It is not the job of the VP candidate to rally the base.
It is the job of the PRESIDENTIAL candidate to rally the base.
McCain was anathema to the base. Palin was a brilliant choice, but while she covered for McCain she did not solidify the base in a way that would extend further outward - that was his job, which he didn’t do. If it was Palin running for POTUS, she’d have won.
The “big tent” theory fails to recognize you have to get the base FIRST. Trying to look like a liberal doesn’t do any good when there is a viable liberal to choose instead.
“The “big tent” theory fails to recognize you have to get the base FIRST. Trying to look like a liberal doesn’t do any good when there is a viable liberal to choose instead.”
Are you implying that the Republican party “base” let us down again and handed Obama to us on a silver-tongued platter? Just like they handed control to the Dems? Wow, we sure taught the Republicans a lesson, didn’t we? At what cost? AN OBAMANATION! Don’t worry, I’m sure we’ll survive....maybe....probably not....but oh well...we can hoist our principles on our pinard.