# 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:** 3
**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, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dems-bush-mccain-romney/638415/41 "2012-10-22T16:27:52Z")
My point is that he, and he alone, was in a position to refuse Palin a place on the ticket. It was ultimately his decision, and all the practical excuse-making, which boils down to “BUT HE DIDN’T KNOW,” reflects very badly on him. He should have known, as you and I and a cocker spaniel knows, that choosing a total unknown for the second most powerful job in the world is a formula for disaster. At best, it’s a foolishly risky political manuever. At worst, it puts the country in grave danger. “Country First” indeed. ---
**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, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dems-bush-mccain-romney/638415/42 "2012-10-22T16:39:06Z")
But… but she’s so pretty! ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2012, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dems-bush-mccain-romney/638415/43 "2012-10-22T17:13:23Z")
Voldemort ---
**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, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dems-bush-mccain-romney/638415/44 "2012-10-22T17:15:47Z")
What do you think the Dark Lord wants with your filthy Muggle votes? ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2012, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dems-bush-mccain-romney/638415/45 "2012-10-22T17:31:29Z")
Romney. Although he’s been demonized right now, and his tax policy doesn’t add up and will leave the country worse off, I think he’s a moderate, and the ‘real’ Romney is not the one who’s appeasing the tea partiers. Preferable to McCain or Bush 43, anyhow. If he does end up in the White House, I will personally contribute to the secret service, because the idea of Ryan becoming president is my real fear. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2012, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dems-bush-mccain-romney/638415/46 "2012-10-22T17:37:38Z")
> [@bup](#): > > Romney. Although he’s been demonized right now, and his tax policy doesn’t add up and will leave the country worse off, I think he’s a moderate, and the ‘real’ Romney is not the one who’s appeasing the tea partiers. But that’s the problem. Even if that’s not the “real” Romney…we don’t have any idea which Romney would be President Romney. I don’t know that he’d be a moderate once in office if he didn’t feel like it served him well, no matter what he believes privately. That’s the scary part. ---
**Author:** ![DiosaBellissima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@DiosaBellissima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DiosaBellissima)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2012, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dems-bush-mccain-romney/638415/47 "2012-10-22T17:43:15Z")
Mccain without Palin any day. Is this even a contest? ---
**Author:** ![Feyrat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/fbc32d/32.png) [@Feyrat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Feyrat)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2012, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dems-bush-mccain-romney/638415/48 "2012-10-22T23:41:14Z")
Mccain, absolutely. He’s awful and a liar and conservative and all that, but I think he’s probably got the most humanity out of the three. Pair him with Susan Collins (Maine) instead of Palin and I won’t even have to pinch my nose all that hard. ---
**Author:** ![Randvek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a6a055/32.png) [@Randvek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Randvek)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2012, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dems-bush-mccain-romney/638415/49 "2012-10-23T00:25:32Z")
I liked McCain a lot before 2008, when he suddenly got weird. In fact, I was rooting for him in 2000 over Gore before Bush derailed that… ---
**Author:** ![zamboniracer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e9a140/32.png) [@zamboniracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zamboniracer)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2012, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dems-bush-mccain-romney/638415/50 "2012-10-23T02:23:49Z")
Choosing between those three is akin go having to chose between death by hanging, death by firing squad, and death by poison. I’d go with the firing squad. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2012, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dems-bush-mccain-romney/638415/51 "2012-10-23T03:17:10Z")
McCain. Since you didn’t specify that the “registered Republican” VP had to be currently living, how about Teddy Roosevelt, circa 1903? No? Uh… Rick Perry. Because the effort made to keep McCain alive will be so vast and all-encompassing that it will lead to technologies that will lengthen the lifespan of every human on Earth by 30%. Oh, and my veggie side dish will be corn on the cob, with butter and salt. ---
**Author:** ![Hershele\_Ostropoler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e47c2d/32.png) [@Hershele\_Ostropoler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hershele_Ostropoler)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2012, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dems-bush-mccain-romney/638415/52 "2012-10-23T03:57:53Z")
Hm. Marry Romney, fuck McCain … oh, wait, that’s not what you asked, is it? ---
**Author:** ![Damuri\_Ajashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@Damuri\_Ajashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damuri_Ajashi)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2012, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dems-bush-mccain-romney/638415/53 "2012-10-23T05:31:56Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Bush. > > The elder. You didn’t specify which one. best answer. If that doesn’t work then McCain w/o Palin. ---
**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 23, 2012, 9:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dems-bush-mccain-romney/638415/54 "2012-10-23T09:52:25Z")
I’m changing my vote. I just watched Jon Stewart and saw McCain jumping on the “Not Optimal” bullshit bandwagon. What a dolt; what an asshole. Between that and picking Palin for V.P., … ? I wonder what drugs I was on, for the earlier post. 😃 Given that Nixon, Ford, Bush Senior and even Reagan were OK, and Dole would have been, the present-day crew of GOP Presidents and contenders is amazingly pathetic. ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2012, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dems-bush-mccain-romney/638415/55 "2012-10-23T14:54:53Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > But that’s the problem. Even if that’s not the “real” Romney…we don’t have any idea which Romney would be President Romney. I don’t know that he’d be a moderate once in office if he didn’t feel like it served him well, no matter what he believes privately. That’s the scary part. Well, sure. It’s a choice among three choices I don’t like. I prefer him to McCain though, because I think McCain easily flies off the handle in a crisis, and then has to fix things later. ---
**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 23, 2012, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dems-bush-mccain-romney/638415/56 "2012-10-23T16:12:57Z")
> [@bup](#): > > Well, sure. It’s a choice among three choices I don’t like. > > I prefer him to McCain though, because I think McCain easily flies off the handle in a crisis, and then has to fix things later. Yep. And McCain tends not to listen to advisors, and in this scenario we’re attempting to pick the least bad option and supplying an advisor. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2012, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dems-bush-mccain-romney/638415/57 "2012-10-23T18:12:08Z")
> [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](#): > > For liberals only (and you must be registered Democrat, or Socialist, or Communist, or a woman to vote here): which of the three boogeymen would you choose as your President if they were the only three choices available? For argument’s sake, let’s say the time is right now, and as a bonus, you get to choose ANY registered Republican as their running mate. (You also get a choice of hot vegetable with this option.) This is NOT who you would like to run against–this man WILL be President of the US. You get to choose which one. McCain. No contest. He was never really a liberal bogeyman; he was just the guy who won the nomination in 2008, and would surely have signed most of the legislation that the GOP could get through Congress. Right now, he’s a “get off my lawn”-level crank, and he was never the font of wisdom that the MSM even now continues to think he is (as evidenced by the fact that they keep on inviting him back to appear on the Sunday morning political talk shows) but he’s not the sort of morally reprehensible asshole that the other two are. If the choice were just between GWB and Mitt, I’d say: shoot me now. ---
**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 23, 2012, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dems-bush-mccain-romney/638415/58 "2012-10-23T19:39:52Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > he’s not the sort of morally reprehensible asshole that the other two are. OK, I’ll bite: what sort of morally reprehensible asshole is he? ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2012, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dems-bush-mccain-romney/638415/59 "2012-10-24T00:40:38Z")
McCain. ---
**Author:** ![gamerunknown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6bbea6/32.png) [@gamerunknown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gamerunknown)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2012, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dems-bush-mccain-romney/638415/60 "2012-11-03T17:55:51Z")
Romney/Huntsman. Or just to be cruel, Bush/Buchanan. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dems-bush-mccain-romney/638415.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dems-bush-mccain-romney/638415.md?page=4)