Colin Powell rumors, including new ones, have been SHOT DOWN (as expected). Joe Lieberman was always a longshot.
The McCain VP sweepstakes seem to be coming down to Governor Tim Pawlenty and Mitt Romney.
If you look at straws in the wind, and the "long knives" cutting up Romney, you would guess Pawlenty. Yet, that choice adds so LITTLE to McCain--a governor with NO real national identity, and no experience in real national politics. There is almost no way I will vote for a McCain-Pawlenty ticket, even though Pawlenty has "acceptable" conservative credentials. I have not closed my mind on it, but I would take a LOT of persuading.
WHY is Romney somewhat the underdog, even though he is the obvious choice (with a good chance I would vote for that ticket, which should be conclusive right there). Well, you can go back to the comment to my entry on the VP choice several days back. The McCain campaign came down awfully hard on Joe Biden's campaign comments about Obama. Would they really have done that if McCain expected to choose Romney? Maybe. It is only a straw in the wind, because Romney never said McCain was not READY to be President. Individual issues are easier to handle.
But, as I said, the "long knives" have been out for Romney. That only makes me like Romney more, but it may indicate that McCain is having people confirm McCain's rather unfavorable primary view of Romney. Mike Huckabee was fairly friendly with McCain, and HATES Romney. He has been sticking knives in Romney from the beginning of the VP sweepstakes, even after Huckabee was obviously OUT.
Then there are more "long knives" out in the last few days They are trashing Romney as "too rich", and a person out of touch with "blue collar" Americans. That criticism is actually valid. Not the "rich" part, but I have discussed before my Boston daughter's description of Romney trying to take the subway in Boston. It is hard for Romney to play a "man of the people". Still, Romney has the credentials to HELP the "people" with his economic wisdom and experience.
The "long knives" have long been out for Romeny over his Mormon relilton. I have NO RESPECT for people who either attack Romney that way, or put up with the idea that it is even an acceptable question (would you really see the religion of a JEW like Lieberman so discussed without CONDEMNING THE BIGOTRY--don't think so). But all of the TV networks, and the truly despicable AP (with an indescribably EVIL article about Romey's great grandfater being a polygamist), have acted like this is an ACCEPTABLE reason to be against Romney. It is NOT. You are a Bigot if you are against Romney on that basis (unless you have an absolute religious test for whom you will vote for--such as ONLYU a born again Chirstion).
I am listening to Fox News right now. They are talking only about Romeny and Pawlenty. However, they are allowing--even encouraging--this EVIL idea of a "Mornon distraction with Fomney. I am willing to state flatly: Fox News is ACCEPTING AND ENCOURAGING EVIL with this kind of stuff. They would never allow it with a JEW or an African-American. That is why I have often said that Fox is part of the RPOBLEM, and NOT part of the solution.
So I don't know. My gut tells me McCain will not accept Romney . My intellect tells me Romney is the RIGHT choice, if not really the safest choice (which my conservative instincts also tell me). But I am convinced that Pawlenty will be a lackluster candidate, no better than Biden--if as good. I think that is why I expect it. It fits my view of McCain.
But those who have the "long knives" out for Romney for the WRONG reason--relitious BIGOTRY--and those (like Fox News, the AP especially, and the rest of the mainstream media) who accept that bigotry, should be aware that I will not forget it. It affects my view of Huckabee. It certainly affects my view of Fox News. Nothing could affect my view of the despicable AP, because it could not get lower. In any event, I WILL REMEMBER the people willing to go with religious bigotry here. I will have nothing but contempt for those people until the end of my life.
P.S. Fox is saying that Pawlenty has cancelled all events today, and that his stock has been "rising". It does remain my gut feeling that Pawlenty IS the choice, now that Governor Crist seems to have been eliminated. To me, the choice is typical McCain, and therefore more likely than Romney. Have I told you I do not intend to vote for McCain, even against Obama? I know I have. At this point, only a Romney choice would affect that decision, and it has not looked likely for some time (actually for the entire time since the contentious primaries).
P.S. 2: Could Pawlenty prove me worng. Sure. I don't know that much about Pawlenty. I don't prejudge. But what I do know, and what I have seen of him, does not indicate to me he is going to inspire too many conservatives. He will be the presumptive heir to McCain if the McCain ticket wins, and it does not give me great confidence in him that he was a McCain loyalist throughout this campaign. I don't get the impression that I would have ever voted for Pawlenty for the Republican nomination. WHY should his selection change my view of McCain? Not likely.
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