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Fresh off their good hot dickings from Mr. Romney losing the race, the right-wing blabosphere and punditocracy is now telling McCain who he has to choose as his Veep, with Pat Toomey leading the way. Like he cares what you think?
Is this funny, pathetic, or both? Consider this an open thread.
Comments are closed.
[…] Requiem for a lighter weight — I’m sorry, but this was patently obvious to anyone looking at this with a clear head: Mitt Romney was always a pipe dream. He was a useful running dog for a long time for people who wanted their movement conservative, thus one Mr. F. Thompson, in that people could point to Romney, say “Flip-flopper!” and embrace Thompson all the more. Then Thompson dropped out. Giuliani misfired. McCain pissed people off by existing, Huckabee pissed them off by not only existing but being affable about it. Romney became the great white hope — and boy, was he ever white — and the professional blowhard patrol decided maybe Hewitt had the right idea and fell into line. Then Romney collapsed and the following day Hewitt was the first to say ‘Never mind!’ Then McCain delivered some dull platitudes at CPAC while being well aware that the people who attend such things are a tiny minority of actual voters, a bunch of imported supporters clapped and a variety of observers, caught between realpolitik and their slavering over buzzwords, pretended that they’d always been at war with Eurasia. And now I hear the laughter. […]
ThymeZone
Both. SATSQ vol 132 ch 15
And, delicious, wonderful, and absolutely spectacular.
And long awaited.
Overdue.
Predictable.
Fan-fucking-tastic.
Hope it never stops.
Bob In Pacifica
Having been around when JFK got one to the dome, I would suggest that McCain not select any oilman from Texas.
wingnuts to iraq
it’s going to be Jiminy Cricket, err, I mean Joe Lieberman.
ThymeZone
LOL. Now I know where I’ve seen Lieberman’s outfits before.
pharniel
i hope it’s mittens.
just so they piss off huckabie and fracture the party into little bitty pieces of crazy.
LITBMueller
This won’t end, even after McCain wins the nomination. Grover Norquist will demand that McCain put massive tax cuts for the rich into the platform, the pro-life mob will demand that McCain make a public pledge to appoint their kind of judges, yadda yadda…
The Populist
I am salivating at watching this implosion of the right wing machine.
I’ve told all my rightie friends that the average Republican will revolt if you idiots think that hedge issues and this weird priority of giving the religious right a larger voice than they deserve is the way to go.
It can only work so long. Now it’s time to pay the price.
The independents are truly deciding these things just like I also told them. They didn’t want to listen and they pretended that the Religious Right was some boogie man the left created when it was clear that everybody from far left to moderate right could see.
Too bad, so sad Rush and friends. Hope you are shut out for the next Century or more.
DougJ
Both.
Pat Toomey? When I first read that name, I thought “isn’t he a linebacker for the Saints?” It took a few secs to remember he’s that whack who almost beat Arlen Specter.
The Grand Panjandrum
You know that might be enough to get me to believe that a god does exist. I can just see McCain falling asleep in the middle of Joe’s stump speech. Priceless.
From Mittmentum to Jomentum.
The Populist
I actually think McCain would pick Huckabee over Mittens. Mittens attacked McCain nonstop where Huckabee seemed to get along with the guy.
Don’t be shocked if he chooses a Condi Rice or other young whippersnapper to challenge Barack or Hilary.
The Populist
Next thing you know the right will demand that McCain choose somebody like Gary North. Argh.
Svensker
Think Progress has a piece up now saying the WN’s are trying to get Condi on the ticket. Which would actually be a pretty good move, I think. But then, I can’t think like a Repub anymore.
But I prefer Fox’s idea of putting Bill Bennett on as VP. Snork.
DougJ
Sorry but I will be.
I realize she’s well-spoken, a concert pianist, and a serious figure-skater, but she’s also a reminder of all the foreign policy incompetence of the Bush administration.
I think he may go with one of the case members of “Grey’s Anatomy.”
Dennis - SGMM
From Toomey’s Tome in WSJ:
Yep, the hearty fiscal conservatives who managed to nearly double the National Debt. The tight-fisted guardians of the public fisc who have had to raise the debt ceiling five times in seven years. Their standard bearer is the man who, as I posted below, failed to utter the words “balanced budget” or “deficit” in his latest speech but who did promise to lower taxes or threaten that a Democrat would raise them five times.
I guess that they’re counting on the amnesiac demographic to sweep them into office.
Jen
Yeah. For the black vote.
(rolls eyes)
DougJ
Trying to pretend to be a woman again, are we?
The Populist
Yes, but Doug (I don’t support McCain OR Condi, FYI) why wouldn’t he choose her? He loves Bush, the Bush war and wants us in the ME for 100 years? What better choice than Condi?
