# If McCain Had Chosen Anyone Reasonable for VP, he'd be President McCain **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [November 5, 2008, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-mccain-had-chosen-anyone-reasonable-for-vp-hed-be-president-mccain/471212 "2008-11-05T04:59:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2008, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-mccain-had-chosen-anyone-reasonable-for-vp-hed-be-president-mccain/471212/121 "2008-11-07T02:10:11Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > So, other than a few personal ancedotes (The plural of ancedote is not data) Of course not, silly, the singular is datum! Or an **ec** dote! :starts to duck&run, turns around: > [@](#): > > does anyone have a link anywhere to some poll where they questioned dudes coming out of the voting booth and found out that something like 8 million voters or 6% of the total electorate actually said “I only voted for Obama becuase of Palin”? I don’t know if any pollster has asked. Interesting idea. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2008, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-mccain-had-chosen-anyone-reasonable-for-vp-hed-be-president-mccain/471212/122 "2008-11-07T05:19:48Z")
> [@EddyTeddyFreddy](#): > > What bothered me about how she handled that call was not being punked per se but rather her gushy giggly high school cheerleader tone throughout. That is NOT how I expect to hear a President or Vice President speak with the head of a foreign government. That’s a very legit concern, I agree. Not that she was pranked, but her reaction to speaking to a “realy truely World Leader” was wierd and not mature. Her reaction on finding out she was being pranked wasn’t too bad, however. If someone tries to get me to beleive that McCain might have done better, I’ll buy that. But McCain could have had Jesus\* as his running mate and still lost.😛 No year to be a Pubbie. \*But of course Jesus would be a Dem.😛 ---
**Author:** ![Influential\_Panda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Influential\_Panda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Influential_Panda)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2008, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-mccain-had-chosen-anyone-reasonable-for-vp-hed-be-president-mccain/471212/123 "2008-11-07T05:27:43Z")
Yeah right, he couldn’t control Palin, no way he could control Jesus. Nobody fucks with the Jesus. ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2008, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-mccain-had-chosen-anyone-reasonable-for-vp-hed-be-president-mccain/471212/124 "2008-11-09T12:21:44Z")
the very long Newsweek write up makes Palin out to be a significant factor. There were a lot of polls on belief in the VP being able to lead, and Palin did poorly. my gut feel is for every dollar she raised for the Republicans, Palin probably raised $10 for Obama. (IIRC the money raised gap after Palin’s nomination was huge). Again gut feel that for every religous right vote she solidified and got to the poll, Palin probablt drove 5 independatns to the Obama camp. ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Girl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7bcc69/32.png) [@Mighty\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Girl)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2008, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-mccain-had-chosen-anyone-reasonable-for-vp-hed-be-president-mccain/471212/125 "2008-11-09T13:11:24Z")
> [@Influential\_Panda](#): > > Yeah right, he couldn’t control Palin, no way he could control Jesus. Nobody fucks with the Jesus. You mean _Jesus the Christ_? ---
**Author:** ![Salem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8c91f0/32.png) [@Salem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Salem)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2008, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-mccain-had-chosen-anyone-reasonable-for-vp-hed-be-president-mccain/471212/126 "2008-11-09T13:17:03Z")
I think it’s also not just how many votes she lost for the Republicans, but how many votes she propelled out of stagnancy for the Dems. I was not an ObamaManiac at all. I would have supported his candidacy as a Democrat, but I wouldn’t have been a fervent supporter nor would I have felt such urgency to get out and vote until the Palin Prospect came to be. Whatever concerns I had about Obama were completely shadowed by the thought of That Woman being anywhere near the White House. Nothing would have stopped me from voting this year. Had I been shot, gagged and hog-tied to a chair, I would have scraped my toe along the sidewalk of Hell to get to that voting booth to fill in the Obama Oval just to do my part to prevent Her from ever opening her mouth in any kind of official National capacity. While she may have energized the Republican Base, she also energized many Democrats and Independents (and moderate conservatives) into action that translated into the huge numbers shown in the voter turnouts. I have a friend who had not voted in 12 years. He tends toward the more conservative side and has voted Republican in the past. He made damn sure he was registered and out to vote this year just to vote against Her Highness of Hunting. And, **Sampiro** , while I agree nothing says “Thank you” quite like Sausage, I’ll throw in a few bags of pork rinds, just to make sure there’s a full family picnic. You know, spread the wealth. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2008, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-mccain-had-chosen-anyone-reasonable-for-vp-hed-be-president-mccain/471212/127 "2008-11-09T14:21:16Z")
