Comments on But, I am a Liberal!: McCain/Palin: Can I Still Get Behind the Ticket?

"Lieberman would have mobilized the social-cons in...

2008-09-10T11:08:00.000-05:00

"Lieberman would have mobilized the social-cons in the exact opposite direction."

Absolutely. Just because he was my preferred candidate does not mean he was the best candidate. At least if McCain wants to win...

TNC--

Lieberman would have mobilized the so...

2008-09-09T08:46:00.000-05:00

TNC--

Lieberman would have mobilized the social-cons in the exact opposite direction.

Watching the Palin/McCain rallies, one can sense a great deal of energy not present before. Lieberman would have inspired social-cons to stay home, though he may have reeled in some moderates and centrists.

I simply don't think the moderate/independent bloc is as strong or as motivated as the evangelical bloc...

"I know he thinks he'll see 100, but I'm not willi...

2008-09-08T09:34:00.000-05:00

"I know he thinks he'll see 100, but I'm not willing to bank on that."

McCain has some good genes. His mom is 96 and looks very healthy for her age.

Palin was a smart and strategic choice for VP. She's not my choice (I prefer Lieberman) but we both know Lieberman would not have mobilized social conservatives the way Palin has.

I'm an independent, who is solidly moderate on bot...

2008-09-07T13:02:00.000-05:00

I'm an independent, who is solidly moderate on both fiscal and social issues. Personally, prior to the VP choice, I could live with either a McCain or Obama presidency.

When McCain selected Palin for VP, it certainly set off some red flags for me and I definitely saw it as caving to the conservative wing of the Republican party.

I can live with throwing a small bone to the conservative wing, but I don't see the VP as a small bone, especially with McCain's age. I know he thinks he'll see 100, but I'm not willing to bank on that.

What put me over the top was watching the Wasilla Assembly of God church videos on youtube and pairing that with her associations to the Alaska Independence Party. I can live with the conservative wing, but not with the fringe conservative wing.

I don't know what the outcome is going to be, but the Palin choice is motivating moderates like me to become politically active this election.

I would do the same if the Dems went off the deep end, but I think moderates have to do more than just hold their noses.

Well, if the soc-cons and far-righties argue that ...

2008-09-02T11:35:00.000-05:00

Well, if the soc-cons and far-righties argue that a McCain loss means we need a stauncher conservative, and the Obama win enforces the notion in the Dems that a far-left ticket is the best, all we get in the next election is the two extreme wings of the party battling it out.

I want a centrist party. My ideal party is strong defense, fiscal responsibility, low taxes, and social tolerance. Less government in our wallets and in our bedrooms, doing what they do best: keeping us safe, and spreading democracy.

Stark:
You are right, Pawlenty would not have g...

2008-08-31T23:41:00.000-05:00

Stark:
You are right, Pawlenty would not have garnered as much attention as Palin has gotten in the last few days. I also know that McCain still has problems with the right of his party, so making them happy isn’t a terrible thing when it comes to trying to get elected. I hate the conservative Christian wing however, and it roils me to see moderates bow to their demands. Necessary? probably. Desirable? I don’t think so.

Cokey: I sure hope they have an understanding as to what her VP will actually do. I can only assume it came up, but hell if I know.

I considered the idea that he picked her so that if he lost, the ticket had a moderate and social con on it, so the right wing couldn’t claim “See, that’s what we get for letting the McCain end of the Republican Party lead things.” I sadly think that even with Palin on the ticket, if they are to lose, the Limbaugh’s and Christian Right are going to argue push back in the party and force the next candidate to be an unelectable right-winger. Having McCain run this year is a godsend to the right for two reasons: McCain is really the only kind of Republican that can win this year to begin with, and if he loses, the hardcore can say it was because he wasn’t conservative enough. They win either way in that regard.

I advocate that all elected officials keep body sized safes, just to keep their opposition in check.