He’s out of touch to begin with, so it would not shock me he chooses her. It would be the ultimate Perot moment where he chose the underqualified Stockdale to run as his VP.
TheFountainHead
Mmmm, delicious.
I think McCain has to pick someone significantly younger and a relative unknown. No one from the Bush camp buys him anything, including Condi, and most of the known entities have already publicly hated on McCain too much to be a believable VP. Look for it to be someone young, socially conservative, and possibly, maybe, white and male.
Blue Neponset
I can’t remember where I read it but I heard that former MD Lt. Gov. Michael Steele was on the short list to be McCain’s running mate. My guess is it is way too soon for a short list but time will tell.
The Populist
Jen,
Exactly. The right is so out of touch that they see Barack and Hilary receiving record votes from folks all over the political spectrum they would believe Condi is their Hilary or Barack.
I can see it as an argument that she’s Barack and Hilary in one person ;)
4tehlulz
lol no. She might hesitate to bomb Iran.
My money would be on Huck or Joe Lieberman.
The Populist
If Barack wins I hope he picks Jim Webb since I doubt Hilary would accept being second fiddle.
If Hilary wins (gulp) I hope she chooses Gen. Clark since I doubt Barack would be interested in being her VP.
Dennis - SGMM
Condi in first vice-presidential debate:
“Why am I here? I thought that we were going shoe-shopping.”
TheFountainHead
The more I think about it, the more I am convinced that the ULTIMATE John McCain running mate is a socially conservative young hispanic Republican with center of the road views on illegal immigrants.
Does that exist??
TheFountainHead
Webb wouldn’t bother me too much, but there might be better options out there for him. I’m not sure Webb brings him any votes he doesn’t already get.
In the case of Hillary’s nomination, she might NEED Obama to win, not because of his appeal within the party, but because of his appeal outside of it, not to mention the African American voting bloc. Gen. Clark, much as I like the guy, doesn’t buy her anything I can think of. So if she can’t get Obama and Clark doesn’t get improve her electoral math, who’s left that helps her?
libarbarian
Dr. Tran for VP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Zifnab
With the Lt. Governor’s history of amazingly pathetic dirty tricks (STEELE DEMOCRAT!) and his established conservative creds as a sell out, I wouldn’t be surprised.
I was absolutely floored when Lieberman claimed he wouldn’t be running. McCain’s going to want to polish his “unity ticket” credentials – maybe entice Blomberg on board or hook up with Ahnold or Olympia Snowe or another friend from the gang of 14. If I closed my eyes and let my head really explode, I could envision a McCain/Reid ticket. Anything to appeal to the centrist vote. Diving to the left of the Democratic Party in visual appearance (not a long trip at this point) is really McCain’s best shot.
The Grand Panjandrum
I say McCain pick William F. Buckley, Jr. as his VP running mate. After they lose they retire to the Creation Museum to be with the rest of the old fossils from the Right.
Wilfred
I’ve been predicting McCain-Lieberman for ages around here but I read that Howdy Doody said no way to the VP slot. Of course, if really necessary…
Zifnab
She could go for Katherine Sebilus and make it four boobies against whatever two boobs the the Republicans throw at us.
ThymeZone
Ah never.had.dustup.relations.with.that.Senator, Mister Obama ……
4tehlulz
The only one remotely close to that would be Bobby Jindal. Not Hispanic, true, but otherwise fits your description.
And unlike Michael Steele, he’s actually won something on his own.
Punchy
He needs to pick Jessica Alba as his VP. Steal the 18-40 yr-old vote. Hell, I’d vote for him with both hands. But mostly my right one.
Dennis - SGMM
The Schwarzenator can’t run because, being foreign born, he’s ineligible to assume the presidency. Same for Florida Sen. Mel Martinez, who would otherwise be perfect.
ThymeZone
Okay, I’ve thought over the Coulter Suicide Voter plan, and …..
I think what they are trying to tell us is, look, what’s four years of a catastrophically bad Clinton presidency, if it results in getting people pissed off enough for change?
After all, it worked for George Bush. If he can’t ruin the country in eight years, how will Hillary do it in four?
PeterJ
McCain should pick Cheney, since he’s the greatest VP in history.
4tehlulz
Ralph Nader called; he wants his schtick back.
Dennis - SGMM
Because she has more experience?
jimbo
Ah, now we know why DeMint intruded into the Berkley/Marine Recruiter disagreement. Piss off, DeMint.
myiq2xu
If Hillary wins and offers him the job he’ll jump at it.
He wants to be President, and the VP slot would guarantee him the frontrunner slot in four or eight years.
