MIAMI - So, who wants to be John McCain’s vice president? Try-outs for the number two spot on the presumptive Republican nominee’s presidential ticket continued this week as the Arizona senator made stops in two states with governors who appear to be on his short list.
In Louisiana, it was Bobby Jindal, the state’s popular 36-year-old governor who is considered a rising star in the party. Jindal, who stood next to the Arizona senator at a press conference and revved up the crowds before events, said the right things and appeared to crave the microphone as much as the man who could make his career.
“Anybody can make promises on reform. It takes a person with conviction to actually achieve reform,” Jindal told an audience in Baton Rouge on Wednesday, contrasting the Arizona senator with Barack Obama, his Democratic rival who has made “change” his rallying cry.
Good start, governor.
In Florida it was Charlie Crist, another popular governor who reigns in a “swing state” that could be critical in November’s general election.
“I’m privileged and honored to be here with Sen. McCain,” Crist said on Friday after joining McCain and his entourage on a boat tour of the marshy Everglades.
Some have called into question McCain’s support of the subtropical wilderness area after he opposed a bill that would have given it additional funds. McCain says he opposed the measure because of other “pork barrel” spending projects that were tagged on.
Crist, like a good right-hand man, said this to reporters:
“The fact that the senator took the time and the trouble to be here and to see it personally … means an awful lot about where his heart is.”
Hmm … but where is his heart when it comes to choosing his number two? McCain, who usually likes chatting with the press, is not saying.
Photo credit: Reuters/Carlos Barria (Sen. John McCain waves next to his wife Cindy, his daughter Meghan and Florida Gov. Charlie Crist during a tour of the Everglades Safari Park in Miami.)
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9 comments so far
Q&A How can McCain SIMULTANEOUSLY attract both Hillary AND Bob Barr voters? Answer: PALIN Veep!
- Posted by TedMcCain cant attract Bob Barr voters because he has sold himself out to the radical right.The Libertarian wing of the Republican party is much dissatisfied with the status quo in the GOP, as is evident in Ron Paul fanatical following and Barr’s polling saying he could take 6% national support.
Cant say I would be sad to see Palin around the White House for 4 years though. And IF Barack passes Hillary over, it would likely be a very sound pick for McCain to go with a woman. Romney is still probably the leading choice IMO though.
- Posted by KristopherPalin as VP would be an instant lose for McCain. Her lack of intellect, experience, and lack of fiscal conservatism would be picked apart mercilessly by the national news media. If in doubt watch the Charlie Rose segment with Palin and Napolitano. It was an embarrassment to every Alaskan. Even Napolitano could see through the nonsense that is Palin. I think McCain can too.
It’s nice to dream though, isn’t it?
- Posted by Real AlaskanSarah Palin isn’t even mentioned in this article. There’s a reason why: Palin is the most obvious example of an awful trend in politics: form over content. Joh McCain is smart. Sarah Palin is not. Her lack of intelligence becomes glaringly obvious when she’s not able to stick to a scripted line. She’s Dan Quayle with a much lower IQ and the Britney Spears of local politics. Britney Spears is inexplicably popular as well, and sad to say may just have more foreign policy and economics experience than Palin.
- Posted by JakeWJindal is the choice. Its no contest in my eyes when compared to the others on the short list. At first glance, I thought he may just be the choice due to ethnicity and age…..however, Jindal is much much more then that. I have to say the more I learn and hear him talk, the more impress I get. This guy is Obama times 10 and with experience. The country can definitely use a whiz kid like Jindal in the whitehouse. He’ll run it like Google!
- Posted by chrisI’ve already flipped my 50:50 coin.
Mr. Obama will be the next president.
Mr. McCain, fine fellow that he is, simply has too much of Mr. Bush’s baggage to carry into September and then November.
Besides, it could be Suzie Q. or Jackie Q. or Johnny Q. or whomever on the republican ticket. It makes no difference.
The pendulum has just about finished swinging back to the left. Some would call it the usual cycle of the fickle finger of fate. The majority of the voting electorate is thirsty for change for the better. Some might say that the majority is desperate for change.
One must remember that it only takes 50% + 1 in each state to win electoral votes.
Mr. McCain gets the honors in 2008 that he deserved in 2000 before being Mordorized…and after Messrs. Bush/Cheney forgot to burn all their bridges behind them on the way back to Crawford and Halliburton, respectively.
One must wonder if (after the Mordorization of Mr. McCain in 2000 & Mr. Kerry in 2004) if Mr. Obama is about to experience the same fate.
That is quite likely, if the republicans that Mr. McCain “has no control over” employ the Dark Lord, and if the media doesn’t check its facts first, and if the advertising dollar eclipses the truth where the media is concerned.
I can feel it in the waters. I can feel it in the earth. I can smell it in the air. In the land of Mordor, in the fires of Mount Doom, the Dark Lord Sauron has forged in secret a Master Ring to control all innuendo.
Jack
- Posted by JackI agree, Jindal would be a great choice. I read that being 10 years younger he has 10 years more experience than Obama, so they could throw age at him, but counterattack would be experience.
The Republicans don’t need to do much else. They’ve already won the election. Obama is finished. Hillary supporters will “remember in November”. It was a coup that made Obama the nominee. Dems bet wrong, they thought that if Obama was not chosen that the black and younger voters would defect…and bet that women and lifelong democrats would not. They wagered wrong.
McCain is a centrist. Dems can’t hold Roe V Wade over women, Bush is also pro-choice, and we have a Democratic congress to vet the selected justices should any vacancies arise.
- Posted by robertanewt gingrich would be good on any ticket in any rank
- Posted by hlgThe headline for Jeff Mason’s latest article declares “McCain says using Google to vet VP candidates.” Even though Mason acknowledges in the article that McCain was obviously joking, the headline does not mention the humor. It’s dishonest on its face.
Mason’s headline is intentionally misleading, trying to make readers think it is not a joke and that it is serious. As Gina Gershon would say, “Lies are the new facts.” Jeff Mason, you should get that headline changed.
- Posted by Barno