Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin to Meet With McCain VP Search Team
Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin’s name is coming up more often in recent weeks as a possible McCain VP candidate. Reportedly, WIZBANG.COM had somebody “drop a dime” about a McCain advance man being spotted recently in Juneau.
~~John Cronin~~
http://wizbangblog.com/content/2008/05/29/
alaska-gov-sarah-palin-to-meet-with-mccain-vp-search-team.php
A tipster sent us word that John McCain’s VP advance man Arthur Culvahouse has been spotted in Juneau, Alaska. There’s only one reason he would be there - to meet with Alaska Governor Sarah Palin about the Vice President position.
This comes on the heels of McCain’s Memorial Day weekend barbecue attended by Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, Kansas Sen. Sam Brownback, South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, former White House budget director Rob Portman, and Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman. Supposedly that was in informal affair, not a vetting session, but it appears that the VP selection game is very much afoot.
Governor Palin would (in my estimation) make an excellent VP candidate for McCain. Thomas Cheplick at The American Spectator makes the case that she’s probably the only VP candidate who can balance the ticket against Obama. She’s also a potential magnet for disaffected Hillary Clinton voters, many of whom are just looking for a reason not to vote for Obama
May 31st, 2008 at 12:16 am
I know it is said that McCain is the best of two evils but I am feeling like I really don’t want to choose between two evils. If I write in Romney’s name they say I am throwing my vote away. Does anyone have a different thought on that? I have heard several conservatives say that voting for the conservative ticket is another option. However the conservative candidate will not win. Isn’t that like throwing your vote away also. I would rather vote for Romney.
NO Romney for VP, No vote for McCain.
May 31st, 2008 at 12:52 am
I’m with you Mitt 10. Choosing between two evils? There is always another choice. I will be writing in Romney because I have no faith in McCain or in his VP choosing ability. I suspect that having Romney as one of his VP finalists is just a ploy to pacify all those who voted for Mitt (and NOT McCain). When someone else is tapped as VP, how many of us will sigh and say, “Oh well, at least Mitt was in the running” and vote for McCain anyway? Not me.
Romney is setting himself up nicely for 2012. I guess it’s difficult for many of us in our “right now, if not sooner!” society to have a little patience. Perhaps we have to let all those being sucked in by the “Pied Piper of Hope” come to the awful realization, through sad experience, that Obama is just a rhetoric machine and will not be able to fulfill all those empty and unrealistic promises made on the campaign trail. Then maybe, just maybe, they’ll get real and vote for someone like Mitt who actually has a resume full of experience for the job, and bring about some real change and hope for this country.
May 31st, 2008 at 1:07 am
I believe your vote is yours to do with as you please. Regardless of the public perception; as individuals we have right to vote for whomever we wish and not follow the collective. I live in a blue state that will definately be blue in November. I have no qualms writing in Romney. I’m sure the decision is going to be a great deal more difficult for those living in purple states.
May 31st, 2008 at 1:23 am
The way I see it we have two viable options. I think we must do everything within our power (however limited that power may be) to elect conservative Republicans to Congress. If we are successful in that effort, we can hope that we have some influence over national policy and that we can put the brakes on any liberal SCOTUS judges that may be nominated by the new president from either party.
We must also be ready to defeat any attempt at an illegal immigration amnesty.
Assuming that Gov. Romney does not get the VP nod, we can help to build the kind of national conservative base, this time, hopefully, with the Evangelicals in our camp. IMHO, if we can get them to support the candidate that best represented their core values in this election cycle, I think we win in 2012. I think that most of us on this site agree that without Huckabee persuading the religious right to throw away their vote, our candidate would have won the nomination convincingly.
In closing, I feel that we must concentrate on the Congress this year and then start to look to 2012 the day after this November’s election.
May 31st, 2008 at 1:33 am
John, aside from the reasons mentioned, why is governor Pallin an excellent choice? Other than being from Alaska and having 5 kids, I just don’t know enough about her to agree or disagree with you. My initial reaction is simply that she has no name recognition with the general public in the lower 48 and Alaska has what? 3 paltry electoral votes. She may be a fabulous vp candidate, but simply being female isn’t enough to “balance” the ticket.
