Shortly after McCain announced his vice presidential pick on Friday, I told Jon and Buck, “Somewhere, John McCain is praying to God for a do-over.” Since then, there’s been nothing but drama unfolding around Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.
It appears she might have covered up her oldest daughter’s pregnancy by claiming the baby was hers, but she now says the same daughter is pregnant. The “Troopergate” scandal in her state belies the idea that Palin runs an impartial ship, since is she is said to have fired the state’s public safety commissioner after he refused to fire her brother-in-law, who was locked in a bitter custody battle with her sister. And in her first flip-flop-slash-lie as a vice presidential candidate, she claimed she opposed Sen. Ted Stevens’ (R-Ak.) “bridge to nowhere” when public records show her enthusiastic support.
I am thinking John McCain might just get his do-over. In 1972, when Sen. George McGovern’s (D-S.D.) running mate, Sen. Thomas Eagleton (D-Mo.) was found to have been previously hospitalized for mental disorders, Eagleton eventually withdrew from the ticket. McGovern replaced him with Sargent Shriver, who was married to Eunice Kennedy and whose five children include Maria Shriver, wife of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R-Calif.).
Richard Nixon was viewed as fairly unbeatable that year, with promises of a secret plan for victory in Vietnam to be revealed after the election. McGovern, always a bit of a dark horse, never recovered from his campaign’s initial disarray and went on to lose the election. Nixon, of course, later resigned after it was found that even though his lead was always comfortable, his own paranoia inspired him to break the law in what would become the standard for all political scandals: Watergate.
McGovern’s campaign showed that it is possible to replace your vice presidential pick after you’ve made it public, but it isn’t necessarily a good move. On the other hand, going forward with a running mate who is a laughing stock is no winner either.
McCain has already lowered expectations for the Republican National Convention. After most senators who are running for re-election pulled out rather than be seen with either Pres. Bush or candidate McCain, his campaign took advantage of Category 2 Hurricane Gustav, using it as the reason the convention would be “scaled back” and “depoliticized.” That their guy is in more trouble than the millions of evacuees from Louisiana seems apparent.
I’ve been waiting for them to send in Jeb Bush…..
Thought that was the plan all along..
Phil
He chose this woman so that the media would rip her apart.
Then Joe Lieberman would not seem as bad as they thought when he is chosen to replace Palin on the ticket.
Do we get a ‘do-over’ for the past 8 years?
No do-overs! Questionable judgment equals questionable candidate.
In your second paragraph, your list of Palin’s liabilities does not include her association with an Alaska separatist group. See:
http://www.akip.org/conv08.html
This won’t go over too well with the lapel pin crowd.
I have been a conservative voter for over 45 years and I never thought I would ever have a choice like this for President. Here, we have John McCain, who is a decorated war hero, who wants to be president of the most powerful country in the world and his first important decision is to choose an obscure state governor for his vice-president, who has a 4 month old baby and an unwed teenage daughter who is four months pregnant. When the Party defends her, they refer to her as a hockey mom and a pioneer woman who can shoot, skin and cook moose stew—is this a soap opera or what!!!. I am speaking to all Republicans, young and old, McCain and the Party have left the reservation and we are being held hostage to these incompetents. It’s madness—-Scottie Beam Me UP!!!
yeah i think while it is still unofficial, the GOP need to tap huckabee or romney as the VP before it is too late. now is the time.
i mean romney and huckabee were slighted for sure,
Yes, she is beautiful, but this woman is crazy. What kinda woman hops on planes 8 month’s pregnant . and like fox news did with edwards, i think the american people deserve a paternity test for trig palin. We need to know. this woman was chosen for 1 reason only-family values for the wacky bible bumping right. and now palin has no family values with a daughetr running all over alaska spreading her legs.
…this confirms that McCain / MaGoo is feeble minded.
The formation and history of the AIP largely revolve around Joe Vogler, a plain-spoken gold miner, non-practicing attorney and charismatic icon of local politics who ran unsuccessfully for governor three times between 1974 and 1986. After getting 4,770 votes and 5% as an independent in the 1974 election — a race decided by less than 300 votes — Vogler formed Alaskans for Independence (AFI) in 1978 in order to promote the idea of an “Independent Nation of Alaska.”
“I’m an Alaskan, not an American. I’ve got no use for America or her damned institutions.” - Joe Vogler, AIP founder
http://www.akip.org/introduction.html