# Who will/should McCain pick as running mate? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [June 18, 2008, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-will-should-mccain-pick-as-running-mate/453391 "2008-06-18T19:42:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2008, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-will-should-mccain-pick-as-running-mate/453391/1 "2008-06-18T19:42:47Z")
All conceivable possibilities listed on this [Wikipedia page.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Republican_vice_presidential_candidates%2C_2008) [Bobby Jindal](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=472131) is out of the running if McCain has even a lick of sense. [Charlie Crist](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlie_Crist) has been suggested . . . but, no. He’s gay. Hotly denies it, but everybody knows. It didn’t seem to matter much when he was running for governor, but no way will he have a place on a national Republican ticket. Huckabee would at least shore up some of McCain’s appeal to the religious right, but his economic-populist message would alienate other wings of the party, just as it did in the primaries. ---
**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:** [June 18, 2008, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-will-should-mccain-pick-as-running-mate/453391/2 "2008-06-18T19:51:25Z")
[Carly Fiorina](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carly_Fiorina) has been mentioned, though maybe only by her people. She is out trying to round up the women for McCain now. Picking her would be amusing. First, she screwed up HP and got fired by the board, second, old HPers I know uniformly hate her guts. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Lance\_Murdoch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/47e85d/32.png) [@Captain\_Lance\_Murdoch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Lance_Murdoch)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2008, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-will-should-mccain-pick-as-running-mate/453391/3 "2008-06-18T20:01:08Z")
Tim Pawlenty is the one to beat, methinks. He’s young, he has broken with Bush just enough to carry the “maverick” theme. He’s a super-Christian (which he plays down in MN, but I expect it will be played up in the Bible belt), he’s a staunch supporter of the war in Iraq, he is very eager to do the attack work VP candidates are often asked to do, he’s on very good personal terms with McCain and he is from what is being billed as a swing state. On the down side, he couldn’t deliver MN to McCain in the primaries and he has never won 50% of the vote in his gubernatorial runs so it’s not easy to see him turning the state red for the first time in 36 years. Nevertheless, I think he’s the favorite. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2008, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-will-should-mccain-pick-as-running-mate/453391/4 "2008-06-18T20:08:12Z")
[QUOTE=Captain Lance Murdoch] Tim Pawlenty is the one to beat, methinks. He’s young, he has broken with Bush just enough to carry the “maverick” theme. He’s a super-Christian (which he plays down in MN, but I expect it will be played up in the Bible belt), he’s a staunch supporter of the war in Iraq, he is very eager to do the attack work VP candidates are often asked to do, he’s on very good personal terms with McCain and he is from what is being billed as a swing state. On the down side, he couldn’t deliver MN to McCain in the primaries and he has never won 50% of the vote in his gubernatorial runs so it’s not easy to see him turning the state red for the first time in 36 years. Nevertheless, I think he’s the favorite. [/QUOTE] He also has a major freeway bridge sitting in a river - after saving the state money by making his Lt. Gov the head of the transportation department - because, you know, roads in Minnesota are such a small job. (OK, they cleaned it up, it isn’t sitting in the river anymore - there is still a chasm over the Mississippi that won’t look good on national TV). ---
**Author:** ![Kozmik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8dc957/32.png) [@Kozmik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kozmik)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2008, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-will-should-mccain-pick-as-running-mate/453391/5 "2008-06-18T20:09:34Z")
Someone older than him. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2008, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-will-should-mccain-pick-as-running-mate/453391/6 "2008-06-18T20:12:37Z")
If McCain picks Pawlenty he’ll have to stop the attacks on Obama for being young and inexperienced. That alone should prevent it. How can the you say someone is experienced enough to be VP to a 72 year old president but someone else the same age with similar experience is not ready to lead? ---