May 31st, 2008 at 2:10 am
SC,
I am not recommending Sarah Palin. I agree that she is a political unknown at this point. I am just reporting on the “buzz” coming from some quarters of the party.
May 31st, 2008 at 3:48 am
As a woman with TWO children, I must say that having FIVE children would certainly be a “distraction” from the critical business of the country and virtually “impossible” if stepping into the Presidency were required. Sorry ladies, but that is a bit too much even for the most talented and capable amongst us - and my children are grown and away from home - Governor Palin’s are babies. Running Alaska is a heck of a lot different than the demands of the Presidency or the Vice Presidency for that matter. If she is selected because McCain and the RNC think we need a woman on the ballot, then you can bet all other decisions will be made WITHOUT the best interests of the country in mind, as well.
My husband and I had the good fortune to meet and speak with Governor Romney at a candidate fund raiser in Orlando on Friday. Having met him while he was campaigning, I was impressed, as usual, with his substantive and articulate speech but more impressed with the way he promoted John McCain and spoke glowingly about him after all that has happened. Not only does he have the most and best credentials but he is a gentleman and a man devoted to seeing that the right things are done for this country. What fools we have been to let him go. The crowd was definitely there primarily to see and hear Governor Romney - they all wanted him and the candidate he was stumping for to know that they AT LEAST wanted him as VP. He encouraged everyone to come together to support the republican candidates and John Mccain in November.
If he is not the VP choice, we will have a very difficult time “holding our noses” and voting for McCain. However, we felt that if Mitt Romney can come through what he came through in the campaign and stand before all of us around the country and dedicate the hours and days of his life to encouraging all of us to vote for John McCain, then we have no choice but to do the same - if only to honor his request.
This election cycle has been the worst I can remember in the 4 decades I have been voting. Our country is at a real low point, politically and if a Democrat is elected, we have some very dark days ahead.
When we spoke with Governor Romney,we listed the many reasons why he must be the VP - he listened intently, as he always does, chuckled and said: “don’t tell me” … as if to say - “tell those who will be making the decision, I am ready, they have to choose” so until an announcement is made, we MUST continue to send the message to the RNC and McCain Campaign - NO MITT, NO MONEY, NO MCCAIN.
May 31st, 2008 at 6:57 am
Renna: My, oh my, another wonderful experience for you folks. Isn’t it just so horrible
we are being denied this wonderful person???? How come people did not see what so many of us saw in Mitt Romney?? The very first time I saw and heard Mitt speak with Ann at his side, I could not believe how blessed I felt our country would be to have this
person, honest enough to say Washington is broken, and take the backlash from standing on his principals to better this country. I still maintain as many others ,We got
cheated Is it enough to individually send our messages to Mccain, the RNC, etc. or would it mean more to send something as a collective group??? I’m frustrated for the
Romney’s, they belong at the top, they are to good not to be our leaders, alot can
happen in four years. We need action, not lip service. Mccain likes to tackle one issue at a time, this job is a multitask job, he’ll find out. Then watch his temper!!!!
If we get Obama, this won’t be pretty, if we don’t ,we are headed for, I’m afraid, real
bad racial situations. If the Clinton’s don’t get their way, it’s trouble , as well. I can’t believe this whole mess, in he meantime we seem to be floundering.
I agree, Sarah Palin, to me does not have even close what Mitt has to offer. She seems bright, five children need lots of attention and deserve it as well. She has not been vetted, Mccain said he wanted someone who had been vetted. I agree, with John, strenghten our base, hold our breath with hopes for Romney as VP, or surge
forward for Romney in 2012.
May 31st, 2008 at 8:58 am
Sarah Pallin appears to be a wonderful person and a good choice. Mitt-lovers should be careful of what they wish for as they just might get it. McCain as President would so sink the party that Romney could never come back from the ashes.