Palin started out as a huge boost to McCain. She captured the airwaves and brought in money and stirred a part of the electorate that McCain needed. They had a huge head of steam and the dems were scared. Then she started to speak and it was bad. It showed McCain would wanted to win badly enough to risk putting her in the presidency. It questioned his character. After a couple lightweight interviews, she became an embarrassment and they tried to hide her. She would have blown up on 60 min or Meet the Press. We all knew it. Then her handlers started to leak . They actually seemed guilty over foisting her on us. The dems did not do much ,they didn’t have to. The repubs are trying to make her go away. They created a bride of Frankenstein. She may have more power now than they feel comfortable with. It will be interesting to see her next move. If she went quietly back to Alaska the repubs would have a sigh of relief. But, she liked the big stage. She liked the idea of big power. The fun is not over. ---
**Author:** ![Avumede](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/avumede/32/7235_2.png) [@Avumede](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Avumede)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2008, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-mccain-had-chosen-anyone-reasonable-for-vp-hed-be-president-mccain/471212/128 "2008-11-09T14:32:28Z")
McCain was screwed no matter what he did. Palin helped him by rousing the base. If he hadn’t done that, he would have lost big even if he had captured more independents. This is why Palin is a plausible political candidate in 2012. You can move from the Right to the Center without losing votes, but moving the other way scares independents. ---
**Author:** ![j666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@j666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j666)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2008, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-mccain-had-chosen-anyone-reasonable-for-vp-hed-be-president-mccain/471212/129 "2008-11-09T15:59:31Z")
> [@furt](#): > > I continue to be amazed by the anger this woman generates in some quarters. It’s like listening to hard-core conservatives going on about Hillary. I think that the rage she inspired in many women is under-appreciated. For every woman who was inspired by a woman on the ticket, there were ten who shrieked like harpies, _ **‘Do they think we are stupid?’** _ There are many well-known and highly qualified Republican politicians who are women; I suspect they know how to appeal to the party base. A lot of woman felt smacked in the face when McCain picked a relatively unknown and inexperienced woman, instead of someone like Dole or Hutchinson. I won’t Palin-bash; I suspect a lot of the things said about her are vicious misrepresentations (of the type suggested by **DrDeth** ) by McCain loyalists who want to blame someone else. And I agree with those who point out that she did her job; she energized the campaign and brought home the base. But I was profoundly insulted when she was chosen. She is not ready for prime time, while many others are. [Republicans tried to play the gender card, and it back-fired, because, as far as I can tell, they went for a cutie with nice legs, rather than a serious candidate. I don’t think the party wanted this term.] And **Salem,** thank you. That was … awe-inspiring. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2008, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-mccain-had-chosen-anyone-reasonable-for-vp-hed-be-president-mccain/471212/130 "2008-11-09T16:54:45Z")
> [@EddyTeddyFreddy](#): > > What bothered me about how she handled that call was not being punked per se but rather her gushy giggly high school cheerleader tone throughout. That is NOT how I expect to hear a President or Vice President speak with the head of a foreign government. I think what made the prank look worse was when Not!Sarkozy mentioned how excited he was to see “Nailin’ Palin… your biography” and she didn’t even pick up on it. That is what’s known as a “gimme” and instead she whacked the ball as hard as she could. ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2008, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-mccain-had-chosen-anyone-reasonable-for-vp-hed-be-president-mccain/471212/131 "2008-11-09T17:40:06Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > I honestly believe that, for all the hype Lord Obama got, the presidential election was McCain’s to lose this summer. It wasn’t. There were many other people better qualified for the office than he was, and why the hell we didn’t put one of them on the ballot just astounds me. ---