If Palin comes off strong in the next 2 months, McCain will win the election, which is something I have not felt could happen in the last few months. If she falters and makes big mistakes, its going to call into question McCain’s judgment, and he will lose soundly.

If I know I'm being vetted for a possible VP nomin...

2008-08-31T21:16:00.000-05:00

If I know I'm being vetted for a possible VP nomination, the first question I'd ask would be, "What the hell am I to do?" But as long as she doesn't keep a man sized safe (which for some reason creeps the bejesus out of me) in her office, I'm ok with her as long as McCain doesn't kick the bucket.

My real feeling on the logic behind this pick is McCain, if he loses in November, doesn't want to poison any big name Republican's name and image. By taking a huge risk, he also did plenty to curtail Obama's momentum from a pretty well delivered speech. How many people were talking about McCain's pick vs Obama's speech on Friday? Most of what I heard and read was all McCain.

No, no. No way Pawlenty could have generated the ...

2008-08-31T19:02:00.000-05:00

No, no. No way Pawlenty could have generated the amount of attention Palin got (7 million dollars in a day). Social conservatives will actually campaign for the ticket now, that's a plus politically.

With Pawlenty they would have got about half of the attention Palin is getting now and Crist would have been dogged by homosexual rumors (which is entirely baseless and unfair).

The social conservatives were thought of in mind when McCain made this choice (along with her image as a reformer and a possibility to ride the coattails of HRC). If this were a perfect world, and if the Republican party didn't have the leg of social conservatism barking at the thought of a pro-choice running mate, McCain would have picked Lieberman.

I say let them have their bone and help elect McCain to become President. McCain will be in charge, and though he is honestly a conservative on social issues, he is more pragmatic (more a proponent of federalism when it comes to issues of values).

Palin does get him the best of both world’s in a w...

2008-08-31T16:23:00.000-05:00

Palin does get him the best of both world’s in a way: he now has a social con on the ticket to make those folks happy, and someone who can bring some enthusiasm and historical presidency to the ticket. I don’t think he was forced to do this by the soc-cons, as they would have accepted Pawlenty and Crist. I would have been happier with a more conventional pick, but with the way politics has been going these days, identity politics now trumps experience and the like.

As for her comments about not knowing what the VP does, when I watch the whole clip and not the one I have seen on msnbc and the like, she goes on to say that she wants a position that is busy and active. She was trying to say that she wasn’t looking for a ceremonial VP spot who attends funerals, at least that’s the way it sounds to me.

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=Pak-rH0dCeA

It was long shot choice that I was shooting for (t...

2008-08-31T16:21:00.000-05:00

It was long shot choice that I was shooting for (though I wanted Pawlenty more) yet now have regrets about. Pawlenty was such a safer choice.

My view on both Obama's and McCain's picks:

Should have picked Bayh.

Should have picked Pawlenty.

Oh well, I still support the ticket. Social issues aren't my main concern (I'm center-left on them), so I'm not fazed. If it makes you feel better Dodds, McCain really wanted to pick Lieberman (though would have suffered a floor fight at the convention):

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/31/us/politics/31reconstruct.html?hp

I wouldn't be surprised if Lieberman gets a position in a McCain administration.

Since I don't have to vote, my analysis was amazin...

2008-08-31T13:16:00.000-05:00

Since I don't have to vote, my analysis was amazingly simple: nice chick at last! Wow.

It's also interesting the McCain's met her just a ...

2008-08-31T10:25:00.000-05:00

It's also interesting the McCain's met her just a few times. In my opinion, I don't think McCain picked her as a maverick move, I think McCain picked her because of the now core base of the Republican party hating his other top choices (Lieberman, Pawlenty, Ridge, or Romney) and in essence, they forced him to put a radical social conservative on the ticket.

Huckabee only had social conservatism going for him, so he was never going to be on the ticket, but Palin does have actual conservative political ideals. It is a strange partnership to say the least. I just hope the McCain camp will tell her what the VP does so she'll finally know.