On another note, heard lately about the new, uncontacted tribe in Brazil? Looking at the photos, I have to ask myself “wonder what is their carbon footprint?” Look at these photos and remember that THIS is how Al Gore wants all of us to live.
May 31st, 2008 at 9:35 am
Well, the thing is, I don’t really see McCain sinking the GOP. He isn’t going to be a heavenly gift to Conservatism, but he probably won’t be an unpopular President either, and if overcoming a sitting VP in the primaries wasn’t hard enough, if its a popular administration, it could be virtually impossible.
May 31st, 2008 at 10:09 am
Paulee&Mike:
I continue to send my emails and return my requests for contributions. I told Gov. Romney about the NO MITT, NO MONEY, NO MCCain - he laughed and expressed appreciation for the support. I wish we could get a concerted effort organized - I know Mitt’s brother-in-law but I think they are pretty much staying on the side lines until some requests are made for help from Mitt. I will email him and see how he responds. Mitt will not get involved in any organized effort, he must stay above everything at this point and just continue to fund raise for the candidates - which he is doing very well. If anyone with organizational skills and meaningful connections wants to put an effort together, I will be first in line. Until then, I continue with my keyboard activities through friends and directly to the campaign and RNC.
I agree that overcoming a successful administrative VP would be difficult so we need to keep pushing until the last minute. A Romney/Jindall administration would be superb for this country in 2012 but we need Mitt in now as VP for a head start to making that happen. Choosing a President on the basis of race or sex will be a foolish disaster.
May 31st, 2008 at 1:22 pm
Matt A. Gosh you are so very wrong that I cannot grasp the language necessary to tell you adequately. McCain will sink the GOP if he becomes President. But I don’t think that we’ll have the opportunity to prove which of us is right. McCain is going to lose (unless something totally unforseen changes the landscape). No offense intended, but I suspect that you are part of that go-along-to-get-along “moderate” crowd educated in your opinion by the big three beltway media groups; and CNN. Similar to most beltway Republicans who come into DC all conservative but are soon convinced that they are in the vast minority after only a year or so. You too appear to have drank the media-brewed Cool Aid of “moderation” and like McCain, will find that the Republican nominee is in a political ghost town come November.
If voters want a closet Democrat, then why don’t they just vote for the real thing this November? Put this prediction on your hard drive for future reference: If Senator McCain does somehow win, before the end of this term, there will be a third party in this country large enough to have votes equal to or greater than that of the lesser of the other two parties. Hold me to that prediction.
Honestly, posts like this confirm that, like the unofficial Marine motto, the Republican party will have to be destroyed in order to save it (if it can be saved at all).
Andrew
May 31st, 2008 at 4:03 pm
Andrew:
Just love you guys who think you know everything and try to convince others with a never ending verbal ranting of expertise. As much as I disapprove of McCain as our candidate, there are enough REAL conservatives to assure our survival. After all, we are the ones who make this country work, anyway. We are generally hard working, folks with common sense. We do not waste our time with senseless rhetoric but in so doing many harmful things happen, like the environmental wacko movement. But we do have a limit to what we will tolerate and accept and I feel that limit has almost been reached.
May 31st, 2008 at 6:33 pm
Renna, I’m glad you love me, but really, you don’t know me! THIS is why I wrote “save this on your hard drive for future reference;” because I cannot prove my expertise except in hindsight. I’m not sure about what you meant by saying there are enough realy conservatives to assure our survival. It sounds like you think that I predicted the demise of conservatives. If so, go back to school and re-read what I actually wrote. I predicted the downfall (althought I conceded that it might not be permanent) of the Republican party–not conservatives.
