic/Evangelical convert governor/"Washington outsider" like Tim Pawlenty.

Of course, I could be wrong.

 

[Oddzball]

I like McCain's stance on immigration. Besides that, I'm not a fan.

What IS McCain's stance? He wrote a friendly to immigrants bill with Russ Feingold.

He voted AGAINST his own bill!!!

Should we just see which way the wind blows and assume his stance leans that way?

 

[imdaly]

Sen. McCain has chosen his running mate and the person will be notified on Thursday, a senior campaign official said.

A friend said McCain had pretty much settled on his selection early this week, and it crystallized in the past few days. Campaign manager Rick Davis flew to McCain's cabin in Sedona, Ariz., a few days ago to confer, and another meeting about the choice was held with top aides Wednesday.

The news leaked on the third night of the Democratic National Convention, detracting attention from speeches by former President Bill Clinton and the Democratic ticket mate, Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware.

McCain's selection process has been conducted mostly in secret, but officials said he was considering one or more candidates who support abortion rights. The disclosure set off a fracas on the right wing, with talk-show host Rush Limbaugh saying such a selection would destroy the party.

McCain is planning to roll out his vice presidential nominee in three battleground states this weekend, with large-scale rallies planned for Ohio, Pennsylvania and Missouri, according to aides and advisers.

The GOP nominee-in-waiting will move to immediately change the campaign conversation from Barack Obama’s football stadium acceptance speech Thursday to the new Republican ticket, to be revealed at a noontime Friday rally in a Dayton, Ohio, basketball arena. McCain and his running mate will then travel by bus to Pennsylvania, where they’ll hold an outdoor event at a minor league baseball stadium in Washington County, just southwest of Pittsburgh. On Sunday, the duo will head to suburban St. Louis for another event to be held at a minor league baseball stadium, this one in O’Fallon, Mo.

The Missouri rally is being billed to local Republicans as something of a unity rally, since it will feature McCain, Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee — the GOP presidential finalists who effectively divided the vote three ways in the Show Me State’s Super Tuesday primary. A McCain aide warned not to read too much into McCain’s planned guests, however.

The campaign’s leadership has imposed a strict rule on staffers to not discuss the process and have further guarded the selection by parceling out very little information.

Speculation is increasingly centered on former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, although Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman remains an option and is in the final mix.

Holy crap...that's MY county! I'll have to look to see where they're visiting!

 

[Kelly]

Why not Hutchison?

lol, at this rate rd........who knows.....it very well could be her. She has been vetted.....but as has been mentioned.......she wants to be Governor of Texas......and if she runs.....SHE WILL BE GOVERNOR OF TEXAS......so, McCain might want to keep her there because she will be there in 2012.....and would definitely help with Texas........

Texas is moving stronger in McCain's direction.....so he might not need those numbers....he probably already has them. Florida is still fairly close.....but IMO........Pawlenty would do more for the ticket than anyone else......he's so calm.....it would be hysterical to see Biden just chomping at the bit....and then Pawlenty calmly answers questions.....it would make for a good laugh anyway. ALSO, the "new GOP" quote makes me look more at Pawlenty.....but again...................who the hell knows.

 

[SuBe]

I know there is a Political Satire Page, but this was great!

 

[Matt]

 

[kainedamo]

I know there is a Political Satire Page, but this was great!

I do not expect to see picture responses in serious debate and I will consider as much spam.

 

[Matt]

come off it Kaine, it wasn't in response to a serious debate and it was on topic. Political satire and a picture of Spock are two entirely different things.

 

[sithgoblin]

McCain's Prickly TIME Interview

What do you want voters to know coming out of the Republican Convention — about you, about your candidacy?
I'm prepared to be President of the United States, and I'll put my country first.

There's a theme that recurs in your books and your speeches, both about putting country first but also about honor. I wonder if you could define honor for us?
Read it in my books.

I've read your books.
No, I'm not going to define it.

But honor in politics?
I defined it in five books. Read my books.

[Your] campaign today is more disciplined, more traditional, more aggressive. From your point of view, why the change?
I will do as much as we possibly can do to provide as much access to the press as possible.

But beyond the press, sir, just in terms of ...
I think we're running a fine campaign, and this is where we are.

Do you miss the old way of doing it?
I don't know what you're talking about.

Really? Come on, Senator.
I'll provide as much access as possible ...

In 2000, after the primaries, you went back to South Carolina to talk about what you felt was a mistake you had made on the Confederate flag. Is there anything so far about this campaign that you wish you could take back or you might revisit when it's over?
[Does not answer.]