If Hillary loses in November, it won’t be his fault, and if she wins he’s the automatic heir.
In eight years he’ll only be 54.
And if he really cares about the Democratic party he’ll take the job to help US win.
Xanthippas
Maybe somebody’s already linked to this in one of these threads, but when I saw this comic I instantly thought of John Cole and his “GBCW” post.
DougJ
How about Chuck Norris? Capture that key Huckabee demographic.
The really gutsy pick would be Scooter Libby though.
Tsulagi
I dunno, there seems to be one obvious VP choice for McCain whose name I haven’t heard mentioned yet.
Why choose Flipper to pander just to stalwart conservatives? Or Huckabee for the Rapture nuts? Combine the two, plus add someone younger to offset McCain’s potential age issue. Then for the win, the extreme added bonus that unites all Pubs, someone as batshit retarded as Bush. There can be only one: Rick Santorum. He can’t be too busy. His party is calling.
Dennis - SGMM
C’mon people: Allen Keyes. He’s fresh, rested, ready, black and batshit insane.
scott
First, no Senate Dems as Veep selections. Unless they come from states in which a Dem will replace them.
That’s one reason why McCain won’t select Brownback. Should he be elected, that would mean TWO Rethug Senators being replaced by Dems (I’m assuming KS and AZ have the governors appoint a replacement Senator and since both or Dems, well, you get my point).
I’m telling ya, Huckleberry is McCain’s best choice. I watched him on Colbert, he actually great. His “well DUH!” response was how normal people would react to Colbert. And his comment on why he’d win TX while playing air hockey “I know barbeque” was great. He’d have to ditch his attached-at-the-hip incubus (Chuck Norris) but he shoed on Colbert that he can do that.
The Huckster as Veep brings the fundies along (McCain will never be able to do that), he’s likeable (McCain makes Bob Dole look cheerful) and he’s warm (McCain’s so wooden, I’m surprised he never stared in an Ed Wood movie).
Sure, by doing this, McCain blows off the third leg of the party but there’s just no way he’ll be able to get all three legs behind him. The fundies showed that they’re the ones who make or break the party anymore be it in the primary (not this time) or the general. Just ask Pappy in 02 and Dole in 06 about getting the nomination and running in the general without blind support from the christopaths.
myiq2xu
That idea is just crazy enough to work (in the minds of the wingnuts)
They probably think that putting a black face on the ticket will automatically win them votes, and Keyes will be acceptable to the neanderthal wing.
TheFountainHead
Those boobies have already committed to Obama, sorry.
scott
There’s that likeability factor. Since McCain is always one strangled reporter away from throwing away the nomination, he’s gotta have somebody who’s got the theocrat bone fides but isn’t also another cranky-assed bastard like himself.
Huckleberry fits the profile. And if he runs strong in some of the upcoming primaries and the right wing shrill machine continues to harp on McCain, expect to see a “meeting”. The Rethugs want this cleaned up, nice and tidy, asap so they can sit back and watch with glee Obama and Clinton hammer on each other to a draw.
John S.
I suspect she will offer the job to Clark and not Obama. That is if she wins the nomination, of course.
Riiiight. I’m sure the same applies to Hillary, right?
myiq2xu
Agreed – we need to gain seats in the Senate, not give control back to the GOP.
Unfortunately, that eliminates a few excellent candidates.
TheFountainHead
I don’t know if John Edwards (or anyone else) would agree with you on that one.
Digital Amish
Let’s see, how can I fit that into a effective campaign commercial.. hmmm?
How about the “100 years in Iraq” clip — dissolve to
the “bomb bomb bomb Iran” clip — dissolve to
a “scowling Condi” photo– dissolve to
the “McCain gives Bush the big man love hug” photo — dissolve to
black overlaided with “Four More Years!”
Yeah, I think that might have some punch.
Seanly
I like Pat Toomey’s pick of Gov. Mark Sanford. Hated by Republicans here in SC. The conservatives aren’t so big on the libertarian here. His whole reason for being governor is just to push SC further into being a 3rd world country.
Santorum is a horrible dreck of a person, but he’s a displaced establishment figure & conservative in all the right creepy ways, so that might actually be the pick. And the thought would be that he would bring PA into the fold (or at least force more Democractic dollars that way). Shudder…
scott
Should “President McCain” become a reality and he’s selected Brownback as his veep, the total longshot chance of the Dems getting a filibuster-proof Senate majority becomes much more viable. Sure, it would still be a long shot but picking up 2 Senate seats in one really red state and one nominally red state without spending a dime isn’t something McCain wants to see the day after he’s sworn in.
It would make appointing wingnut Sooopreme Court justices that much harder.
myiq2xu
Of course.
