Obama/Biden vs. McCain/Palin

[Socnorb11]

McCain's choosing her shows me just how desperate they are.

How so?

Pick based completely on what they feel they need to swing certain demographics. I can't possibly believe that this is the pick that McCain feels most comfortable with. Does he even know her?

Can't you make that same argument about Biden, though? He's exactly the type of candidate that they would want/need to have to bite into the rust belt votes that they had the potential to lose because of Hillary's loss in the primary.

Wouldn't Hilary have been the logical choice, then?

[Richie Allen]

McCain's choosing her shows me just how desperate they are.

How so?

Pick based completely on what they feel they need to swing certain demographics. I can't possibly believe that this is the pick that McCain feels most comfortable with. Does he even know her?

Pretty much where I'm at. Is she REALLY the most qualified person? It seems pretty obvious that McCain is trying to pick up Hilary votes.

Does ANYBODY know her?

CNN website already has this poll up: Will Sen. McCain's choice of Sarah Palin as a running mate snag Sen. Clinton's supporters?

No real mystery why he'd pick her.

[wart57]

The point of the whole thing is to get elected. They will say or do anything to achieve that end, both parties.

[JL21]

It seems pretty obvious that McCain is trying to pick up Hilary votes.

Is that such a bad thing? I know it's warm and fuzzy to assume that candidates have our best interests at heart but really, their job right now is to win an election through whatever means necessary.

Maybe I should rephrase that.... It's a bad thing that candidates do these types of things- sacrifice more qualified VP candidates due to electability- but I'm just not shocked or surprised by it. For me, it's a fact of the political process. Their job right now is to get elected however they can.

[Socnorb11]

It seems pretty obvious that McCain is trying to pick up Hilary votes.

Is that such a bad thing? I know it's warm and fuzzy to assume that candidates have our best interests at heart but really, their job right now is to win an election through whatever means necessary.

Maybe I should rephrase that.... It's a bad thing that candidates do these types of things- sacrifice more qualified VP candidates due to electability- but I'm just not shocked or surprised by it. For me, it's a fact of the political process. Their job right now is to get elected however they can.

True enough.

[ghostrunner]

The VP picks are always aimed at picking certain voters up. Gore picked Lieberman, who probably wasn't his favorite. We've learned Kerry regretted picking Edwards. Bush picked Quayle, which was almost entirely about age. (that scares me just to remember he was in office for 4 years).

I don't think it's desperation, just strategy (whether good or flawed).

[JL21]

Wouldn't Hilary have been the logical choice, then?

I suppose, but there are certainly other considerations there. First and foremost, I wouldn't want to be a president with an ex-president constantly looking over my shoulder.

[Richie Allen]

McCain's choosing her shows me just how desperate they are.

How so?

Pick based completely on what they feel they need to swing certain demographics. I can't possibly believe that this is the pick that McCain feels most comfortable with. Does he even know her?

Can't you make that same argument about Biden, though? He's exactly the type of candidate that they would want/need to have to bite into the rust belt votes that they had the potential to lose because of Hillary's loss in the primary.

You could make the argument that he picked him because he's got the experience and has a lot of foreign policy credentials under his belt but you could also make the argument that he was (at least one of) the best choices to fill the spot (based on those same credentials).

McCains pick, on the other hand, was obviously based entirely on the fact that he's got to find a way to steal millions and millions of votes outside his own party and the only way he could possibly do that was with a completely untraditional pick. I have nothing against him picking a woman but I do have something against him picking someone based entirely on the fact that she's young and she's a woman. You can't possibly argue that she's as qualified as Biden for the spot.

[Fat Strat]

McCain's choosing her shows me just how desperate they are.

How so?

Pick based completely on what they feel they need to swing certain demographics. I can't possibly believe that this is the pick that McCain feels most comfortable with. Does he even know her?

Pretty much where I'm at. Is she REALLY the most qualified person? It seems pretty obvious that McCain is trying to pick up Hilary votes.

Does ANYBODY know her?

CNN website already has this poll up: Will Sen. McCain's choice of Sarah Palin as a running mate snag Sen. Clinton's supporters?

No real mystery why he'd pick her.

Sure it might be to pick up some Republican voters, but as a Republican, I'm very excited about her political stances and policies as governor in Alaska. She brings a lot more to the table than a lot of the other candidates just by being a fresh face and having a reputation as a cost cutter, smaller government, ethics-oriented republican. She seems like the kind of candidate that many of us have been begging for from the Republicans.

She'll be a popular choice, I think, and bring a lot of energy and excitment to McCain's campaign.

[Richie Allen]

She'll be a popular choice, I think, and bring a lot of energy and excitment to McCain's campaign.

He could certainly use it.