Comments on: California

by: DaveA

Thu, 07 Feb 2008 00:04:47 +0000

Me too, though I’d hold out for a barrel of blood wine.

As an addenda to an earlier post, word today is that Her Wicked Witch-ness is flat broke and writing herself campaign checks, a la Romney. This election season is definitely headed into the ranks of most bizarre of all time.

by: Grumpy Old Man

Wed, 06 Feb 2008 22:04:49 +0000

I’d vote for the Klingon any time.

by: DaveA

Wed, 06 Feb 2008 21:57:44 +0000

Hey, at least you got to vote for Paul when it (sort of) counted. I have to wait until May to “throw my vote away.”

I think the veep spot will be determined by whether McCain gets enough delegates to secure the nomination. If so, man, woman, black, white, Klingon…it’s all up for grabs. If not, Huck seems the logical choice, at least to me — and let me add that I wouldn’t vote for that ticket if you paid me.

But contra M.Z. Forrest, I think Huck’s charm would perfectly offset McCain’s un-excitingness, and the age issue could work in their favor (I would throw out the idea of McCain pledging to serve just one term). The idea of McCain getting a military type as a veep strikes me as redundant. Wouldn’t it be better to try to put someone on the ticket who helps McCain with social conservatives?

by: Grumpy Old Man

Wed, 06 Feb 2008 21:33:20 +0000

McCain might consider a woman if Obama is the Dem. candidate, or a black man if it’s Hillary. Maybe one with economic credentials. Deal the race and gender cards? See you and raise you.

VP doesn’t affect the election much, but splitting off a few points in key states could be important.

I’m not fond of identity politics, but I voted for Ron Paul, so what do I know?

by: DaveA

Wed, 06 Feb 2008 21:05:31 +0000

You’re right, they could — but I think you can see the beginnings of a “we need to come together” movement starting, and I expect that will only gain momentum in the coming days. Romney almost certainly won’t play that game, but that hardly matters since he can’t win outside of caucus and “home” states.

The donor/activist issue is a point, but remember that it still looks like the Wicked Witch of the West has the inside track for the Dems, thanks to her pocket-full of superdelegate slots staffed by party regulars. If she’s the nominee, money will flow into GOP coffers, and volunteers pop out of the woodwork, regardless of who their man is. If Obama pulls out a win, all bets are off.

by: M.Z. Forrest

Wed, 06 Feb 2008 21:00:25 +0000

Romney has problems. He doesn’t have any problems he didn’t have Monday though. For both him, Huckabee, and really the whole party there are good reasons to keep trying to get delegates. With the large numbers of McCain delegates likely to be at the convention, the liklihood of embarrassing platform fights is increased, or at least things that would really upset the base. If we are going to make Huckabee VP, Romney is a better top as far as electoral considerations. Obviously there would have to be a whole lot of kissing and making up for that to happen. I have to agree with Mr. Larison that Huckabee would be a very poor VP candidate for McCain. To pile on, Huckabee is a much better stump speaker. If he were to give the VP acceptance speech at the convention, no one would remember McCain’s speech. The difference in age between Huckabee and McCain would look like Bush/Quayle all over again. I think McCain would try to play strength and get Powell, Clark, Franks, Schwarzkopf, or possibly even Patreaus as a VP.

by: Daniel Larison

Wed, 06 Feb 2008 19:47:22 +0000

It’s over right now only if Romney drops out soon and Huckabee really does want the VP job rather than challenge for the prize. Even though it makes some sense, the selection of Huckabee for VP would magnify McCain’s problems with donors and activists considerably. The race is all but over, but the others could keep it going at least through 3/4 if they really wanted to.

by: DaveA

Wed, 06 Feb 2008 19:37:56 +0000

While there will probably still be some sniping from the likes of Limbaugh and Coulter, I think the fact of the matter is that the battle is over and the anti-McCain forces have lost. Even Hewitt has all but thrown in the towel on his man Mitt, and begun exhuming the Usual Tropes — Supreme Court justices, a vote for the Dems is a vote for the terrorists, etc. — for why we should all come together and Support The Nominee, whoever he is.

Romney is dead man walking, Huck will continue his (IMHO likely to be successful) campaign for veep, and McCain will keep issuing “above the fray” appeals for unity like the one today. It will be McCain/Huckabee coming out of the convention. The GOP race is over.