Dennis - SGMM
All kidding aside: McCain should choose the corpse of Ronald Regan. There may be some 22nd Amendment issues but this Supreme Court will blow right through that little quibble.
Punchy
OK. Holy fucking wow:
Law and order Republicans! Soap on a rope, bitches.
Caidence (fmr. Chris)
Alan Keyes snippet:
You’re right, he’s perfect!
1.) Dictates how “the process” shall function.
2.) Power of dictation derived from nebulous definition of “The People”
3.) Combative when shown the slightest indication that dictation not taken seriously
4.) Refusal to use language in standard use by the people he’s addressing
He’s the Black Bush! Hey, 27%!! Who wants more Kool-Aid?!
scott
Although Ricky was popular in that stretch of PA between Pitt and Philly known as Alabama, don’t forget the voters tossed him out on his ass. Expecting him to deliver PA would be akin to the Rethugs expecting Macacca Allen to deliver VA.
Oh wait, there’s a good veep possibility! Fundie Friendly and Klan Approved!
cbear
Jomentum—
That distinctly uncomfortable sensation you get when you realize that what you thought was a fart was actually a squirt.
Not to be confused with Santorum
Jen
What the hell is Alan Keyes the Ambassador to, the Pre-Born?
Shygetz
That, of course, assumes that Democrats will vote to pursue the Democratic agenda. I don’t think there will ever be any such thing as a fillibuster-proof Democratic majority.
Dork
I want whatever you’re smoking. Seriously. The Dems hold back on a nomination? (Mukasey, Alito, etc). Not. Possible.
Shygetz
The U.N. Thanks, Ronald Reagan!
gypsy howell
tsulagi and seanly beat me to it, but my first thought was also Santorum. He’s beloved by both the CFG-types and the talibangelicals.
Ugh. I shudder to think it could happen.
scott
Admitedly, getting 60 Dem Senators to come together on something is akin to herding cats. But, on certain high profile issues, like another Alito for the Supreme Court or FISA shit, combined with perhaps a new Majority Leader with some spine, then I think we’d see at least part of the so-called conservative movement’s movement thwarted.
Caidence (fmr. Chris)
Thankfully, that’s not a complete answer.
He was Ambassador to the UNESC
gypsy howell
Bonus for a Santorum VP pick – he was one of the architects of the K Street Project, so he’s got all that lobbyist bribery and kickback stuff going for him too.
Jen
The UN?!?!? Okay, I’m going to pretend I never heard that. la la la la la la la
I actually salivate at the idea of Santorum as vp. Good grief, Obama/Anybody v. McCain/Santorum? That’s, like, 40 states going blue right there. Am I crazy?
scott
Nope. Every “I’d like to have a beer with that candidate” voter will run screaming for the hills. They might not vote for the Dem ticket but they sure as hell wouldn’t vote for that one.
Fwiffo
McCain has the nomination wrapped up. He has no need for these jerks any more. They’re going to line up behind him in the end, no matter what. He should stick it in their eye by picking somebody they hate, say, Arlen Specter, or one of the ladies from Maine. Really make their heads explode, ya know?
I’m actually keeping my fingers crossed for Lieberman.
Jen
Yeah, I don’t see Santorum adding any voters that Huck couldn’t get, but the converse is definitely not true.
myiq2xu
McCain needs to pick someone who will be acceptable to the Christianist Taliban, like pHuckabee, or someone from the fascist wing. If he picks a moderate hoping to win independent votes, the kool-aid drinkers will bolt the GOP for a 3rd party candidate.
I think pHuckabee is a good choice for McCain because he’s not as scary as some of the other nutjobs, his religious views won’t seem as important in the VP slot, and it puts him on the shelf if they win, thus continuing the tradition of paying lip service to the fundies without really pushing their agenda.
As a bonus, if (or more likely when) they lose, the GOP establishment will use the loss to discredit pHuckabee in order to eliminate him as a viable candidate four years from now.
The real problem for the GOP is that G-Dub has so damaged their brand name that it will take more than four years to recover.
And if they keep up their policy of obstruction they could render themselves irrelevant.
scott
We should be so lucky. That would show McCain’s not really serious about winning in November. And if he did, well at least Lieberman’s replacement would be an official Repup.
Caidence (fmr. Chris)
Bush Declares That Cheney is the Best Vice President in History.
Well, DUH. He’s the first VP to ever be in two branches of government at once!
TheFountainHead
Since this is an open thread, I’ll link this, because I’m lovin’ it!!
myiq2xu
He’ll bring in the anti-man on dog sex vote too!