**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:** [November 9, 2008, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-mccain-had-chosen-anyone-reasonable-for-vp-hed-be-president-mccain/471212/132 "2008-11-09T17:54:48Z")
> [@Clothahump](#): > > There were many other people better qualified for the office than he was, and why the hell we didn’t put one of them on the ballot just astounds me. Better qualified than McCain? Among those who actually ran? I’m not seeing it. ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2008, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-mccain-had-chosen-anyone-reasonable-for-vp-hed-be-president-mccain/471212/133 "2008-11-09T18:06:43Z")
In the year of the Financial Crisis, the Republicans nominated a guy who: Said he doesn’t know as much about finance as he should Has a financial advisor who says we’re a nation of whiners (I don’t know why Obama didn’t beat that to death. I would’ve.) Doesn’t know how many houses he owns And said that the fundamentals of our economy are still strong. The only question is why he didn’t lose by more. ---
**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:** [November 9, 2008, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-mccain-had-chosen-anyone-reasonable-for-vp-hed-be-president-mccain/471212/134 "2008-11-09T18:29:19Z")
> [@jsc1953](#): > > The only question is why he didn’t lose by more. He ran against a black guy with a funny name who very few people had heard of before the primaries. I don’t think it’s any surprise that McCain stayed within 8 points. ---
**Author:** ![Enola\_Gay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/3ab097/32.png) [@Enola\_Gay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Gay)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2008, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-mccain-had-chosen-anyone-reasonable-for-vp-hed-be-president-mccain/471212/135 "2008-11-09T19:51:23Z")
Another anecdote from a moderate Republican: I supported McCain until he picked Palin, then I abandoned ship. I’ve heard all the excuses from other Republicans that “she wasn’t McCain’s pick”…but I have to agree with Marley that indeed she was. After all, doesn’t the buck stop with him? I also disagree that it was the economic crisis that sunk McCain. What sunk McCain was his _response_ to the economic crisis (or the lack thereof). And I think the Republicans need to repeat Math 101. IF you lose a base republican, you lose **one** vote since the worst they will do is stay home. But if you lose a moderate, it’s a double whammy because not only do you lose their vote, but your opponent _gains_ their vote making it a 2 point loss for each moderate that defects. If McCain had chosen a more reasonable running mate, I would have voted for him. The interesting thing is that I started off (after the Palin announcement) choosing Obama simply as the lesser of the two evils. But the more I got to know him, the more I became passionate about voting for him. I ultimately ended up contributing to his campaign and buying a ‘Republicans for Obama T-shirt’. Probably just a matter of time before I officially switch sides…and I owe it all to Sarah Palin. ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2008, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-mccain-had-chosen-anyone-reasonable-for-vp-hed-be-president-mccain/471212/136 "2008-11-09T20:05:54Z")
> [@Mighty\_Girl](#): > > You mean _Jesus the Christ_? i thought perhaps jesus ortiz. ---
**Author:** ![Frostillicus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Frostillicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frostillicus)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2008, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-mccain-had-chosen-anyone-reasonable-for-vp-hed-be-president-mccain/471212/137 "2008-11-10T03:16:13Z")
> [@Sam\_Stone](#): > > what she did was save McCain from bankruptcy. She totally turned his fundraising around - she brought in 9 million dollars in the first three days after her pick, which is Obama-territory fundraising ability. The money kept coming in right up to the end. If this is why McCain picked Palin, he is monumentally stupid, because McCain accepted public financing for the general election and was therefore unable to raise money from the private sector after the Reepublican convention. So he had less than a week to take advantage of Palin’s formidable fundraising skills. (No, the money did not keep coming in, right until the end. When Obama announced that he had raised $150 million in September, there was no corresponding anouncement from the McCain camp because they had to legally stop raising money after the convention.) ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2008, 7:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-mccain-had-chosen-anyone-reasonable-for-vp-hed-be-president-mccain/471212/138 "2008-11-10T07:25:20Z")
> [@Salem](#): > > Nothing would have stopped me from voting this year. Had I been shot, gagged and hog-tied to a chair, I would have scraped my toe along the sidewalk of Hell to get to that voting booth to fill in the Obama Oval just to do my part to prevent Her from ever opening her mouth in any kind of official National capacity. You’re not the only one. On election day NPR here in California carried the story of a woman in SoCal who went to vote - while in active labor. They brought her to the front of the line, at least. No news on what she named the baby. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-mccain-had-chosen-anyone-reasonable-for-vp-hed-be-president-mccain/471212.md?page=6)