By the way where’s the rant? Is it not true that many Republicans come to Washington full of conservative ideals only to veer leftward in populism? I mean, you need only go as far as Newt Gingrich and google.com to see this. By the way, it is YOU who labels me (apparently) an expert (I’m guessing you weren’t trying to compliment me). Yes Renna, I ran for congress, and no you didn’t. Yes, I’ve met Bush personally and likely you did not. Yes, I’ve run fundraisers for candidates like Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas. But none of these things makes me an expert. Only being right can do that, and only for as long as I remain right. So prove me wrong, but stop whinning about my style!
Andrew
May 31st, 2008 at 10:32 pm
Andrew:
Guess that explains your pessimism.
June 1st, 2008 at 2:07 pm
There’s been noted buzz of late on rising GOP star Louisiana Gov Bobby Jindal as a McCain prospective Veep. Certainly Jindal is more than very good, However, I believe there’s some “strategerie” going on here. The “real” beneficiary of the Jindal talk is the other rising GOP star, Alaska Gov Sarah Palin. Palin’s got everything that Jindal has (new/exciting, wildly popular, ethics and spending reformer, core conservative etc.) and more — mother of 5 w/remarkable bio, she’s 8 yrs older than Jindal, Alaska energy issue, and set to garner the disenfranchised female Hillary voter (I don’t believe Dem leaders can dump Obama).
Getting Jindal’s name out first — at Team McCain’s BBQ for instance — sets the stage for the obvious choice, Palin. For example, albeit Rush Limbaugh introduced Palin’s name, and later Jindal’s as good Veep choices, of late Rush has been praising the name of Jindal while on his very same shows discussing at great length the frustrated female Hillary voter and the global warming hysteria/need for energy development, without mentioning Palin’s name as the obvious beneficiary of those two issues. Rush walks a fine line, introducing Palin, yet can’t, at least yet, reiterate much, knowing that his praises may be counter-productive to many a swing, moderate and/or formerly Dem voter (who’s against Obama and switching to McCain). Moreover, while I feel that Palin has more real accomplishment, experience and qualification than Obama (and Hillary combined, albeit w/Obama the bar is pretty low), the only potential argument against Palin is she’s a newbie to the national scene. By having Jindal out there first as a VP prospect “passing” the “experience” and “new to the national scene” test, implicitly passes Palin as well. (For that matter Palin’s got as much if not more experience and accomplishment than Florida Gov Crist who’s only been Gov for 2 yrs — and the media has been touting Crist as a VP prospect.)
That’s my thinking at least.
June 1st, 2008 at 2:10 pm
And, here’s an important piece of advice: If it looks like it’s going to be McCain/Palin anyway (and that should be a “no brainer” for Team McCain), McCain should announce NOW or VERY SOON, rather than later towards the convention. There’s currently a growing chorus for Obama/Hillary (as VP) ticket (in fact the Dems are likely aware of the Palin phenomenon). If the GOP waits while movement for Hillary as VP grows — even worse until after it is solidified that Hillary will/could be VP pick — selecting Palin will be portrayed by Dems/liberal media more as a reaction by GOP selecting its own female (overshawdoing Palin’s own remarkable assets), rather than McCain taking the lead on this. Selecting Palin now or early (contrary to the punditocracy) will mean McCain will be seen as driving the course of this campaign overwhelmingly, and the DEMS will be seen as merely reacting. And, there’s absoultely no down-side to this because even if Hillary is a no-go as VP for Obama, the GOP gains by acting early. McCain the maverick. Palin the maverick. Do it now!
There’s no reason, and actually substantial negative, in McCain waiting to see what the Dems do first insofar as his picking Palin as VP, because, no matter who Obama picks, Palin is by far (and I mean far) the best pick for McCain and the GOP, especially in this time of GOP woes. The GOP can be seen as the party of real ‘change’ (albeit I hate that mantra, change, change, bla bla), while not really having to change from GOP core conservative values, which Palin more than represents.
In light of the current oil/energy situation, as well as the disaffected female Hillary voters situation, and growing focus on McCain’s age and health, Palin is more than perfect — now.
(Perhaps Team McCain is already on to this.)
