Posted on 07/28/2008 4:48:25 PM PDT by Free ThinkerNY
Announcement coming “very soon.” Geraghty notes that Pawlenty’s still scheduled to give a routine speech on Wednesday, but TNR noted over the weekend that he’s already pulled out of one event and his plans for this week are suddenly and suspiciously hazy. See this recent item from Marc Ambinder, too, passing along a rumor that McCain was planning to meet with his inner circle about VP yesterday. And then of course there’s that CNN item claiming an attendee at a fundraiser heard McCain say conservatives are “really going to like” Pawlenty. Put it all together and today’s scurrilous veep du jour meme seems a tad less scurrilous than usual.
Here’s a bullet-point argument, again from TNR, about why Pawlenty is a “slam dunk” pick. His working-class pedigree is all to the good, but between the lack of name recognition and the “boring old Republican white guy” effect, I’m underwhelmed. He doesn’t even have serious religious cred to reassure antsy evangelicals. Let’s hope the report’s wrong, although given the general savviness of McCain’s campaign these days, it probably isn’t.
Update (Ed): Well, I live in Pawlenty’s state and have met him on a couple of occasions, and this pick would not make me too glum at all. Pawlenty has a good center-right track record, especially on holding the line on taxes with a hostile Legislature. He demonstrated real leadership during the bridge collapse and its aftermath, keeping the gas-tax-increase advocates at bay and convincing the rest of the state to ignore them. He’s also pro-life, and a humble but telegenic man who will inject a little vigor into the campaign.
(Excerpt) Read more at hotair.com ...
The part of your argument that really resonates with me is not to give up the tactical advantage by announcing first. There’s no reason not to wait until the convention or a day or two before.
Pawlenty isn’t bad, but I greatly prefer Sanford, Jindal, Sen. John Thune, Gov. Palin, and Rob Portman.
Today I heard Sean Hannity say that Senator McCain was going to see his FRIEND, Charlie Crist.
I hope he doesn’t pick Gov. Crist for VP.
I like the way you think...I think...((;O)
Agreed. And he has the political skills to broaden the appeal.
Pawlenty is unfamiliar to most people, he would be standing there, rather like Quayle, an unknown being defined by the unfriendly media. McCain needs someone who already has recognition.
Romney's not my brand but he would definitely help the ticket.
Pawlenty?!?
Well, that has all the excitement of a mashed potato sandwich.
I disagree. If he is going to pick a minority like Jindal, or a woman like Palin, then I think it makes better sense to announce it soon to get people talking about it, steal some of the nonstop 24/7 coverage of Obama in the media, and generate some excitement in the lead up to the conventions.
I would agree with waiting right up until the convention if McCain had been running anything resembling an effective campaign, but he has been virtually invisible to this point. Announcing now, under the conditions I just stated above, would give this "campaign" some very sorely needed positive attention.
It will still be fun to see so-called "Conservatives" here on FR wiggle and wrangle and rationalize seven ways to Sunday on how we still ought to vote for Scarface and how we should fear the big bad wolf Osama. Wooooooo! Scaaaaary!
With a RINO-RINO 2008 combi, we can start rebuilding the Conservative Movement and throwing this shill of a RINO into the trash heap of American political history where he belongs.
As it is, Obama is absolutely going to clean McCain's clock, Bob Dole style, Big Time.
I am already set on 2012, and at least the midterms of 2010 where President Obama can be rendered a lame duck by a massive grassroots conservative, Reagan-style revolution from the Right.
I was in the Republican Party in MA when Mitt was governor and I went from excited to jaded about his administration, and I do think that his overambitious, will do or say anything for a vote image is unfortunately earned. I also think he’s a real problem for the evangelical vote, whereas Pawlenty I believe is a Baptist. But I agree that Mitt is very bright and talented with loads of good, real-world experience. If I were from MN, I’d probably know enough to be rolling my eyes!
I just hope this is weak trial-ballooning and McCain won’t suffer from premature running mate selection!
I take it back about H&C. Susan Estrich is on there.
I think the Palin pick could work, I really do. But I’d want Obama committed to someone dull like Tim Kaine first, before rolling her out.
This is not a zero-sum game.
Gov. Palin is Sen.McCain’s biggest opportunity to win.
If he wants to win.
10 million women will crossover and oil from Alaska
will stoke the imagination of another 60 million Americans
on the edge.
If he wants to win.
Acceptable points, however - two things - I am in Texas, a state McCain will win by 8-12 points, so it doesn’t matter so much. And second, without a calming influence on McCain, he will bow to the AGW movement. I’d rather have Palin, Romney, or Thompson.
I see where you are coming from. But McCain has been almost nonexistant in this campaign to this point. I say that for once in this campaign that he needs to take the initiative and actually do something big without waiting for a cue from Obama. His campaign thus far has been nonexistant and if it continues this way until the convention it may very well be too late to generate any excitement.
AGW - anthropogenic global warming - ie. global warming being caused by human activity. The whole point of the Marxist EnviroLeninists is to suppress capitalism and industry. I know McCain seems to be a believer and Pawlenty is also. Living in Texas, Carbon Cap and Trade would decimate our economy. And directly impact the company I work for. Sorry, greater good may be to defeat the Obamaniac, but I have to think of my family’s welfare. A company shutdown and unemployed as a petroleum chemist is not a future I want. If we are going to go down that road anyway, better Obama be driving that train than someone from the GOP. I am sick of the GOP demanding money to support this mediocrity. Hell, even Ensign from NV, our chair in charge of electing GOP senators says we’ll be having a good year if we only lose 3-4 seats. That sort of attitude we don’t need.
To those all over the birth certificate thing: don’t you think if it had any ring of truth that Hillary would’ve used it? And besides, McCain even shoots down talk radio hosts who dare use Obama’s middle name! Someone tell me why I need to support that guy - McCain. Got burned in 96 by Dole working my butt off on his pathetic campaign. Never again.
Untrue. It had pass an inspection I believe between 2 and 4 year prior to the collapse.
The real issue is the mindless worship of forcing mass transportation down our throats here that unfortunately “The Body” got our state going on and the Dems have pushed over and over again...
Hmmm, let me see if I got this right; a “center-right” Republican from a blue state. That makes sense
Who?
wrong.
inspections had noted problems dating back to 1990.
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