Saturday, August 23, 2008

McCain's VP Choices: MUCH Better Than Biden

Senator Joe Biden is not distinguished.  If he were distinguished, he would have been able to get above the 5% level running for President.  He is just a long serving senator, sort of like Larry Craig on the Republican side, or any number of other Democratic and Republican Snators with no special distinction other than long service representing a "safe" state (for the continued re-election of that Senator).  Joe Biden, and Senators like him, are consummate Washington insiders--partisan and personally ambitious, but without the kind of qualities to make a serious run for the Presidency on their own.  Biden, and Senators like him, have no executive or business experience.  They are creatures of Washington, who know nothing but government (whether Biden "goes home" to his Delaware home every night or not--merely because his "home" is close enough to do that).  Once Obama stiffed Hillary Clinton, look how much BETTER than Joe Biden McCain's choices look:
 
1.  Mitt Romney:  Romney was not a FAILURE as a Presidential candidate, like Joe Biden.  He got a little unlucky (albeit he showed an inability to close the doel).  Mike Huckabee ambushed Romney in Iowa, or he would now be the nominee.  Then Huckabee kept splitting the conservative vote, and conservatives (including Limbaugh, Hannity, et. al.) did not mobilize behind Romney until it was TOO LATE.  A relatively few votes in Florda, and it still could have been Romney.  Romney beat Giulliani (the pre-primary faovorite).  He beat Fred Thompson.  He really beat Huckablee.  McCain just slipped through to edge him out before the conservatives realized that Romney was their only choice.  Romney has a number of assets to bring to McCain that Biden does not bring to Obama.  Romney is an EXPERT on economic matters.  He built a succesful business from scratch.  Romney SAVED the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City--basically single handedly.  Romney has EXECUTIVE EXPERIENCE as governor of Massachusetts.  He has an impeccable personal life.  Biden gets help from the mainstream media suggesting that he is a Catholic with a great family life (which he may well have).  However, Biden is not a very GOOD Catholic, is he?  He is pro-abortion.  Romey and McCain are both pro-life.  The mainstream media actually ASKED Romeny about premarital sex, on the theory that he would be a hypocrite if he engaged in premarital sex, despite the Mormon Church strong position.  What kind of hypocrite is Biden, to profess to be a Catholic and still be pro-abortion?  The mainstream media never puts it that way, fo course, but there is no reason for pro-life Catholics to vote for an Obama-Biden ticket---the most fanatically pro-abortion ticket ever to run for President/VP of the United States.  Nope.  Romney brings more to McCain than Biden brings to Obama, including the covering the "weakness" on the economy that McCain is supposed to have.  McCain has no need for help in the foreign policy area.  Biden's pick indicates that Obama recognizes OBAMA's weakness in both experience and foreign policy. That admission alone could end up fatal to Obama.  I MIGHT vote for a McCain-Romney ticket, depending on how the campaign goes.
 
2.  Joe Lieberman.  Democrats want to forget it.  Remember how close Al Gore was to being President of the U.S. in 2000?  That kook egotist, Vincent Bugliosi asserts that the five members of the Supreme Court who kept the FLORIDA SUPREME COURT from "sealing" the election, should GO TO JAIL.  Assertions like that are what establish you as a KOOK.  I digress (sort of).  The point is that Joe Lieberman was the DEMOCRATIC Vice Presidential candidate who was successful enough to be THAT close to being Vice President (Maxwell Smart:  "Missed it by THAT much").  If Al Gore had won, Joe Lieberman MIGHT now be the DEMORATIC candidate for President of the United States.  Lieberman is supporting John McCain.  He is a possible choice by John McCain for VP.  How can Biden compare with that?  He can't even come close.  Now I won't vote for a McCain-Lieberman ticket.  Still, on TALENT alone, Lieberman is miles above Biden.  Would the mainstream media say that, and give McCain credit?  Don't be SILLY.  The mainstream media has become a PARTISAN arm of the Democratic Party.  So the media would concentrate on the conservative objections to Lieberman without saying the obvious:  Lieberman is so superior to Biden, with a career of DISTINCTION that Biden does not even come close to having, that it is absurd.  IF McCain were to choose Lieberman, he should win the Presidency on that basis alone, although it would represent another McCain BETRAYAL of conservatives.  That mainstream media BIAS is the only reason a McCain choice would not automatically win him the election--a choice of Lieberman.
 
3.  Mike Huckabee.  A preacher.  A ten year governor of Democratic Arkansas.  An outstanding spkeaker (better than Biden by far, and with a quicker wit than Obama (who is only good at reading a teleprompter).  Huckabee would help mcCain with evangelicals, but would NOT otherwise help much with conservatives like me.  I would not vote for a McCain-Huckabee ticke.  A longshot, since I think Huckabee brings little to McCain and would be subject to an even worse attack from the religious BIGOTS of the left than Romney will be, but Huckabee has more distinction, including executive experience, than biden.
 
4.  Tom Ridge.  Former, and popular, governor of Pennsylvania, AND former (first) head of Homeland Security.  Ridge brings the kind of assets to McCain that Obama only wishes Biden could bring to his ticket.  However, Ridge is pro-aboriton and pretty liberal.  I would not vote for a McCain-Ridge ticket.  Still, it would have a good chance of winning--with Ridge having a BIG edge over Biden. 
 
