# Dems: Bush, McCain, Romney? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [October 21, 2012, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dems-bush-mccain-romney/638415 "2012-10-21T13:54:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2012, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dems-bush-mccain-romney/638415/21 "2012-10-21T19:09:39Z")
1. McCain without Palin. 2. Romney. (The devil you don’t know.) 3. Bush. (The devil you do.) 4. Karl Rove. 5. The ghost of Richard Nixon. 6. Davros. 7. McCain with Palin. ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2012, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dems-bush-mccain-romney/638415/22 "2012-10-21T19:31:31Z")
Since we are obviously throwing out the constitution by allowing Bush to possibly serve a 3rd term if he is picked, and you said ANY REGISTERED REPUBLICAN, I say Bush with Schwarzenegger as VP. Seriously, the guy was a pretty good governor. Or possibly Olympia Snow or Susan Collins. As much as he gets the blame for it, Bush didn’t have that much to do with the economic melt down. And when it came down to it, he realized that the government needed to intervene and he made a heart-felt plea to republicans in congress to go along with a government bailout to keep us from going into a deep depression. With a reasonable republican at his side, I’d say we’d have a good chance of having a decent presidency for 4 years. ---
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2012, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dems-bush-mccain-romney/638415/23 "2012-10-21T20:06:21Z")
McCain with Powell as VP. ---
**Author:** ![j666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@j666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j666)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2012, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dems-bush-mccain-romney/638415/24 "2012-10-21T20:06:58Z")
I suppose that “the one in the worst health” would skirt just a little too close to the rules … Oddly enough, the miserable lying bastard. He’s smart, he’s honest by his depraved and despicable standards, and I think he might actually want what’s best for the country. He’s dead wrong about what that is, admittedly, but if Republican strangle hold is broken in the mid-term elections, and all the Supreme’s hold on for a few more years, we might survive. But only if Jane Swift is Lieutenant President. Heh, heh. _… snicker… snort … giggle … chortle … gigglesnort choke … gasp …_ Oh, pull up a chair, I’ll bring the pop-corn. > [@WhyNot](#): > > Add me to the “McCain, I guess…you bastard” camp. > > Thing is, based on what he’s done (health care in Mass, especially) and the things he’s saying at the debates (prompting many of my friends to think that Romney and Obama aren’t that different, really)…I could actually like Romney as Pres. But I just don’t trust him. I don’t know if he’s lying now to appeal to moderates, or he was lying 6 months ago to appeal to the Religious Right. > > And I have no idea about a running mate, but I’d like broccoli, please. With cheese sauce. Both. The lying bastard. And I’m officially unenrolled, and refuse to accept gender be a factor in allowing one to vote, so also put me down as a rule breaker. ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2012, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dems-bush-mccain-romney/638415/25 "2012-10-21T20:12:32Z")
> [@The\_Hamster\_King](#): > > McCain. > > His positions were wrong-headed, but he had a pragmatic streak and honestly seemed to have the country’s best interests at heart. > > … > > Romney scares the shit out of me. He’s a slippery opportunist who seems to be willing to say anything to get elected. I disagreed with what McCain and Bush believed in, but at least they seemed to have core beliefs. Romney comes off as hollow and soulless. Yes, definitely McCain. I’d prefer a McCain 15 years younger, but we’re allowed a good V.P. McCain does not strike me as very intelligent, and I disagree with many of his positions, but “honestly seems to have the country’s best interests at heart” is what decides it. That _should_ go without saying for any candidate, and I think it applied to almost every President or major candidate ever … but it doesn’t apply to Romney, nor to the Cheney-Rove Administration. ---
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2012, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dems-bush-mccain-romney/638415/26 "2012-10-21T20:17:45Z")
George H.W. Bush. If he’s not supposed to be the Bush you refer to, than McCain sans Palin. Then George W. Bush. Then Romney. Then McCain with Palin. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2012, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dems-bush-mccain-romney/638415/27 "2012-10-21T20:18:49Z")
Romney. I think he’s a moderate at heart, and the reason he’s pandering is that he wants to be elected. He doesn’t have much of a core, but the teeny, tiny core he’s got is moderate. And I don’t know if he’d be as susceptible to such once he had his goal–being president. Bleh. ---
**Author:** ![Alka\_Seltzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c89c15/32.png) [@Alka\_Seltzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alka_Seltzer)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2012, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dems-bush-mccain-romney/638415/28 "2012-10-21T20:23:34Z")
Probably McCain, largely on the grounds that there would be a statistically significant chance of him dropping dead before his term was up, leaving my hand-picked VP in charge. > [@WhyNot](#): > > And I have no idea about a running mate, but I’d like broccoli, please. With cheese sauce. Look, we’d all like broccoli with cheese sauce, but we have to be realistic in this economy! ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2012, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dems-bush-mccain-romney/638415/29 "2012-10-21T21:05:23Z")
> [@Nancarrow](#): > > Why would we volunteer Sarah Palin for that role AGAIN? I’m not eligible to vote in this thread but I just wanted to say that made me laugh. ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2012, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dems-bush-mccain-romney/638415/30 "2012-10-22T03:27:50Z")
Of those three, McCain for sure. In fact I actually did vote for him in the '00 primaries. I didn’t like him as much in '08 when he tacked to the right (which in his defense was the only way to win the nomination) and his picking of Palin turned me off completely. But with a different running mate and Romney & Bush as the only other options, he’d be tolerable. ---
