Who SHOULD be McCain's running mate??

[JKersting]

I say right now, it should NOT be anyone who ran for President in 2008. Period.

Need someone fresh and different for the campaign. Since I am NOT a Republican, I have no voice in the process. I can only hope to influence the thinking.

So, give me your names, I will add a poll and give you some of mine.

[Jeffreydan]

Hey Jay, long time no post!

I personally think Duncan Hunter would be a good running mate, but it could hurt his chances of ever being a POTUS candidate.

Plus, DH is a conservative, while JM is most certainly not.

Good to see ya again.

[MrSinatra]

huckabee

[DemPlans]

Rush Limbaugh.

Seriously.

What a way to energize the conservative base and deflect Rush's own commentary. I'm serious...it'd be a gutsy move from an admitted Maverick.

[JKersting]

I am amazed at what I am reading here so far. No one sees that picking another candidate is a losing proposition for the GOP.

Really?

Mike Huckabee lacks the national appeal and chosing him would come across as pandering.

Duncan Hunter has no following.

Ron Paul has money, that is IT.

Rush Limbaugh...right. He has a rabid following for his radio show. And for good reason. It is a very well produced and ENTERTAINING show. Many hardcore liberals that I know and have known tell me exactly that. But, he has way too many flaws (and skeletons) and would only work if the goal is to sink our nation.

The bottom line here folks is this. I am an independent. I believe that most people in their hearts (60% of the voting population) are true independents.

If the GOP wants to win, they need to get back the "Reagan Democrats" and you don't do that by giving people Dole-Kemp again. Choosing ANY of the Class of '08 candidates is doing just that.

In other words, think outside the box. Seems that no one does that in politics any more. AND THAT IS A PROBLEM!!

[JKersting]

By the way, have any of you even looked at who Sarah Palin is???

Seriously, take a look at her. Her record, her popularity, her family, her appearance (which shouldn't be a factor, but is).

I don't know much, but I think she is a very INTERESTING possibility. Too bad she does not have a large base to pull behind her.

[DemPlans]

I am amazed at what I am reading here so far. No one sees that picking another candidate is a losing proposition for the GOP.

Really?

Really indeed. I offered not only someone who isn't a candidate but someone who has NEVER been a candidate...

Rush Limbaugh...right.

And seconds later, you contradict yourself and acknowledge he was mentioned!

He has a rabid following for his radio show. And for good reason. It is a very well produced and ENTERTAINING show. Many hardcore liberals that I know and have known tell me exactly that. But, he has way too many flaws (and skeletons) and would only work if the goal is to sink our nation.

The bottom line here folks is this. I am an independent. I believe that most people in their hearts (60% of the voting population) are true independents.

If the GOP wants to win, they need to get back the "Reagan Democrats" and you don't do that by giving people Dole-Kemp again. Choosing ANY of the Class of '08 candidates is doing just that.

Google "Obama Republicans" or "Obamacans". If Obama is the nominee, the GOP needs to pull hard right and get the Limbaugh/Hannity audience as the independents and persuadable Republicans (not to mention Democrats) will have their choice in Obama. Trying to get McCain Democrats might only work if Hillary is the nominee, speaking personally as one Dem who has a more favorable view of McCain than Hillary.

In other words, think outside the box. Seems that no one does that in politics any more. AND THAT IS A PROBLEM!!

Personally, I thought Rush was a pretty out-of-the-box suggestion.

[pubjohn47]

I say right now, it should NOT be anyone who ran for President in 2008. Period.

Need someone fresh and different for the campaign. Since I am NOT a Republican, I have no voice in the process. I can only hope to influence the thinking.

So, give me your names, I will add a poll and give you some of mine.

see why Ron Paul should be McCain's running mate at :

http://www.bernardgoldberg.com/phpBB2/v ... hp?t=14254

[WeaponOfMassInstruction]

Ron Paul isn't the answer.

What does he bring to the table? 5% support in the polls among Republicans nationally (although for some reason North Dakotans really loved him)? That's not even a pimple on the a**-end of the political posterior.

In a serious response to your questions, J- I'm not so sure that it really matters who McCain picks as his Veep. The only person who can unite the Republicans is Hillary Clinton.

On the issues that matter- save one- there really isn't a dime's worth of difference between McCain and Clinton. The best Conservatives can hope for is that the Democrats nominate Hillary and enough Conservatives turn out not so much to support McCain but to vote for true Conservatives for state and national House and Senate positions- even if they leave the vote for President box unchecked.

[dick_fitts]

J.C. Watts or Lynn Swann are the only way McCain has any real shot at winning the White House for the GOP. I guarantee that.

I have lived in Mike Huckabee country since he first became governor of Arkansas amid the scandal-ridden administration of prior Ark. Governor Jim Guy Tucker, one of the Clintons' cronies. Huck's regressive Populist stance with regard to economic issues may look so idiosyncratically warm and fuzzy to the media; but they're going to have a field day making him his own worst enemy because of some of the things he said while he was governor of Arkansas, trust me. The media are setting up the GOP, bigtime.

