You know, I usually make it a point not to comment on politics, but this trainwreck of an election is such a clusterfuck I just can't help it.  Whether it's Hillary dodging Bosnian snipers, McCain gunning for those Sunnis in Iran, or Obama trivializing poor white Christians, is it time for the candidates to _stop_ campaining and just run ads?  It seems like every week one of them has a new jaw-dropping slip of the tongue.  

Tonight I saw a clip of Huckabee at an NRA meeting where he was startled by a noise backstage and his comeback was "that was Barack Obama--someone just pointed a gun at him and he fell out of his chair."

A joke.  At an NRA meeting.  About shooting a popular black man.  

Gee, that's going to go over well.  

Pete

Yeah, it was a pretty stupid thing to say.

Quote from: shewolfYeah, it was a pretty stupid thing to say.

I don't want Huckabee as McCain's VP pick, so I'd be pretty happy if this knocks him off of McCain's list.

I don't want a creationist anywhere near a position of power. If they can't accept basic science I can't trust him to understand more complex issues.

I keep saying I'd love to see McCain pick Lieberman as his VP running mate.

If for no other reason than to watch the bat-shit crazy reaction...

Quote from: James J SkachI keep saying I'd love to see McCain pick Lieberman as his VP running mate.

If for no other reason than to watch the bat-shit crazy reaction...

I think Hillary would be a better choice for that.  Of the available Republican candidates, there's no clear-cut choice for VP (or President, as far as I'm concerned**) and McCain does have a reputation for reaching across the aisle. . .

Pete

**Colin Powell being the only politician I would have supported wholeheartedly, and he didn't even run.  Maybe in 2012. . .

Quote from: James J SkachI keep saying I'd love to see McCain pick Lieberman as his VP running mate.

Lieberman will already campaign for McCain where he needs him (Florida and the Northeast) and Obama's collection of anti-Israel foreign policy advisors should make his job easy.  McCain basically needs to avoid someone with strong negatives and pick someone that will look presidential enough to be a credible stand-in if McCain's age gets the best of him and possibly someone that will help him with traditional Republican constituencies without alienating the moderates he attracts.

Quote from: pspahnI think Hillary would be a better choice for that.  Of the available Republican candidates, there's no clear-cut choice for VP (or President, as far as I'm concerned**) and McCain does have a reputation for reaching across the aisle. . .

He'd be better of with a Republican woman with solid conservative credentials.    I'm personally favoring Sarah Palin, governor of Alaska, a state with a strong role in US oil and gas production.  She's popular (approval rating over 80%), likable, attractive, a mother of 5 (including a handicapped child), outdoorsy (her husband is a commercial fisherman), a lifetime NRA member, solid and credible social conservative on abortion (she recently had a son with Down's Syndrome instead of aborting him) without being homophobic or a nutty Fundamentalist, like McCain she has a son currently in the military (Army), and she has a reputation as a reformer.  

If Obama is nominated and doesn't pick a female running mate, she could help McCain pick up at least some of the women alienated by Clinton's loss.  Her negatives are her age (44), her relative inexperience (potentially robbing McCain of that issue against his opponent), that she doesn't come from an important swing state, and the fact that she just recently gave birth to a child.  I don't think any of those are show-stoppers and she's doing very well in this online VP contest, which also has a good list of likely candidates.

If the Bush administration wasn't so unpopular, I'd say Condoleezza Rice would be a good pick, but I think she'd be a net liability in the current political climate.  Similarly, Jeb Bush has a good résumé but I think the country isn't going to want a third President Bush right now.  Kay Bailey Hutchinson has also been mentioned but she may be to pro-choice for the part of the Republican base McCain needs help with.  Tom Ridge has the same problem.  Louisiana governor Bobby Jindal is too young (36).  Michael Steele would have been good if he had won his Senate race and if Hillary were the nominee.  

Quote from: pspahn**Colin Powell being the only politician I would have supported wholeheartedly, and he didn't even run.  Maybe in 2012. . .

Colin Powell's wife doesn't want him to run so I doubt that's going to happen.

ADDED: Powell is also only a year younger than McCain so I think we can rule him out at this point.

I don't think Huckabee was ever even in the running as far as McCain was concerned.

RPGPundit

When it comes right down to it Huckabee or Romney would be too divisive either way.

What McCain needs most is a solid conservative. We're chosing between ultra lib, lib lite and a Clinton.

Fred Thompson!

Quote from: shewolfFred Thompson!

Fred Thompson was originally my favorite of the pack on the issues but I heard to many stories about his lack of drive and enthusiasm and don't think he can campaign effectively.  I saw stories about Thompson supporters turned off by actually meeting him on the campaign trail because he looked tired and disinterested.  That's not good.

What do you think about Palin?

The thing for Fred is that he sounds like any number of good ole boys around here - sounds lazy and tired, but has the fire.

WRT Palin- the wiki article made her look pretty good. But would she want to leave, as she's such a young govenor? The other option would be the Louisiana govenor - he's done a lot of good down there but he wants to finish the job.

Quote from: James J SkachI keep saying I'd love to see McCain pick Lieberman as his VP running mate.

If for no other reason than to watch the bat-shit crazy reaction...

Lieberman's more conservative than most Republicans.  I doubt it would be as surprising an event as you think.

Lieberman's alright, but this :

QuoteEarly on, Senator Lieberman's concerns led him to hold the first hearings on the threat posed to children by video game violence

really bugged me.

Enough that I don't like him. I know it's a stupid reason, but it's one of those things that screams pandering nancy bitch.