5.  Condi Rice.  Nope.  This one is impossible.  But it shows how the NBC/MSNBC attempt to call Biden a "great" choice is STUPID (explainable only because NBC is not only a partisan arm of the Democratic Party, but almost the CAMPAIGN MANAGER).  Cnodi Rice has more talent in her little finger than Biden has in his own body.  McCain, however, cannot be saddled with Bush that way, and does not NEED Rice for credibility on foreign policy.  Plus, Rice has NEVER run for public office.  IF McCain were in the position of Obama--having NO credibility on foreign polcy--Rice would make sense.  As it is, it will not be her.
 6.  Mike Bloomberg and Rudy Giuliani. Both are/were liberal mayors of New York City.  Giliani, however, as all of that baggage, and had a BIDEN TYPE collapse running for President.  No chance, although superior to Biden.   Bloomberg is even more of a DEMOCRAT than Lieberman, with Wall Street/personal baggage.  Double no chance. 
 
6.  Governor of Minnesota (don't want to look up spelling of his name).  More talent than Biden, but a total unknown nationally.  I doubt if I would vote for this ticket eithr, although I would have to learn more about this guy.  Still, he would put Minnesota in play, and help in upper Midwest states like Wisconsin, Michigan, and Ohio.  Romney, however, probably helps more in Michigan. 
 
7.  Governor Crist of Florida. Popular governor of a LARGE state  with the kind of executive/economic (governors HAVE to concentrate on economics) experience Joe Biden could only dream about.  Would guarantee Florida for McCain.  My own guess as to who McCain will pick.  However, I will NOT vote for a McCain-Crist ticket.  Cirst is similar to Biden in that I don't see much excitement in choosing him.
 
8.  Bobby Jindal, Governor of Louisiana.  By FAR the most impressive, young Republican politician.  He has just as much "experience" as Obama, although he is younger.  He even has already shown executive ability in Louisiana.  McCain--despite the predictable, sanctimonious hypocrisy of the mainstream media--can claim to be BALANCING his ticket in a more EXCITING way than Biden "balances" the Democratic ticket.  I would vote for a McCain-Jindal ticket. I don't expect it to happen, even though Jindal would run rings around Biden. 
 
There are all kinds of Republican Senators who would be just as good/bad as Joe Biden.  McCain, however, does not need that kind of VP emphasizing McCain's own long service in Washington.  McCain needs a Washington OUTSIDER. 
 
Look at how much more impressive the above list is than Obama's "short list" (a "short list" without either Hillary Clinton or Al Gore).  ALL of the above would bring things (expecially economic expertise and executive experience) to McCain that NEITHER Obama nor Biden have. 
 
Do you wonder that I said in the previous entry that McCain is LUCKY.  The choice of Biden gives him anothre opening.  Maybe he will not take full advantage of it, and the mainstream media will try to cover it up, but the talent available to McCain on BOTH the left and the right is way beyond what Biden has (or ANY of the people on Obama's short list have).
 
Biden is nothing more than a garden variety, partisan Senator from a small state with no special distinciton. They are a dime a dozen in Washingon. 

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Despite the Dems and the allied main stream media’s desperation to see Romney as McCain’s Veep, Mitt is clearly out, with (1) Obama doubling down on the class warfare theme (McCain’s 7 houses) and (2) McCain doubling down with ads showing the hypocrisy of Biden attacking Obama in the primaries — Romney did way more than that contra McCain.

This leaves only Govs Sarah Palin and Tim Pawlenty. Pro-abortion Ridge and Dem-Lieberman were never real considerations, despite relentless media goading. Pawlenty’s lackluster TV performances, coupled with Palin pizzazz, the primacy of oil drilling and the ticked off women/Hillary voters, does now portend a McCain/Palin checkmate on the Dems. This is so albeit the Dems and liberal media dare not mention Palin’s name, that is, everyone but…..

And if there’s any question as to Palin being uniquely positioned and able to more than nullify Biden in debate, see the excellent discussion at palinforvp.blogspot.com

Team McCain, well done!!!

Anonymous said...

I agree with the comment that Romney is PROBABLY out.  I have always thought Romney is a longshot, because McCain is ALMOST as arrogant as Obama, in his own way, and doen't like Romney.  While I don't think McCain HAD to foucus his attack on Biden so much on those negative comments about Obama, which are really different than Romney's attacks on McCain (Romney never said McCain was UNQUALIFIED to be President), it is difficult to see how McCain can avoid "hyposcirty"  charges of his own if he chooses Romeny (and then attacks Obama for the inevitable attack ads about Romney's comments on McCain).  It strikes me as unlikey that McCain was willing to go down this road if he were serirously considering Romney.  

Problem:  I hink the Alaskan Governor is out, although she is fine with me.  It is WAY too risky a choice, even though she is a woman.  There aren't many people in Alaska.  The Minnesota governor is more than possible, but unknown.  Once you get past Romney, I think a pro-choice pick is more than possible (even though it will keep me from voting for McCain).  POWELL is even possible.

Anonymous said...

P.S.  I still GUESS Gov. Crist of Florida, although I admit his name has almost disappeared as a possibility, and he seems to have suggested that he does not want the job.  Once past both Romney and Crist, I think McCain could go anywhere.  I don't think Biden scares him much (would not scare me), and it comes down to the person McCain thinks will help him beat Obama.   Even a wildly risky candidate like Lieberman (and I actually think Powell is pretty risky) may appeal to the "maverick" in McCain.   McCain spent his entire political career sucking up to the media, and I think he would like to get back into the game with them.  While I don't think he can, a pick like Powell or Lieberman would certainly put the media in a bind as to how to attack McCain, other than playing up the CONSERVATIVE objections (the ONLY time the meida caters to conservatives, just as they catered to McCain when he was BASHING Bush AND conservatives (not the same thing, even if the media thinks so).