On the other side of the spectrum, there's a reason why we keep hearing the main theme of the Obama campaign -- change -- so much. Everything about the rhetoric of Dems -- and because of Obama, the image of the Democratic Party itself -- suggests they actually plan to bring that. And with inspiration, to boot.

McCain with Huckabee as a veep, bringing change?!? Mike Huckabee?!?!?!? What an absolute joke. Does anybody here honestly think he can inspire anyone to do anything but adopt his personal weight loss plan (that idea of Huck's actually worked, btw)?!? And how many voters in the 20- to mid-30-something age bracket do you think will be attracted to a McCain/ Huckabee ticket? (Hint: Not many.)

There is no way in hell Huckabee's message (does he even have one of those, btw?!?) will resonate with anybody outside of the South. He will make the GOP into a complete laughingstock, mark my word on that.

I will not stop saying this until the day the next president takes the Oath of Office in early 2009: THERE IS NO WAY THE GOP CAN WIN THE WHITE HOUSE UNLESS IT HAS A STRONG MINORITY CANDIDATE BACKING UP McCAIN AS HIS VEEP!!!

McCain/ Huckabee going against the likes of Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton -- or worse for the GOP, BOTH of them as a "dream team"? McCain and Huckabee?!?

Excuse me. I think I'm going to throw up.

[dick_fitts]

If the GOP wants to win, they need to get back the "Reagan Democrats" and you don't do that by giving people Dole-Kemp again. Choosing ANY of the Class of '08 candidates is doing just that.

In other words, think outside the box. Seems that no one does that in politics any more. AND THAT IS A PROBLEM!!

Without a doubt, the smartest poster I have seen on the GOP side of the aisle in my thus far short stint here at the Golblog.

Thank you for trying to teach them, Kersting.

[JKersting]

I am amazed at what I am reading here so far. No one sees that picking another candidate is a losing proposition for the GOP.

Really?

Really indeed. I offered not only someone who isn't a candidate but someone who has NEVER been a candidate...

Rush Limbaugh...right.

And seconds later, you contradict yourself and acknowledge he was mentioned!

He has a rabid following for his radio show. And for good reason. It is a very well produced and ENTERTAINING show. Many hardcore liberals that I know and have known tell me exactly that. But, he has way too many flaws (and skeletons) and would only work if the goal is to sink our nation.

The bottom line here folks is this. I am an independent. I believe that most people in their hearts (60% of the voting population) are true independents.

If the GOP wants to win, they need to get back the "Reagan Democrats" and you don't do that by giving people Dole-Kemp again. Choosing ANY of the Class of '08 candidates is doing just that.

Google "Obama Republicans" or "Obamacans". If Obama is the nominee, the GOP needs to pull hard right and get the Limbaugh/Hannity audience as the independents and persuadable Republicans (not to mention Democrats) will have their choice in Obama. Trying to get McCain Democrats might only work if Hillary is the nominee, speaking personally as one Dem who has a more favorable view of McCain than Hillary.

In other words, think outside the box. Seems that no one does that in politics any more. AND THAT IS A PROBLEM!!

Personally, I thought Rush was a pretty out-of-the-box suggestion.

Sorry, but I said NO ONE because it was obvious that you were not serious.

Or if you were, then your problems must be the same as his with prescription medication.

I was entertaining serious inquiries.

Give me some serious ones and I would add them to the poll....but I can't.

Lynn Swann is a good one. Lost the Gubernatorial race in PA, but still strong name recognition, is a USC Trojan and appeared in "The Waterboy"...hell, I'd consider him.

[Jim Rutledge]

I say right now, it should NOT be anyone who ran for President in 2008. Period.

Need someone fresh and different for the campaign. Since I am NOT a Republican, I have no voice in the process. I can only hope to influence the thinking.
So, give me your names, I will add a poll and give you some of mine.

Definitely not Matt Blunt. He lives four blocks from me. He shops at the local supermart, where my son on occasion checks & bags his groceries. He is an absolute empty suit, there only by his name and family.

Jim Rutledge

[JKersting]

I say right now, it should NOT be anyone who ran for President in 2008. Period.

Need someone fresh and different for the campaign. Since I am NOT a Republican, I have no voice in the process. I can only hope to influence the thinking.
So, give me your names, I will add a poll and give you some of mine.

Definitely not Matt Blunt. He lives four blocks from me. He shops at the local supermart, where my son on occasion checks & bags his groceries. He is an absolute empty suit, there only by his name and family.

Jim Rutledge

I live in Jefferson City. I cast the first vote in this poll. How do you think I feel?

[Jim Rutledge]

I live in Jefferson City. I cast the first vote in this poll. How do you think I feel?

J, On a personal note, tell me again when, and on what part of the dial, I can hear you.

Jim Rutlege