DougJ
That’s bad news for Democrats. The new new exurban areas in the southwest are filled with people for whom that issue is very important. David Brooks wrote about this a few weeks ago.
Jamey
Cheney: Best. VEEP. Evar!
http://thinkprogress.org/2008/02/08/bush-cheney-best/
Suck it, losers.
/young republican
Dennis - SGMM
Word. Huckabee’s beliefs may be repugnant to many of us but he’s charismatic and personable as hell – two characteristics that are absent in McCain. Add a good VP choice to the press’ love of St. John and the next election is going to have to actually be fought, and fought hard, by the Democrats.
TR
David Brooks wrote about this a few weeks ago.
Yes. I found the anecdote he got from his cabbie to be quite revealing.
demimondian
I can imagine the 527 commercials right now.
[montage: Mark Foley, with a pile of newspaper clippings]
In 2006, we found out that the Republican Party had been concealing evidence of child sexual abuse by a Republican congressman.
[montage II: image of a wounded American serviceman or servicewoman with clippings about Walter Reed]In 2007, we found out that they had been making our wounded heros come back to sleep in the own urine.
[montage III: ward, with clippings about fraud at NRCC]This year, we found out that the republican party can’t even manage its own finances.
[montage IV: Dem candidates, with trumpets, and the like]It’s time for a change.
Hypatia
It’s sheer heaven. McCain owes them nothing, and yet both parties are going to need each other. Sit back and enjoy the fun.
If Clinton wants Obama for VP, I think she can get him. It looks as if he and his supporters are going to be major whineycats if they lose, so she might have to ask. He’ll make huffy noises and then say yes. I can’t imagine he wants that slot go to someone else who might look Presidential in the future.
I like Webb right where he is, in the Senate. Better for him, better for the party, if he stays.
Jamey
TR: You’re confusing Brooks with Friedman.
myiq2xu
Is there a epidemic of man-on-dog sex in Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona?
Aren’t they satisfied with skull-fucking kittens?
TheFountainHead
I’m not saying you’re wrong–I don’t completely rule this out as a possibility–but I still think it’s unlikely. For one, no matter how this goes down, it’s HIGHLY unlikely he’ll lose this thing without Hillary taking it from him with Super Delegates, and even worst case scenario it will be close. A guy with that kind of power can go back to the Senate and spend the next four, or eight, years pushing through legislation the Dem Base will love and the next time we need a Democratic nominee he can come in looking better than Al Gore did this year. Plus, would you risk it all attaching your political career to her coattails?
NonyNony
If we get into the position where there’s a 60 vote fillibuster proof Dem majority in Congress, those questions won’t be on the table because it’ll be a DEM President with the agenda.
The question you have to ask is – will there be enough conservative Dems who cross over and vote with Republicans to thwart whatever the next President wants to do.
The answer is probably yes. Sometimes that’ll be a good thing (a Dem president could never have gotten an abomination like USA PATRIOT through even a 60-vote, filibuster proof Congress in the first place – nor would they have even been in the position to try a naked power grab like that). Sometimes that’ll be a bad thing (reversing some of the crap that the Bushies have foisted on the public over the last 8 years is going to be tough – good health care reform and a realistic environmental/energy policy are both likely to be stymied by the conservative Dems and the obstruction-crazy Republicans). And there are a few places where it will be really bad (if the sitting Dem President came out strongly for some bad policy that benefitted a key GOP constituency/talking point – like telco immunity – there would be no way to stop it from getting passed).
But mostly it’ll be something that the Dem president has to deal with. What a fillibuster-proof majority would allow to happen is that the Congress would start to approach the functionality it’s supposed to have – the Republicans wouldn’t be able to just hold their breaths demand their way or nothing else – but negotiations between the conservatives and liberals in Congress would still happen – it would just be the conservative Dems that the other Dems would have to make concessions to, rather than trying to get the reactionary weirdos to come around.
The Populist
If Keyes is the VP for the right, the debates will be classic. I see Keyes as crazier than Stockdale!
The Populist
I’m calling my shot right here: Obama will NOT be Hilary’s VP should she win the Dem nomination.
No way, no how. She will pick Clark (who’s very close to the Clintons) or she will pick a southerner like Edwards.
DougJ
Yes, people move there to get away from the elite east coast enclaves, with their African bistros, Peruvian dance troupes, and Woody Allen movies…and find themselves in a hot bed of bestiality. Brooks has a new book “Life On Dog-Fucking Lane: Morality, Bestiality, and the New American Suburbs.”
Tony J
You know, from this side of Le Pond – where all the news we get about the ‘Race For The White House’ comes from an MSM either hopelessly right-wing, or resolutely unwilling to screw up their comfortable foreign assignments by contradicting the wisdom of their USMSM counterparts – I still can’t see how McCain – regardless of VP – can hope to win in 2008 on a GOP ticket.
