Obama/Biden vs. McCain/Palin

[UK]

Okay, but given her extremely wide support amongst conservatives, I think there is more at play than the fact that she's a woman. From what I'm reading, conservatives universally find her to be a breath of fresh air and perhaps more honorable than some of the current leadership and those who were running in the primaries. In choosing her, I think McCain gets some conservative voters off the couch, if not Democrats from the other side. Every conservative radio show host that had been giving him crap the last few months seems to be on board and pushing the ticket now.

He had to pick a strict conservative, it's why he didn't pick his good friend Lieberman, had he been cruising going into the DNC and had their not been a bounce, he could've been more conservative with his pick. He wasn't in a position to go with a safe pick.

He has to get Hillary's voters to win this to off-set the increase of 18-24yo voters, I assume most of Hillary's supporters lean more left central than far right which to believe (espec. pro-life, stem cell, etc) makes it harder to pursuade based on beliefs rather than gender.

[Radbird]

I've seen the "experience" commercial from McCain (with Hillary talking about a "speech he gave in 2002") a few times today, so apparently the Republicans are still going to pound on that issue, which I'm not sure is the wisest thing to do. They may have neutralized the "change" mantra, but they've also done it to the "experience" issue too, haven't they?

[UK]

On another note, is it possible for the Republican party to now take on the mantra of change? This is also what the Palin nomination was supposed to do. The most compelling thing the Dems could leverage to encourage high voter turnout (which would only benefite the Dems) is the similar political leanings of McCain to the Bush administration. I think the GOP felt they were losing on this issue of change, so they decided if you can't beat them, join them.

If Obama's campaign can cont. to show the similarities between McCain and Bush, then it is impossible to capitalize for McCain to show he is about change. The experience thing wasn't working as he strayed off-course as far as being the Maverick and now they have to get back to that.

I am curious to see the polls after the RNC (whatever happens from it), Palin's selection was an effective decoy following Obama's speech.

[tenniseleven]

so is it change b/c Palin is a woman, or is it change because of her Evangelical beliefs (b/c there is nothing new about that, Bush won his elections based almost solely upon the Evangelical and rural vote)

[Radbird]

I think more a change because she's young and not a Washington insider.

[UK]

so is it change b/c Palin is a woman, or is it change because of her Evangelical beliefs (b/c there is nothing new about that, Bush won his elections based almost solely upon the Evangelical and rural vote)

It's change b/c she would be the 1st woman VP as well as the selection of the dark horse candidate and not going with the safe pick indicates that McCain is willing to go upstream and defy the odds by putting America first.

[tenniseleven]

putting America first, really?

that's not what Karl Rove seems to believe, and he's a campaign advisor for McCain, and a prodigy of his runs the McCain campaign...

[planet planet]

Please educate me, is there a major policy issue where McCain differs from Bush? I haven't heard it from him. If not, he's done an about face from his maverick rep.

[BW23]

I'm sick of the experience issue, and I'm sick of the change mantra. Neither are really valid.

[UK]

putting America first, really?

that's not what Karl Rove seems to believe, and he's a campaign advisor for McCain, and a prodigy of his runs the McCain campaign...

I was speaking in terms of how they would address it rather than my own point of view, which differs.