**Author:** ![a35362](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@a35362](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/a35362)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2012, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dems-bush-mccain-romney/638415/31 "2012-10-22T04:04:19Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > …As for a running mate, I don’t know if she’s an official Republican but I’d go for S.E. Cupp. Hotter than Sarah Palin and a thousand times smarter. Actually Cupp isn’t 35 yet, so she’s not eligible. ---
**Author:** ![Sudden\_Kestrel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecd19e/32.png) [@Sudden\_Kestrel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sudden_Kestrel)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2012, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dems-bush-mccain-romney/638415/32 "2012-10-22T05:45:45Z")
I’d be pissed off but would choose McCain over the others, with a [del]side order[/del] VP pick of Clint Eastwood. They’re both _really_ old and Eastwood makes me laugh. Besides, we could probably convince Ahmedinijad (sp?) that Eastwood’s movies are documentaries. Might come in handy some day. ---
**Author:** ![Mekhazzio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b38774/32.png) [@Mekhazzio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mekhazzio)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2012, 8:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dems-bush-mccain-romney/638415/33 "2012-10-22T08:49:03Z")
The administrations of all three would be filled with many of the same people, so I don’t see that as much of a choice. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2012, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dems-bush-mccain-romney/638415/34 "2012-10-22T13:39:27Z")
> [@a35362](#): > > Actually Cupp isn’t 35 yet, so she’s not eligible. Damn. In that case, McCain as president and Michigan Governor Snyder as veep. ---
**Author:** ![Osiris\_the\_1st](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/9de0a6/32.png) [@Osiris\_the\_1st](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Osiris_the_1st)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2012, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dems-bush-mccain-romney/638415/35 "2012-10-22T13:57:07Z")
McCain with Lieberman as VP. If he’d had the guts to pick Lieberman in the first place, he might have pulled out a win. ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2012, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dems-bush-mccain-romney/638415/36 "2012-10-22T14:17:13Z")
> [@Osiris\_the\_1st](#): > > McCain with Lieberman as VP. If he’d had the guts to pick Lieberman in the first place, he might have pulled out a win. Agreed. Going into the campaign season, I thought McCain looked really strong. Even though I’m a pretty hardcore lefty, I felt a McCain presidency would be okay. Not my choice, but still okay. Then he picked Sarah Palin, which meant 1) he basically sold out to the far-right elements in his own party, and 2) Sarah Palin would be a heartbeat from the presidency. No thanks. ---
**Author:** ![pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pseudotriton_ruber_ruber)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2012, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dems-bush-mccain-romney/638415/37 "2012-10-22T14:38:48Z")
But would a McCain (Now!! With New Improved Lieberman!!) Administration simply put the country in the hands of someone who has demonstrably exercised terrible judgment on one of the few issues you’ve seen him exercise judgment? I mean, push come to shove, he–chose–Palin. He didn’t have the guts, the brains, the vision, apart from political considerations, to know that was an impossible choice. It was like he chose his cocker spaniel for the VP slot, and now you’re saying, “Yeah, other than that choice, he’s the man.” No, no, no–that was a crazy, disturbing, completely loopy choice–and he made it when he had other options. He’s a reckless, dangerous, maniac in my view–probably the scariest of the three for that reason. ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2012, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dems-bush-mccain-romney/638415/38 "2012-10-22T14:50:29Z")
Right, I am positing a hypothetical alternate universe where he never picked Palin. In the real world, he did, and IMO he cannot now be trusted. ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2012, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dems-bush-mccain-romney/638415/39 "2012-10-22T15:48:08Z")
Romney. a) I think he really is more moderate than he appears (he certainly governed as a moderate in Massachusetts), and would tack to the center as president. b) He is clearly the most intelligent of the three. McCain is not that smart, and just a little nutty, and Bush is…Bush. ---
**Author:** ![a35362](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@a35362](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/a35362)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2012, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dems-bush-mccain-romney/638415/40 "2012-10-22T16:20:29Z")
> [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](#): > > But would a McCain (Now!! With New Improved Lieberman!!) Administration simply put the country in the hands of someone who has demonstrably exercised terrible judgment on one of the few issues you’ve seen him exercise judgment? I mean, push come to shove, he–chose–Palin. He didn’t have the guts, the brains, the vision, apart from political considerations, to know that was an impossible choice. It was like he chose his cocker spaniel for the VP slot, and now you’re saying, “Yeah, other than that choice, he’s the man.” No, no, no–that was a crazy, disturbing, completely loopy choice–and he made it when he had other options. > > He’s a reckless, dangerous, maniac in my view–probably the scariest of the three for that reason. I maintain that at the time she was chosen, NOBODY (except Alaskans, and Alaskan Republicans weren’t about to diss one of their own) knew that much about her and had NO idea what they were in for. McCain wanted Lieberman, they talked him down (Jewish, moderate), Pawlenty’s too boring, they were behind in the polls, they weren’t raising money, they were getting desperate, they went for the game-changing, Hail Mary pass choice, and it blew up in their faces. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dems-bush-mccain-romney/638415.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dems-bush-mccain-romney/638415.md?page=3)