**Author:** ![tds1273](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/df705f/32.png) [@tds1273](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tds1273)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2008, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-will-should-mccain-pick-as-running-mate/453391/7 "2008-06-18T21:17:00Z")
My gut says it will be Gingrich, Lieberman, or Huckabee. I shudder at the wretched thought of any of those. One hope is that it will be Olympia Snowe. It might make things a bit tougher for Obama, but when considering worst-case-scenarios, even though she is pretty hawkish, on a social platform she’s decent. Of course, of any Republicans off the top of my head, I would rather it be Chafee or Paul, but I think Snowe, while not the most ideal, might be the only one of my preferred with any chance. Another hope is that he picks Romney. The guy is like a parody of a politician or car salesman and would make for a much easier election for Obama. Colbert’s Sesame Street puppet use is perfect. Finally, a macabre part of me hopes he takes Jon Stewart’s advice and picks Hillary Clinton. What circus train wrecked in a shit storm that would be to watch. It’s gold, Jerry! Gold! ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Lance\_Murdoch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/47e85d/32.png) [@Captain\_Lance\_Murdoch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Lance_Murdoch)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2008, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-will-should-mccain-pick-as-running-mate/453391/8 "2008-06-18T21:35:55Z")
[QUOTE=Dangerosa] He also has a major freeway bridge sitting in a river - after saving the state money by making his Lt. Gov the head of the transportation department - because, you know, roads in Minnesota are such a small job. (OK, they cleaned it up, it isn’t sitting in the river anymore - there is still a chasm over the Mississippi that won’t look good on national TV). [/QUOTE] Well, not only that but McCain blamed the Democrats for spending money elsewhere that could have been spent on the bridge which embarrassed Pawlenty as it went against his script that spending more money on transportation in no way could have helped. I think though that the whole bridge thing would not be a big deal on the national stage. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2008, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-will-should-mccain-pick-as-running-mate/453391/9 "2008-06-18T21:36:44Z")
[QUOTE=tds1273] My gut says it will be Gingrich, Lieberman, or Huckabee. I shudder at the wretched thought of any of those. [/QUOTE] **Gingrich?!** Why would he even be considered? ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Lance\_Murdoch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/47e85d/32.png) [@Captain\_Lance\_Murdoch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Lance_Murdoch)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2008, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-will-should-mccain-pick-as-running-mate/453391/10 "2008-06-18T21:39:58Z")
[QUOTE=Procrustus] If McCain picks Pawlenty he’ll have to stop the attacks on Obama for being young and inexperienced. That alone should prevent it. How can the you say someone is experienced enough to be VP to a 72 year old president but someone else the same age with similar experience is not ready to lead? [/QUOTE] You spin it. Pawlenty has _executive_ experience. He is in his _second_ (four year) term, not his first (six year) term. He has been to Iraq. Blah, Blah, Blah ---
**Author:** ![tds1273](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/df705f/32.png) [@tds1273](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tds1273)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2008, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-will-should-mccain-pick-as-running-mate/453391/11 "2008-06-18T21:48:49Z")
[QUOTE=BrainGlutton] **Gingrich?!** Why would he even be considered? [/QUOTE] Good reasons? I have none. He is however all over Faux getting air time and giving advice('course so is Rove and Ferraro) with Shamity with a new sort of “Contract [del]on[/del] with America” thing, he has ‘experience’, and I assume(though I would be happy to be wrong) that he still has some standing amongst conservatives. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2008, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-will-should-mccain-pick-as-running-mate/453391/12 "2008-06-18T22:52:16Z")
I still like the idea of [Chris Cox.](http://www.sec.gov/about/commissioner/cox.htm) > [@](#): > > During his tenure at the SEC, Chairman Cox has made vigorous enforcement of the securities laws the agency’s top priority, bringing ground breaking cases against a variety of market abuses including hedge fund insider trading, stock options backdating, fraud aimed at senior citizens, municipal securities fraud, and securities scams on the Internet. He has assumed leadership of the international effort to more closely integrate U.S. and overseas regulation in an era of global capital markets and international securities exchanges. He has also championed transforming the SEC’s system of mandated disclosure from a static, form-based approach to one that taps the power of interactive data … > > For 10 of his 17 years in Congress, Chairman Cox served in the Majority Leadership of the U.S. House of Representatives. He was Chairman of the House Policy Committee; Chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security; Chairman of the Select Committee on U.S. National Security; Chairman of the Select Committee on Homeland Security… > > … appointed by President Clinton to the Bipartisan Commission on Entitlement and Tax Reform, which published its unanimous report in 1995. > > From 1986 until 1988, Chairman Cox served in the White House as Senior Associate Counsel to the President. In that capacity, he advised the President on a wide range of matters, including the nomination of three U.S. Supreme Court Justices, reform of the federal budget process, and the 1987 stock market crash. 