He’s basically running as the war-hero who can ‘win the war’ in Iraq, based on the misconception that, a) he’s a smarter version of Bush, because, b) he called for Teh Surge long before the White House made it reality, and C) Teh Surge has made Iraq look winnable.
But in another Friedman Unit, Iraq is almost certain to have ‘enjoyed’ months of pre-Surge level violence simply because al-Sadr’s militia won’t be on ceasefire anymore. McCain’s entire platform will then blow up in his face like a teenager on the back-seat of his daddy’s car enjoying a prom-date promise come true.
What, in the real-world, is an electorate that shifted towards an “I’ll vote for anyone who will get us the f##k out of Iraq” paradigm back in 2006 going to think about that? Can even an MSM devoted to the fallacy that they can clear their collective conscience by making 2008 a re-run of 2000 (sans their ‘mistake’ over Bush) steer enough confused voters towards a guy who bases his candidature on staying in Iraq no matter what?
I still think that this is going to be a Democratic tsunami of a year. The only question remaining is who out of Clinton and Obama is going to be the person surfing that huge, destructive, but decisive wave?
Which explains why the contest is so bloody tooth-and-claw right now. Democrats are coming off of a two decade panic-attack where they had to follow the MSM line because the majority of the country didn’t take politics seriously enough to pay more attention than they absolutely had to. That’s changed, and I see a real appetite amongst American voters to make that change in their perception count for for something.
I don’t see how “Bomb, Bomb, Bomb, Bomb Bomb Iran! Just like Iraq! is going to work as a campaign slogan come November.
grandpa john
Well as a South Carolina resident, I am very willing to give him him Sanford and DeMint, Hell I will even throw in Graham as a bonus
DougJ
It goes without saying that this is a very dangerous trend for Democrats. Unless Democrats find a way to move from the identity politics of the 60s to the new anti-dog fucking politics, the dog-fucking areas will turn a deep shade of red.
The candidate who can find the right balance between old suburban concerns like health care and public schools and new ones like dog-fucking will be the candidate who wins in 2008. So far, McCain looks like that guy.
David Hunt
My personal nightmare VP canidate is Lieberman. This is because I don’t think that McCain has a chance in Hell of winning the general. The last eight years have ruined the Republican Party. The hard core Right-Wingers are already planning on how to get their next Annoited One elected in 2012. Who that AO is will be finalized sometime in late 2010, but I think the plan for the next four years is obstructionism and howling for the accountability that they’ve been avoiding for the entire Bush Presidency. I think they believe that they can cause enough damage to make the Democratic President weak enough to not be re-elected.
However, Lieberman as McCain’s running mate can do massive damage right now. If he’s running with McCain, won’t he either start caususing with the Republicans or just join the party, outright? Making Holy Joe McCain’s running mate hands the Senate over to the Republicans until next January. Once he’s made that switch, it’s not like he’s going to be able to go back. He’ll be there as long as he’s in the Senate (until he loses re-election in 2012). I shudder to thing about the amount of damage Bush could do with the Republicans in control of the Senate for the rest of his term and nothing at all left to lose.
On the Democratic Side, I’d love to see Chris Dodd offered the VP slot or some sort of prominent posistion in the next Administration. He would have been my choice to go all the way, so I’d love to see him running along side whoever ends up on top.
Conservatively Liberal
Man-on-dog sex is so east coast. Out west, it is horse-on-man sex (or horse-on-woman), unless you live in Montana. There it is man-on-sheep.
Them Montanans is baaaaaaaa-d to the bone. You know how they get the sheep to push back?
They face them towards the edge of a cliff.
DougJ
Nope, not true under Senate rules.
DougJ
It’s a time-honored technique…and one liberal elites simply can’t understand. It’s what binds the communities. Republicans get that. Democrats don’t.
Johnny Pez
You’re all missing one obvious veep candidate: Grandpa Fred.
All the different GOP factions like him, Saint John likes him, and he’s got the perfect personality to be VP.
DougJ
First rule of picking a running mate: never choose someone who smells better than you do. That rules Fred out.
Johnny Pez
I’m going to have to ask you to back up your implied assertion that Jimmy Carter smelled better than Walter Mondale.
TheFountainHead
First rule of picking a running mate: Never pick someone who looks more likely to fall asleep and never wake up than you do.
Hypatia
He would have been my choice, too. Sigh. I think he might be Obama’s veep but probably not Clinton’s – most likely she will choose Clark.
