Posted on 08/19/2008 12:31:41 PM PDT by LdSentinal
As speculation grows around who John McCain will select as his vice presidential running mate next week, Republican National Committee officials said Tuesday that McCain is no longer considering former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge.
Several sources at the RNC told FOX News that in the last 36 hours, senior McCain advisers and aides have told RNC officials that McCain “got the message” last week that choosing a running mate who supports abortion rights would not be helpful.
GOP pundits had been vocal in urging the presumptive presidential nominee not to pick a running mate who supports abortion rights. Ridge, the first homeland security secretary, was said to be on McCain’s short list, and the only candidate who explicitly supports abortion rights.
The National Review reported Monday that the McCain campaign has been calling key state Republican officials around the country in recent days to weigh the consequences of picking a candidate who backs abortion rights. The conservative magazine interpreted that as a sign that the McCain campaign is seriously considering Ridge or another abortion rights defender.
“I think it’s a hard sell and I don’t see much upside to Tom Ridge except for John McCain likes him a lot,” National Review Editor Rich Lowry told Fox News Tuesday.
“I don’t think he’s going to be a big benefit in Pennsylvania and even if he is, I think the downside is the rest of the country among conservatives are going to be upset about this, just at the moment they’re beginning to work up being excited about John McCain. ”
Conservative commentator David Limbaugh went even further Tuesday, labeling a McCain-Ridge ticket “political suicide.”
(Excerpt) Read more at elections.foxnews.com ...
See my Post #219 below. It’s coming from the McCain camp.
Lieberman would be a terrible disaster.
That McCain is even letting people talk about this shows why I think he is too nuts to be President, if only it weren’t that a Marxist is the alternative...
Tell me about it...I’ve been hysterical all day. Many of us called McCain’s office today.
Wait a minute. Is it the last 36 hours, i.e, just early Monday...or was it "last week" he "got the message"?
Anyways, he seems to have a harder and harder time "getting the message" than ever.
He still hasn't got it right about AMNESTY FOR ILLEGALs, as one example.
Don't just take my word for it, here's a quote from McCain from the recent meeting of the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (link):
[He told them that] fixing U.S. immigration policy would be a priority — even as he acknowledged it's not popular with some members of his own party. "It'll be my top priority yesterday, today and tomorrow," McCain said.
Sigh.
That would be typical RINO-think which has been disproved time and again.
But Mr. Maverick is a bit more perverse than that. He could actually be throwing the whole deal to Obama.
Uh, actually it's McCain's bloody STAFF doing the flying of balloons. And that is not from the MSM...but the National Review's Rich Lowry.
We are talking about MEG Whitman, not Christie Todd Whitman.
But, it did not reject Sen. Joe and he too is pro abort and especially on partial birth. If John picks him by being CUTE, he loses just as big time. McCain should come out and say, I am prolife and will pick a lifer for VP who can be Prez and CIC. No dalliances then and Joe can be Sec. of State if John wins.
So, we would get some relaxation of ban on offshore drilling for 4 States (not for ANWR) but with “high hurdles”, like okay by the State legislatures and tough regulations...
Hmm, it’s a tough call. Is this our last realistic chance to get something rather than nothing, considering the 2009 Congress will be even more Dem, or is this undercutting too much a good Republican issue that may win us the Presidency for a man who is against ANWR drilling and believes in global warming?
Is this decision above our pay grade? LOL!
For all we complained about the Gang of 12, they did get Roberts and Alito confirmed. I am not ready to condemn Thune yet but I am no fan of Lindsey Graham now.
Because he is too principled a conservative to be selected by McCain. Not because he would detract from the ticket.
That supposedly impossible choice would be about the only thing that would allow me to vote for McCain without serious trepidation.
How about channeling Ronald Reagan and running him?
There’s a point at which you have to stop crying that you didn’t get the moon and look back at the earth.
“How about we hint WALTER WILLIAMS for VP”
Oh, I know, every time I hear the black - oops - the dim party braying about how racist it would be to NOT vote for bambi, I think why, did you waste your first serious candidate on the former acorn organizer when the first black candidate could have been someone like WW?
I like Sarah too, from what I know of her so far.
I just had a weird thought. If McCain chooses Palin, it could be Sarah vs. Hillary in four years.
And that would just redouble our dissatisfaction with McCain...so that is not a particularly good suggestion if you are trying to rally people to him.
ROTFLMFAO!
Touche’!
I lived in PA when she was governor of Jersey. I liked her except for her being pro-death, which negates all else.
But doesn't the VP preside over the Senate ? ANd there's a good chance she could end up being President, given McCain's age, and very likely to run for the next term. She just doesn't seem experienced enough for what might be in store for the VP this time. I know she's been governor, but still.
You may have brought yourself up to date by now, but this is NOT Christine Todd Whitman. It's Meg Whitman, former CEO of EBay, who's name is being bandied about as a possible running mate.
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