Try to keep this clean. I realize this is a liberal board but I don't really have anybody else to discuss this with. I'm sure we can discuss a matter like this without name-calling and derailing. Since this election appears to be all but over I like to consider all the "What ifs?". What if McCain picked somebody different? Do you think this election would be any closer? Who would you have picked if you were him? I realize the rationale behind picking Palin but it seems her appeal is wearing off. It seems for as much good as she's brought in there's been plenty of bad. The thing that gets me is just how painfully obvious it is that she's unqualified and NOBODY else in McCain's position would have picked her. That has to say something. For me, I still think Romney would have been his best choice. He would have given McCain instant economic credibility and insight. Not only that but he's strong on defense and most other pertinent areas that McCain is. I think Romney being on the McCain ticket could have changed the landscape of this election including the possibly of delivering Michigan, Nevada, Colorado, Maine and other states where he's popular. Sure, there's much more to winning an election than just picking the right VP candidate. All i'm saying is with Romney on the ticket, the recent economic collapse that made McCain look bad and allowed Obama to pull ahead might have been neutralized with an economic expert at the head of the ticket. What do you guys think?
Bloomberg. He gets economic expertise and a ton of Independent voters. It also helps him in Blue states like NY, NJ, CT, CA.
Tom Ridge, or Kay Baily Hutchison. They may not have excited the base, but they wouldn't have turned off the indpendents and moderates the way Palin has. The base wasn't going to vote for Obama, but there was always a chance that his broad centrist appeal might capture large numbers of independents and moderates. Ridge or Hutchison probably would have prevented Obama from winning such huge numbers of those groups.
But a source close to the mayor informs me that the topic of McCain’s V.P. search was very much on the menu. One of the participants, in fact, came away from the conversation under the distinct impression that Bloomberg is on McCain’s short list. http://nymag.com/news/politics/powergrid/47200/ Both camps wanted Bloomberg for his ability to use his own money to finance a campaign and garner all those Independent votes. Ultimately, I think he's eyeing his own Presidential bid in 2012.
If he wanted a female, he should have gone with Kay. If he wanted a person of color, he should have picked Jindal. If he wanted the best candidate for the position, he should have zoned in on Romney.
i think the question needs to be, who should have been the republican party's nominee? though, it's not likely anyone could haven beaten the obama wave.
No particular order: Mitt Romney Mike Huckabee Michael Bloomberg (could've helped McCain in the economy category) Michelle Bachmann (weighty resume, intelligent) Lisa Murkowski (Another Alaskan woman) Lindsey Graham (one of his ardent supporters in both elections, 2000 and 2008)
my thoughts exactly, although I do believe Obama could have been easily beaten, given the right candidate and campaign.
Kay Bailey would have gotten some of those Hillary voters, that is whom I think he should have picked. DD
G Gordon Liddy He picked up a thing or two on hacking into campaign mainframes I would've liked Bloomberg. The financial crisis would've made cons apolitical to the A-word.
McCain wasn't going to win with any of the conventional picks (Romney, Huckabee, Pawlenty, Ridge, etc). There were and are too many structural advantages Obama has in terms of enthusiasm and campaign infrastructure (neither of which get reflected in poll numbers), as well as the electoral college map that weren't going to let McCain win using any sort of traditional GOP strategy. He needed something bold/different/game-changing. Palin had the potential to be that, had she been competent. But all the stuff about Huckabee bringing the base or Romney helping with economics is irrelevant - they weren't going to help McCain run away from the Republican Party, which was his only chance. Palin was unique in that she energized the base while also appealing to the middle (until people learned more about her). He needed to find a competent Palin and it could have made an impact. I'm not sure who that might be. I don't blame McCain one bit for trying the Palin route.
No. He's not a Republican and he would never be a VP either. The guy wants to be the boss...not a follower.
Romney. I know people would worry about picking him because he's a Mormon, but you wouldn't hear that from the Dems. Not saying the Dems are classy, but they haven't stooped so low to insult a person's religious beliefs the way Republicans have this election. I think his religious background wouldn't have been an issue, unless it was from the Republicans own party. I can't stand Romney. He basically was a compulsive liar and flip flopper during his campaign. He'd have fit right in with McCain. I think at the very least, Republicans would have had their best chance keep dedicated voters from their own party, and avoid all the division. Bush didn't win the election by winning independents. He won by keeping his dedicated voters on his side and won the red states he needed.