June 1st, 2008 at 10:26 pm
A little bit of ego can go a long way toward destroying your credibility…
June 2nd, 2008 at 4:48 pm
As a mother, I hope Palin says not now. She’s got her plate full. No matter how good she is, she’s still mother first. And a new baby is demanding. Add to that new baby, the special needs of a downs baby, and you’ve got to do some serious thinking if she would truly be prepared to assume the presidency if needed.
I say toss Mc under the bus and give the evangalicals what they want. give them huck, and we work toward getting a majority back in the house and senate so President Obama is a lame duck from day uno.
June 2nd, 2008 at 9:08 pm
Ted:
Palin may be a “rising star” as is Jindall. However, she has not been vetted, is virtually unknown, is a “new” Governor and does not have the track record to walk into the Presidency should anything happen to McCain. THAT HAS TO BE A MAJOR consideration in his choice. At 72 years of age, the chances are good that the VP might have to step into the position. Mitt Romney is the ONLY candidate who can strengthen the ticket and provide the reassurance the voters need that the VP could take over. Remember this: the attack on Obama will be principally that he is too young and inexperienced - Palin as a choice would bring up the same issue as a counter to that claim - she is young and relatively inexperienced PLUS she has FIVE(count them) five young children one of them a Down’s Syndrome baby which will require added attention and emotion. We must have a VP who is not encumbered with that type of burden - thoughts need to be clear - time needs to be flexible 24/7 - she cannot and should not accept that degree of responsibility at this stage of her children’s lives.
June 2nd, 2008 at 11:58 pm
Well, I must say that yet again, I agree with Renna.
I teach special needs kids for a living and I know what alot of the demands are for them. I adore Downs kids, but life with them is not easy. It is 24/7 and then some. A new born Downs is alot more needy than one who is not. Add that to the fact that they do alot of things later, eat, drink, walk, talk; potty training is a nightmare sometimes that lasts for years. If you like Sarah Palin, do NOT wish this vp thing on her. It just would not be kind. She needs to be able to give this special gift from God all the nurturing that is needed to allow for maximum growth and development.
That is my thinking on Sarah Palin. I pray for her and all parents like her… ALOT. My respect for them [that do their job] is huge. Many of them are now my friends and I am so grateful for them.
June 3rd, 2008 at 8:12 am
It seems Sarah Palin is not interested in the veep position. This is from the Glenn Beck program yesterday.
http://www.glennbeck.com/content/articles/article/198/10757/
June 5th, 2008 at 6:13 pm
Palin IS interested. She has to say that w/all the pending stuff in Alaska.
Bottom line, with Palin as VP, McCain WINS.
Without Palin, McCain likely does not win.
Case closed.
June 6th, 2008 at 9:05 pm
John Cronin,
You said, “I think that most of us on this site agree that without Huckabee persuading the religious right to throw away their vote, our candidate would have won the nomination convincingly.”
Wrong. I’m a Huckabee supporter. I think it was the other way around. But, that’s neither here nor there.
I think both Huckabee and Romney supporters need to be pragmatic about this. Neither one of our candidates are the best VP candidates. I think Paulin or Jindal would be better than Huckabee or Romney, frankly. We need a young, likeable, articulate conservative, preferrably with economic or reform strengths.
Romney’s not a real conservative, and Huckabee doesn’t have the economic prowess needed to balance the ticket.
I’m being fair here - don’ t jump on my case. If we want to keep the SCOTUS in our camp, yes we need a Republican Congress. But it sure would be better to have a McCain presidency.
Those of you who say No Mitt, No Money, No McCain. Get over it. You lost. Back the GOP to stop Obama. We can’t aford an Obama presidency. We need McCain to win. Then we can have another primary fray in 2012. And Romney and Huckabee are both situated nicely to be players again. So, let’s save the Mitt and Huck flag waving until 2012. Let’s beat Obama and try again later.
Matt
June 6th, 2008 at 9:53 pm
Q&A How can McCain SIMULTANEOUSLY attract both Hillary AND Bob Barr voters? Answer: PALIN Veep!