That scenario certainly makes the most sense, but the Dems do keep finding ways to shoot themselves in the feet. It’s like waiting for one of those season-ending interceptions by Brett Favre, if you’ll pardon the American football reference – you know it’ll happen, but how? and when?
You know, the campaign has not really been that bad. No Willie Hortons. No Lewinskys. People keep talking as if this is the nastiest ever, but I don’t see that at all. Not yet, anyway.
DougJ
That’s sometimes called the “Stockdale rule”.
jcricket
I love this scandal. Seriously, I love it. Nothing could be better than the FBI & Justice hammering the fund raising arm of the Republican party during there toughest election season in the last 30 years. That it will take money from swing-seats in deep jeopardy (Reichert I’m looking at you) is just gravy. hehehehehehehehe (rubs hands with glee)
With all that’s left to unfold from the 80-1000 other Republican scandals (Foley, Craig, Abramoff, Stevens, VT phone jamming, water boarding, justice department firings, Plame) we should have grist for the mill for years unless we totally drop the ball.
And while I think a “filibuster proof” Dem majority in the Senate is about 1% likely, a 58 seat majority is within “reason”, along with a much more significant House majority. The local/state results matter too. Having Democrats in majorities everywhere, and strengthening the majorities we have does so many good things I can’t even count them. About the only thing that could win us the 60 seats is Snow and Collins switching parties. And if Holy Joe becomes a Republican next time around he might not win his seat.
jcricket
The Dems need to figure out, right f*cking now, how to spin this extended primary contest as a good thing:
* Make it clear we’re all super energized, that both candidates are pulling in more votes than the Republican front-runner (i.e. we could run both of them and still beat you).
* Make it clear we’re deciding between “Super Duper and Super Duperest”
* And when there is a nominee, instantly get behind them and have the other person (if not selected as Veep) get some prominent role campaigning. Or make them Senate leader. Whatever.
Don’t let the media or Republicans frame it as “squabbling”
breadnbeer
Clinton would never do this but what if Obama chose Nader as his VP?
Or is that just ‘when monkeys fly out of my…’ crazy talk?
David Hunt
I’ll trust that you’re correct about that, as Senate rules are fairly arcane. I had just assumed that a switch in the vote tally would result in the world being turned upsidedown. However, even assuming that you’re correct about the rules I still stand by that statement 90%. I wouldn’t put it past the current GOP membership to simply re-write Senate rules to let them do this once they have a majority. They were threatening to do just that with their Nuclear Option back in 2005ish and the stakes weren’t half as high. At the time, I heard that the process of voting on those rules could not be filibustered, so they could simply make it happen it they really wanted to, once they got the votes.
Svensker
Yes.
SASQ.
myiq2xu
G-Dub learned one thing from his dad – pick a running mate who will act as impeachment insurance.
Jake
Oh God. That would be worth the horror just to watch the fRightHeads go boom as they tried to figure out if that were a good or bad thing.
curtadams
Obama is already not just the frontrunner, but the prohibitive favorite for the next open Dem nomination, if he loses this time. He’s raised more money than any other primary candidate in history. Coming from nowhere in a year, he’s basically gotten a draw with the pre-existing overwhelming favorite. He has tens of thousands of enthusiastic volunteers, beaucoup endorsements, and tremendous positive name recognition. Being VP would probably weaken him as he would lose with outsider cachet.
The only substantive knock against him is “not enough experience”. 8 years in the empty-suit job of VP will do nothing for that. 4 or 8 years as a leading Senator or 6 years as a governor, by contrast, would kill that objection. He has every reason to refuse the VP spot and pursue an independent course.
srv
You know, Zell Miller is only a couple years older than McCain. How about him as a VP?
jcricket
I dunno. If Hillary wins and is even a marginally successful President, she’ll win again in 4 years. And then presuming her VP choice isn’t a “Cheney”, that guy will be the “presumptive” front-runner. Obama would have a big hill to climb at that point, since it wouldn’t be as “open” of a field.
I’m not arguing he should take the VP spot, but I don’t think he’d have every reason to.
jcricket
last sentence should read: every reason to refuse…
Xanthippas
You should be shot for even suggesting such a thing. And while we’re at it, somebody shoot Zell Miller too, just to be on the safe side. And if you could wing Lieberman while you’re at it…
(Dislcaimer to NSA/Echelon: just joking fellas!)
KT
I don’t dispute your arguments but I think he’s more than aware of how important this election is. The country simply can’t afford another 4 to 8 years of Republican incompetence.
The next President must to be a Democrat. He knows that, so I could see him agreeing to it provided Hillary gave him a guarantee that he plays an important role in her administration, not just the light/ceremonial duties of a throw away VP like Quayle.
