The Veepstakes continue -- while for Obama the choice is not terribly important, for McCain it is critical that he get it just right. Newt Gingrich, among others, has been emphatic that Bobby Jindal is the only rational choice for McCain to make, and McCain and Jindal are talking this week.
While not long ago, MH would have dismissed the possibility of Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal as the VP candidate because he is still in his first year as governor. But when running against Sen. Obama, whose accomplishments that he lists in TV ads have to dip into legislation he voted for as a state senator in Illinois, this isn't a year when experience matters that much. With several terms in the U.S. House under his belt and extensive executive experience at both the state and federal level, Jindal is more ready to be President than is Sen. Obama.
The most important reason for McCain to choose Jindal is, however, pretty simple: he is the smartest, most reform-minded, and most exciting governor that the Republican Party has right now. Quite frankly, we need to have him engaged at the national level. His selection would pump up every segment of the grassroots in the Republican Party. He wouldn't be threatening to anyone except those who are scared of any conservative shadow.
And win or lose, Jindal's selection would put him at the center of national Republican politics. Anything that accomplishes that is a good thing.
10 comments:
We have never been in more agreement, at least about the person we would like McCain to choose.
Please, please, please - don't let it be anybody yet!!!!! Contrary to Drudge and the rest - it's too soon! May-be the list of "finalists" could be released - and the media can feast on the whole bunch for a while. Why give the Dems and the MSM six weeks to focus their attacks on the VP choice?
BTW - Jindal or Sarah Palin both work for me - but not until the week of the convention!!!!!
I have no problem with an early VP announcement, and in fact I think it is a great idea, as long as it is a solid conservative who won't be controversial at the convention.
The sooner we get a Veep candidate on the campaign trail stumping, the better. We need to double-team Obama, and September is going to be too late to get started.
This election is going to be won the hard way, through tireless campaigning -- lots of it.
Pogie -- I'd be interested in your opinion. Do you like something about Jindal, or should we assume that you think Jindal will hurt the McCain ticket?
Anonymous' suggestion of Sarah Palin probably brings some cries of "WHO?"
Current Governor of Alaska, former Miss Alaska, movement conservative,90% approval rating among her state's voters, fabulous looking with a brilliant mind and a very young family.
She would be so perfect that McCain, being McCain, probably isn't even considering her.
Palin would be great, but doesn't have as much governmental and political experience as Jindal does.
The MH fear is that McCain will choose Romney because of his purported fundraising ability -- a choice which will put the nation to sleep, only to wake up to a President Obama.
Or that he will do a "nontraditional" (i.e. someone with an even more liberal record than Romney) choice like Lieberman -- which would be even worse.
Anonymous 2 here. Ditto to Anon 1.
Someone like Romney? Yug.
I like both Jindal and Palin, despite their relative youth. They'd bring a lot of excitement to the ticket, which is exactly what McCain needs. The flaw is that they don't bring any electoral votes--their states already are McCain states.
But either Jindal or Palin would help offset the old white guy image of the GOP ticket. And I suspect either one would be a more articulate spokesman for the ticket than McCain is, too.
(I saw a transcript for one of Obama's press conferences in Iraq and was amazed at how bad he is when he doesn't have a teleprompter in front of him. It was surprising, given how he's an excellent speaker when he does have one.) Jindal could run circles around him in a debate.
Lieberman, eh? Now that would hurt the Democrats, stealing Obama's claim to work across the aisles. Would it win the election - maybe. Would it put the pressure on Obama - definitely.
Excuse me, folks, but it seems you're unaware:
Palin brings baggage.
And binky, even the DLC doesn't consider LIEberman a Democrat anymore. All his name on the ticket would do is inflame the passion of those who hate him ... you know those young people doing an outstanding job of registering voters and getting out the vote?
I do not believe it will happen, but I guarantee right now that if LIEberman is on the ticket, the Republicans will lose by at least 20%
At this point, it is pretty hard to tell if this controversy will hurt Palin. Relying on dailykos for an objective analysis of it is like relying on Michael Savage for an objective analysis of Ted Kennedy's auto accident....it ain't going to happen.
Reading some stories in the AK press, it is hard to tell where the truth lies. Which is why an independent investigation is needed. Sounds like the trooper is no saint. And he still has his job.
But the governor could be in the wrong, in which case she's ruined any chance at national office.
But again, when kos kids declare her guilty as charged--off with her head now!--you can be sure that they don't know what the heck they are talking about. (I thought these guys were champions of civil liberties...they sure get me confused...)
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