Do I know you? [Says with a laugh.]
[Long pause.] I'm very happy with the way our campaign has been conducted, and I am very pleased and humbled to have the nomination of the Republican Party.

You do acknowledge there was a change in the campaign, in the way you had run the campaign?
[Shakes his head.]

You don't acknowledge that? O.K., when your aides came to you and you decided, having been attacked by Barack Obama, to run some of those ads, was there a debate?
The campaign responded as planned.


Rest of the article here:
http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,1836909,00.html

 

[jaguarr]

McCain's Prickly TIME Interview

What do you want voters to know coming out of the Republican Convention — about you, about your candidacy?
I'm prepared to be President of the United States, and I'll put my country first.

There's a theme that recurs in your books and your speeches, both about putting country first but also about honor. I wonder if you could define honor for us?
Read it in my books.

I've read your books.
No, I'm not going to define it.

But honor in politics?
I defined it in five books. Read my books.

[Your] campaign today is more disciplined, more traditional, more aggressive. From your point of view, why the change?
I will do as much as we possibly can do to provide as much access to the press as possible.

But beyond the press, sir, just in terms of ...
I think we're running a fine campaign, and this is where we are.

Do you miss the old way of doing it?
I don't know what you're talking about.

Really? Come on, Senator.
I'll provide as much access as possible ...

In 2000, after the primaries, you went back to South Carolina to talk about what you felt was a mistake you had made on the Confederate flag. Is there anything so far about this campaign that you wish you could take back or you might revisit when it's over?
[Does not answer.]

Do I know you? [Says with a laugh.]
[Long pause.] I'm very happy with the way our campaign has been conducted, and I am very pleased and humbled to have the nomination of the Republican Party.

You do acknowledge there was a change in the campaign, in the way you had run the campaign?
[Shakes his head.]

You don't acknowledge that? O.K., when your aides came to you and you decided, having been attacked by Barack Obama, to run some of those ads, was there a debate?
The campaign responded as planned.


Rest of the article here:
http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,1836909,00.html

Wow, he doesn't come off very likable at ALL in that interview and managed to not answer any questions whatsoever while he was at it.

jag

 

[kainedamo]

McCain ad where he talks directly to Obama.

[YT]A4KIvRTg6KQ[/YT]

 

[jaguarr]

McCain ad where he talks directly to Obama.

So, that was actually classy of McCain. I'll leave the discussion of whether it was sincere or not to others, but it was still classy nonetheless. I'm sure the nasty attack ads will continue en mass tomorrow, though.

jag

 

[Matt]

Of course it was not sincere. But it was a brilliant campaign move.

 

[jaguarr]

Of course it was not sincere. But it was a brilliant campaign move.

Out of curiosity, I showed it to a couple of the black guys I work with and they said it was just pandering from McCain and that he's still sleazy. LOL!

jag

 

[Matt]

Its not going to affect the African American community though. This is for independents. To show how "civil," McCain is. And for every smart undecided voter who sees the charade, there will be ten who buy right into it.

 

[Kelly]

I know very few unintelligent independents.....

 

[Matt]

Undecidedes and independents are two very different things.

 

[jaguarr]

I know very few unintelligent independents.....

Me either. Few will be fooled. It was still classy of McCain, all ulterior motives aside. Especially after all the negative ads he's been airing. All that said, I still think he's a dick.

Undecidedes and independents are two very different things.

Maybe, but that's not what you said.

Its not going to affect the African American community though. This is for independents. To show how "civil," McCain is. And for every smart undecided voter who sees the charade, there will be ten who buy right into it.

jag

 

[Matt]

I said thats who the ad is aimed at. I said the undecidedes will be the ones who buy into it. Perhaps you should finish the paragraph, my dear Jag.

 

[danoyse]

CNN just aired the McCain ad. It does come off sounding a bit like a Hallmark card, but it was a nice gesture from his campaign.

 

[redfirebird2008]

Its not going to affect the African American community though. This is for independents. To show how "civil," McCain is. And for every smart undecided voter who sees the charade, there will be ten who buy right into it.

LOL, here's a better look at McCain:

[YT]<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/rWOZKeOauNI&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/rWOZKeOauNI&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>[/YT]

 

[Matt]

I love that clip "The whole season, not just one day, the whole season." He should not try to improv. He should have a very tight script that he sticks to.

 

[kainedamo]

LOL, here's a better look at McCain:

[YT]<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/rWOZKeOauNI&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/rWOZKeOauNI&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>[/YT]

I would let men do things to me for $50 an hour.