July 23, 2008
ALL YOU CAN BE CERTAIN OF...:
Is McCain inching towards Pawlenty? (Dana Bash, 7/23/08, CNN)
It's VP tea leaf reading season, and a Republican source who attended a small private meeting with John McCain Tuesday in New Hampshire tells CNN that the GOP candidate dropped a serious hint about Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty.The Republican source said "out of the blue" McCain told the gathering that he thinks they are "really going to like" Pawlenty.
..is that it isn't Mitt.
It would be foolish for McCain to pick a social liberal or a cultist or a woman or a minority. Any of those would only do damage to his chances.
Pawlenty, although no Cheney, seems solid.
Posted by: Jorge Curioso at July 23, 2008 10:59 AMPawlenty is a solid governor from the Midwest and appears to be a good governor. But picking a little known governor (outside of GOP and the blogs) won't move McCain's numbers at all.
Posted by: AWW at July 23, 2008 11:12 AMMcCain has a fair to good chance of keeling over in his first term. Palin makes Obama look over-qualified.
Posted by: Ali Choudhury at July 23, 2008 11:44 AMIf Pawlenty can't guarantee flipping Minnesota to the GOP, then what's the point? It'd be like Algore not being able to carry his "home state" in 2000.
From what I've heard, Mitt the Cultist actually has a shot at flipping Michigan, and unless he'd lose a state or two, that's gotta be in his favor.
Palin, like Jindal, needs to get reelected first.
Posted by: Raoul Ortega at July 23, 2008 11:51 AMDoes this mean Charlie Crist got engaged for nothing?
Posted by: Buttercup at July 23, 2008 11:54 AM
Has potentially carrying a state been a criterion for VP selection in the recent past? H.W? Quale? Gore? Cheney?
Please, let Pawlenty stay in MN. He's the only one standing between the Dem dominated state legislature and Michigan-style tax increases that would wreck the state's economy.
Posted by: Gideon7 at July 23, 2008 12:31 PMHey OJ -- when does the Pick Maverick's Veep contest kick off?! Books!
Since there would be multiple winners, perhaps the winner also has to hit the date of the announcement ...would need a submission deadline in that case.
Posted by: Qiao Yang at July 23, 2008 12:35 PMAli: That's some sort of joke, right? Palin would beat Obama in a head-to-head matchup right now. That being said, she wouldn't add much of anything to McCain. Mostly that's because no one would. VP picks just don't mean squat.
Posted by: b at July 23, 2008 12:40 PMMitt can't be vp for the same reason he was a non-starter as a candidate.
Posted by: oj at July 23, 2008 1:59 PMGood idea, QY, I'll set it up ASAP.
Posted by: oj at July 23, 2008 4:01 PMIf anyone needs a program to keep score ...
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-goldberg21-2008jul21-b,0,6527225.htmlstory
Could even try a "It will be _____, announced on
__, but I wish it could be _____." format.
(I'm guessing Bobby and Sarah dominate the wish field.)
Posted by: QY at July 24, 2008 1:12 AM
You know he really wants to pick Lieberman, but Pawlenty's the pick that makes the most sense. A pity Palin's not a bit older, but if she was then she'd be the nominee...
Posted by: b at July 23, 2008 10:40 AM