Zifnab
Dude, whatever. Al Gore was a very active VP, something the right liked to pillary him for. Dick Cheney was an even more active VP, something the right repeatedly lauded and praised him for.
Being VP isn’t just about breaking ties in the Senate. You’re the President’s right-hand man and in many cases the guy that needs to roll up his sleeves and do the dirty work while the President parades around in the spotlight. Eight years in the executive branch, twisting arms and balancing budgets and rubbing elbos with world leaders can’t possibly count against Obama’s experience.
Hillary/Obama would be a dream ticket for the next 8 years. If Hillary’s wonkishness and technocratic know-how can get us out of the Bush suck-fest (which I honestly think she is capable of), Obama would be a shoe-in for President in 2016. Assuming Hillary avoids any slap-in-the-face scandals that shock America more than eight years of getting Bush’d, Obama would waltz into office to an America in ovation. He’d be an absolute fool not to take the ticket. She’d be a fool not to offer it. At the end of the day, its a ticket I could absolutely vote for.
jcricket
Ditto. I know I’m one of the few Clinton fans (you read that right, fan) here, but a Clinton/Obama ticket would be awesome for a couple of reasons:
1) Hopefully would continue all the energy/enthusiasm built up by both sides during the primary battle into the general. Massive turnout would be nothing but good for Democrats.
2) As Zifnab points out, Obama would be an awesome VP, and assuming Hillary doesn’t f*ck it up, would virtually guarantee 16 years of Democrats in the WH.
Now, there are plenty of other combinations that accomplish #2 (Obama can pick from plenty of good running mates, as can Hillary). But #1 is hard to accomplish without them combining the ticket. Sure, each could “throw their full weight” behind the other and campaign heavily, but it would be hard for at least some of the supporters not to just want to go home and sulk.
Personally, I worry about this more if Hillary gets the nod than Obama (i.e. newly energized Obama-maniacs would go ‘waah, my favored candidate didn’t win, i knew i should never have bothered).
Again, I’m not saying this is any reason Hillary should get the nomination over Obama. Just that if she did, and Obama was the VP – it would f*cking rock.
KT
Mr Xanthippas? This is the NSA. Your threats are important to us. Please hold for the next available Guantanamo hospitality agent…
Ditch Digger
Am i missing something as to why George Allen never has his name tossed in as a potential VP? Sure, he couldn’t even get re-elected to the Senate thanks to an $800.00 camcorder and a depressed Repub. voter turnout in ’06, but the ‘macaca’ moment was a ‘hit job’ as far as the Right is concerned.
I think he would go a long way towards placating hate radio and the wingnuts to their opposition to a McCain ticket. It gives them an out to come crawling back in their new found support, and the fundies and racists love him.
Conservatively Liberal
An Obama/Whoever ticket is like a ham sandwich loaded with the works. Something you can sink your teeth into and enjoy. A Hillary/Obama ticket would be like the same ham sandwich but dropped in the middle of a pile of manure. It is still a damn good sandwich, but you could not pay me to take a bite of it.
The Other Andrew
I think people are overestimating the Dems’ chances. Logically, yes, people should be fed up with the GOP to the point where they’re ready to cast them off into the political wilderness for forty years–but McCain is already polling around 40%, and that’s with much of the GOP hating him and the media dividing its attention between two Dem candidates. If Hillary is nominated, you can bet that her hairdo will get more attention than McCain talking about how dangerous Iran is or how the economy will do just great once we’ve pulled the plug on “entitlement” programs. (Incidentally, though some have used McCain’s age to say that he’ll appeal to seniors, I think that mainstream seniors will turn against him, as he’ll be pushed to the far-right on the economy and the social safety net.)
I’ve noticed that the media is slowly reverting to its pre-9/11 form–lots of true crime and “happening right now” disasters, with only horse-race political stuff. And Iraq only gets a mention when a ton of people die at once, instead of a ton of people dying every week. I’m afraid McCain will coast to a victory while the media hyperfocuses on Hillary’s personality and ignores the herd of elephants in the room (the war, torture, the economy, competence, high-level Repub crime, etc.).
KT
Absolutely.
Current polls show Obama could beat McCain, but they also show that he wouldn’t get anything close to a mandate and a mandate is what we’ll need to get the country back on track.
Add the complementary skills of Clinton (the engineer) and Obama (the artist) to the sheer history of such a ticket and the republicans might as well run milk cartons. They would get crushed in the general.
The Other Steve
If McCain doesn’t pick Huckabee as his VP, I ain’t voting for him!
DougJ
Or at least challenged to a duel.
MJ
Tim Pawlenty or Haley Barbour are mentioned as possible VP picks and JC Watts is the likely pick if he is looking for a token.