56 years old, has worked in several bipartisan groups, helped guide through Supreme noms … From Minnesota. Economic gravitas in an enable personal responsibility and enforce the law kind of way, Homeland Security cred, bipartisan cred, knowledge of how the executive works, youngish, from a state McCain eyes but more importantly fits the narrative and would actually help run an administration. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2008, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-will-should-mccain-pick-as-running-mate/453391/13 "2008-06-18T23:02:57Z")
[QUOTE=Captain Lance Murdoch] You spin it. Pawlenty has _executive_ experience. He is in his _second_ (four year) term, not his first (six year) term. He has been to Iraq. Blah, Blah, Blah [/QUOTE] I see the distinction, but I think it blurs one of McCain’s strongest arguments for most voters. ---
**Author:** ![Baldwin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baldwin/32/7264_2.png) [@Baldwin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baldwin)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2008, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-will-should-mccain-pick-as-running-mate/453391/14 "2008-06-18T23:12:09Z")
Whoever the next VP is, I wonder if he’ll let Google Earth un-pixellate the Naval Observatory? ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2008, 8:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-will-should-mccain-pick-as-running-mate/453391/15 "2008-06-19T08:25:16Z")
How about [Sarah Palin](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarah_Palin)? She’s got a high home approval rating and pushes all the right demographic buttons to counter the Democrats: she’s young, female, and has a disabled child. She also has a son in the military. The major downside is her disabled child: he’s a newborn. Can you imagine her on the stump while breastfeeding? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2008, 8:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-will-should-mccain-pick-as-running-mate/453391/16 "2008-06-19T08:36:52Z")
> [@](#): > > She eats moose burgers and rides snowmobiles. She admits that she used marijuana when it was legal in the state I’d love to imagine her on my stump, while breastfeeding. Me, that is. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2008, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-will-should-mccain-pick-as-running-mate/453391/17 "2008-06-19T11:53:57Z")
[QUOTE=Quartz] How about [Sarah Palin](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarah_Palin)? [/QUOTE] McCain would totally loose the inexperienced attack on Obama if he choose Palin. She has been Governor of the third least populated state in the Union for all of two years, and before that her political experience consisted of being mayor for a town of 8,000 people. ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2008, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-will-should-mccain-pick-as-running-mate/453391/18 "2008-06-19T13:00:21Z")
Chuck Hagel, perhaps. There’s been enough buzz about him as a running mate for Obama that McCain should at least be vetting him. ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2008, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-will-should-mccain-pick-as-running-mate/453391/19 "2008-06-19T15:57:39Z")
How about [Paul Ryan](http://www.nndb.com/people/298/000040178/). He could help siphon off some of Obamas votes in swing state Wisconsin. He’s young, been in Congress for almost 10 years, and has some dynamic ideas. On the down side, he’s too young, and has been in Congress less than 10 years. Either way, I don’t like McCain, and who he picks as a running mate won’t change that! ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2008, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-will-should-mccain-pick-as-running-mate/453391/20 "2008-06-19T16:11:57Z")
[QUOTE=Quartz] How about [Sarah Palin](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarah_Palin)? She’s got a high home approval rating and pushes all the right demographic buttons to counter the Democrats: she’s young, female, and has a disabled child. She also has a son in the military. The major downside is her disabled child: he’s a newborn. Can you imagine her on the stump while breastfeeding? 🙂 [/QUOTE] She’s anti-choice. That negates any appeal she might have for women. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-will-should-mccain-pick-as-running-mate/453391.md?page=2)