Posted on 08/03/2008 12:24:19 PM PDT by WilliamReading
McCain might not have a litmus test but the base of the party does. The fastest way to keep religious voters home is to put a pro-abort on the ticket.
For every vote that Ridge loses for being on the ticket, he can easily get 2 or 3 pro-choice voters.
I doubt it would be that high. If people are pro-choice they’d probably vote for Obama in the overwhelming majority of cases, all a pro-abort on the ticket would do is fracture McCain’s already shakey base.
... and move the party that much more to the Left, the new home of the Democrat-lite party.
I have a Litmus test.
Well, screw you Ridge. He’s off the Veep list. McCain may be puzzling at times, but he isn’t that stupid to put Ridge on the ticket.
McCain will have a Senate with a Democratic majority throughout his first term. Therefor, he will not have the political capital to go with a Strong Pro Life Justice.
That may be true but McCain is also in his 70s, how secure do you think the base would feel with a pro-abort waiting in the wings?
Mr Crayon thinks he’s got a shot. How amusing . . . unless he’s right.
Not really true in the Northeast. Nonetheless, I don't see Ridge picking up a lot of pro-choice voters who would otherwise vote for Obama, since the VP's position on the issue usually has very little impact.
I certainly hope not. When he has to work with Dim majorities, he proposes Dim legislation. We'll have McCain-Reid and McCain-Pelosi to go with the rest of the trash.
he will not have the political capital to go with a Strong Pro Life Justice
Even Clarence Thomas was confirmed by a Democratic Senate.
I have seen Tom Ridge run in Pennsylvania, a strong pro-life state. He lost a few votes from the Pro-life side, to be sure, but he always made them up, on the pro-choice side.
He has never lost an election . .
He doesn't have to have a strong "Pro Life" Justice. In fact, the less said about "Pro Life", the better.
All you need to overturn Roe v. Wade are strong "Constructionist" Justices that believe that the Constitution should say what it means and mean what it says.
Agreed about the Northeast, a truly nasty and hostile part of the country towards traditionally minded folks. (I should know I was born and raised there) However many so called Republicans in the Northeast govern as Democrat-lites on the social issues and on some fiscal issues.
That maybe true for PA but it is not necessarily true for a national campaign. A pro-abort on a McCain ticket would be a recipe for disaster.
It appears that is the plan.
I agree. McCain won’t pick Ridge for VP, no matter how close they are. He might get a cabinet post, though.
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