Posted on 08/31/2008 5:23:53 AM PDT by reaganaut1
WASHINGTON — In the end, the choice of his running mate said more about Senator John McCain and his image of himself than it did about Sarah Palin, the little-known governor of Alaska whose selection has shaken up the presidential race.
For weeks, advisers close to the campaign said, Mr. McCain had wanted to name as his running mate his good friend Senator Joseph I. Lieberman of Connecticut, the Democrat turned independent. But by the end of last weekend, the outrage from Christian conservatives over the possibility that Mr. McCain would fill out the Republican ticket with Mr. Lieberman, a supporter of abortion rights, had become too intense to be ignored.
With time running out, and after a long meeting with his inner circle in Phoenix, Mr. McCain finally picked up the phone last Sunday and reached Ms. Palin at the Alaska State Fair. Although the campaign’s polling on Mr. McCain’s potential running mates was inconclusive on the selection of Ms. Palin — virtually no one had heard of her, a McCain adviser said — the governor, who opposes abortion, had glowing reviews from influential social conservatives.
Mr. McCain was comfortable with two others on his short list, Gov. Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota and former Gov. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts. But neither was the transformative, attention-grabbing choice Mr. McCain felt he needed, top campaign advisers said, to help him pivot from his image as the custodian of the status quo to a change agent like his Democratic rival, Senator Barack Obama.
Not least, Mr. Obama’s decision to pass over Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton as his running mate opened the possibility for Republicans to put a woman on the ticket and pick off some of Mrs. Clinton’s supporters.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
TRANSLATION...from TIMES to english: That jerk McCain didn’t pick the lib we were trying to goad him into selecting. Naturally such a selection would have alienated the conservative—er that is, radically Nazi base of the party—giving our Messiah a virtual cakewalk into the White House. Now, damnit, we’ll have to work overtime for the Obama campaign, continuing to bury his entire life history, attacking his critics and accusing all who question his experience or agenda of clearly racist motives. RATS!!
I wouldn’t trust the Times for the truth, but if, *IF* McCain’s advisors are talking, someone should tell them to shut their yaps.
This is intentional by some miffed McCain advisors whose advice was rejected.
You can also see why McCain was so smart to keep his choice a closely-guarded secret.
Do you not agree that Palin was a great choice?
Tactically, YES! However I doubt she, or anyone else as VP, would have much influence in a McCain administration.
I’m looking forward to 2012 now. President Palin. Has a nice ring to it.
the GOP had selected Palin as the VP candidate even before McCain had secured the nomination.
Impossible.
Being a conservative today ... in the Republican party .... is minority. Bad news when we have so many clamorinng for lie.ber.man .... Did we forget ... He was AlBores running mate. He is nothing BUT A LIBERAL. Has ALWAYS been a liberal and will always be a liberal.
We have Idiots running amok and have lost their way.
It’s why we are where we are with McLame
I will vote for Palin ... (not McLame)her conservative views are refreshing ..lets hope McLame and the beltway don’t wreck her. I don’t think they can change her stance.... that is what I am betting on.
Sounds to me like the Times is majorly disappointed that McCain didn’t pick Lieberman. It was the Dems and the media who were pushing Lieberman.
Do you really believe anything written in the NY Slimes?
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