A Very Forgettable Vice Presidential Nominee

Townhall.com ^ | September 21, 2008 | David R. Stokes

[Perdogg]

I cannot see how any honest democrat can question Plain after supporting Kerry-Edwards in 2004.

[mrs tiggywinkle]

bookmark for later read.

[goldstategop]

Given John McCain's age, a younger person on the ticket helped by easing the burden of spreading the message. Critics forget the Vice Presidency is the most political of all jobs. Under normal circumstances, few people pay attention to the bottom of the ticket. Consider the fate of the very forgettable Joe Biden. This is a weird election year, one of whose strange twists is that the generational dynamics of the tickets are reversed. Democratic young man at the top, old man at the bottom, GOP, old man at the top, young woman at the bottom. And to complicate it further, the young woman at the bottom of the GOP ticket has received far more attention than her running mate! Biden has not helped out his running mate much so in retrospect, it may have turned out to be one of Barack Obama's misjudgments that could have well sealed the difference between defeat and victory. And Sarah Palin's performance on the campaign trail has so far helped to make McCain truly competitive for the first time in this election. Its said vice presidential picks seldom determine the outcome of an election. This may be of those rare ones where they do.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus

[rhema]

She is a superb campaigner, compelling communicator, and charismatic crowd pleaser. If John McCain is elected, he will make sure that she is prepared to become president, should circumstances ever call for that.

And that, of course, explains the legions of liberals currently drowning in gallons of their own vitriol: "Congrats, Dems, the smears and sneers are working — in Palin's favor"

[bossmechanic]

We all know that gender and race plays a part in the way some folks will vote. OK - fine
I speak for myself in saying it makes no difference to me what color or gender, race or religion is involved here.
On qualities of candidates, McCain/Palin are vastly superior to the alternative.
And I must be a mind-numb robot or simply stupid cause 48% some odd percent think differently.
Someone tell me how such a large percentage of good folks will actively support a fraud, rooted in Marxism, schooled in anacacism, and settled in socialism.
And the opponents are a certifiable war hero and a self-made stand alone female competent conservative activist.
I just can’t get my brain around this disconnect.
thanks....

[jmaroneps37]

If abortion joe gives a speech in a forest of democrats but there is no ratmedia on hand to ignore his plagiarizing, did his lips make a sound?

[BuffaloJack]

VPs in Democrat administrations are normally shuffled off to obscurity.
VPs in Republican administrations notmally play a significant part in the administration of the country. Cheney is probably the best example.

[stuartcr]

I think that our modern mass communications coverage, brings the VP position to it’s current forefront, which just did not exist in the past. There simply was not the need for, the time for, nor the money to make the VP position very prominent...besides, it has really helped McCain.

[NewLand]

But how does she compare to others who have sought the nation’s number two job since World War II?

How about comparing her experience and qualifications to a few people who have been elected PRESIDENT, not VP.

* Franklin Roosevelt - first term Governor, cabinet appointee (Asst Sec of Navy), 1 term State Senator.

* Woodrow Wilson - first term governor (served 2 years total), college President.

* Grover Cleveland - first term Governor (served 2 years total)

This entire issue is a red herring. A farce. And why?

Two reasons:

1) Because the Dem/MSM smear machine was not prepared in advance with their standard meal of anger and hate mongering to dish out to the sheeple, and had to do their "homework" in full public view.

2) Her choice will be the difference in gaining victory for McCain, and they know it.

This is not a complicated story...

[Graybeard58]

the best of the lot have been good team players, hard campaigners, and politicians who understood that it wasn’t about them. They balanced, complimented, and did their best to help the person in the top spot to win.

I noticed in the interview with Hannity that Palin managed to bring in John McCain's name to many of the questions and I knew then that she doesn't see this election as all about her. It added a lot to her stature for me.

[kabar]

The author seems to ignore the fact that Palin is the first female VP ever nominated by the Rep party. It is historic and won’t be forgotten, win or lose.

[allmendream]

The modern Vice Presidency, as I see it, has five job; only one of them involving exercising any Constitutional power, and then only provisionally.

1) Regional or ideological appeal for the election.
2) Attack dog, ideological spokesman for the party.
3) Presumed front-runner in next open POTUS nomination.
4) Pet project or organizational role in the administration.
5) Vote tiebreaker in the Senate. Serve in case of President's death or removal from office.

Even VPOTUS Dick Cheney was only a 4/5, being taken on as a mentor rather than successor by POTUS G.W. Bush. Sarah Palin is 5/5.

1) She shored up the base
2) She serves up red meat nice and hot for the partisans, got Obambi off his game, and had McCain going “tut tut” above the fray.
3) When she runs in 2012 or 2016 it will be amazing; THIS is why the base loves her,not for what she will do as VPOTUS, but what her being given the nod means in the future.
4) Disabled children is a good pet cause, and the woman is a dynamo, considering the concern she raised (wth does the VP do?) I imagine McCain has a role mapped out for her in his administration.
5) Might be a tie Senate, I trust Palin’s vote more than any sitting Senator. If she had to serve she would run as an incumbent in 2012 or 2016 and John McCain would leave with a smile knowing he had once again done his duty and served us well.

She is the real deal people (singing to the choir).

[Oatka]

Years ago there was an obituary about a prominent man. Part of said, “He had two sons. One went to sea and one became the Vice President of the U.S. Neither was ever heard from again.”

I think we’ll hear a lot of Gov. Palin, VP or not.

[carjic]

anacacism
Never heard of this word.

[Senator Goldwater]

I cannot see how any honest democrat can question Plain after supporting Kerry-Edwards in 2004.

---

Isn’t that the truth?

[auboy]

I would argue that no job in politics more ill prepares a person to be president or vp than that of senator (the argumentative branch of government).

[Joe 6-pack]

"I would argue that no job in politics more ill prepares a person to be president or vp than that of senator (the argumentative branch of government)."

Senator is probably the second worst prepatory position, the first being, "Community Organizer."

[auboy]

Or, as Rush refers to it, street agitator.

[snugs]

Unfortunately it seems many on this board want a President to be argumentative hence some of the criticism of the current President who IMHO takes his head of State position very seriously and considers a food fight not to be his job. The only time he has mixed during his Presidency was the campaign of 2004 which he would consider the sport of campaigning and what is expected.

He trusted and expected his foot soldiers to defend him and his administration and it is them that have let him not the other way round.