# 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:** 2
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2008, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-will-should-mccain-pick-as-running-mate/453391/21 "2008-06-19T16:43:30Z")
I thought Mark Sanford (South Carolina Gov.) sounded like a good choice who hit the right notes. ---
**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:** [June 19, 2008, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-will-should-mccain-pick-as-running-mate/453391/22 "2008-06-19T17:07:56Z")
[QUOTE=DSeid] I still like the idea of Chris Cox. [/QUOTE] The downside, of course, is that we would have four to eight years of Cox jokes. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2008, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-will-should-mccain-pick-as-running-mate/453391/23 "2008-06-19T17:15:29Z")
[QUOTE=Diogenes the Cynic] She’s anti-choice. That negates any appeal she might have for women. [/QUOTE] Are there no female voters who are anti-choice but still want to see more women in public office? ---
**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, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-will-should-mccain-pick-as-running-mate/453391/24 "2008-06-19T17:31:38Z")
[QUOTE=BrainGlutton] Are there no female voters who are anti-choice but still want to see more women in public office? [/QUOTE] The ones who are anti-choice are already going to vote for McCain. A pro-life woman on the ticket does not pull any women who weren’t already on board – in other words, it won’t help him get any Hillary voters. ---
**Author:** ![Lakai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9de0a6/32.png) [@Lakai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lakai)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2008, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-will-should-mccain-pick-as-running-mate/453391/25 "2008-06-19T20:51:37Z")
Just food for thought, but how about [Condoleezza Rice?](http://www.newyorker.com/talk/comment/2008/03/17/080317taco_talk_hertzberg) As the article points out, she is a preacher’s daughter, one the most popular members of the Bush administration, and has a good personal story. Also, if McCain/Rice wins, and McCain croaks midway through his term, Rice will be the first black and female president. Beating both Barack and Hillary to the punch. The only reason not to pick her is if you are hoping to win by getting the racist vote. Condi on the ticket would prevent democratic racists from voting for the white ticket, since bought tickets will have a black candidate on them. Otherwise, as far as attacking Obama goes, this is as good as your going to get. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2008, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-will-should-mccain-pick-as-running-mate/453391/26 "2008-06-19T21:04:29Z")
[QUOTE=Lakai] Just food for thought, but how about [Condoleezza Rice?](http://www.newyorker.com/talk/comment/2008/03/17/080317taco_talk_hertzberg) As the article points out, she is a preacher’s daughter, one the most popular members of the Bush administration, and has a good personal story. [/QUOTE] Ain’t gonna happen: 1. She has never held an **elected** office in her life. 2. She’s a lesbian. ---
**Author:** ![descamisado](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@descamisado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/descamisado)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2008, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-will-should-mccain-pick-as-running-mate/453391/27 "2008-06-19T21:31:00Z")
[QUOTE=BrainGlutton] Ain’t gonna happen: 1. She has never held an **elected** office in her life. 2. She’s a lesbian. [/QUOTE] 3. Choosing her (as unlikely as it is) ties McCain irrevocably to Bush and his fumbling of the Iraq War. ---
**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, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-will-should-mccain-pick-as-running-mate/453391/28 "2008-06-19T21:33:09Z")
Not only is she a lesbian she’s also pro-choice, and she wouldn’t exactly help McCain scrub the stink of Dubya off his suit. Rice has problems on both sides of the political spectrum. She’s too closely tied to Bush to appeal to the center left, and she’s too gay, black, female and pro-choice to appeal to the far right. ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2008, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-will-should-mccain-pick-as-running-mate/453391/29 "2008-06-19T21:34:19Z")
[QUOTE=5-4-Fighting] 3. Choosing her (as unlikely as it is) ties McCain irrevocably to Bush and his fumbling of the Iraq War. [/QUOTE] As opposed to how it is now? ---
**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, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-will-should-mccain-pick-as-running-mate/453391/30 "2008-06-19T21:45:44Z")
[QUOTE=DigitalC] As opposed to how it is now? [/QUOTE] Well, it doesn’t exactly cut the albatross _off_. I’ve seen a lot of pundits saying that McCain needs to pick a solid social conservative (maybe Huckabee) to shore up his base. I disagree. I think his problem right now is keeping the independents. They haven’t followed along with him on his journey back to the right. I think his best shot would be to choose someone who appeals to the middle-left, not the right. I don’t know who that would be – maybe Powell, maybe Hagel, maybe even Rudy – but all his pandering to the right has hurt his credibility with the indies. I think he has to be careful with just stunt-casting a woman or a minority, though. It would have to be a substantive choice, and not just a transparent marketing ploy. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2008, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-will-should-mccain-pick-as-running-mate/453391/31 "2008-06-19T21:49:03Z")
[QUOTE=BrainGlutton] Ain’t gonna happen: 1. She has never held an **elected** office in her life. 2. She’s a lesbian. [/QUOTE] How certain are you of #2? I’ve certainly heard the rumors to that effect, but I’m surprised at the matter-of-fact claim you make. ---
**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, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-will-should-mccain-pick-as-running-mate/453391/32 "2008-06-19T21:49:34Z")
[QUOTE=BrainGlutton] 2. She’s a lesbian. [/QUOTE] > [@](#): > > Charlie Crist has been suggested . . . but, no. He’s gay Ya know. Not every unmarried forty something professional is necessarily gay **BG**. Just for the record, neither Rice or Crist is openly gay, I’ve never seen any actual evidence that they were closeted homosexuals, and both have been romantically linked with people of the opposite gender. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2008, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-will-should-mccain-pick-as-running-mate/453391/33 "2008-06-19T21:56:11Z")
Rice would take away the attacks on Mrs. Obama for being the mean black lady. ---
**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, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-will-should-mccain-pick-as-running-mate/453391/34 "2008-06-19T21:59:47Z")
[QUOTE=Bricker] How certain are you of #2? I’ve certainly heard the rumors to that effect, but I’m surprised at the matter-of-fact claim you make. [/QUOTE] I have inside information on this. My father was career State Department (recently retired). Rice travels (and lives) with a long-term companion who is tacitly understood to be her spouse. It’s not publicized, but I hear from an impeccable inside source (my dad) that’s it’s accepted as a matter of course in the State Department and an open secret in Washington that Condi Rice has this longtime girlfriend named Randy. ---
**Author:** ![Lakai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9de0a6/32.png) [@Lakai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lakai)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2008, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-will-should-mccain-pick-as-running-mate/453391/35 "2008-06-19T22:17:05Z")
[QUOTE=Diogenes the Cynic] I have inside information on this. My father was career State Department (recently retired). Rice travels (and lives) with a long-term companion who is tacitly understood to be her spouse. It’s not publicized, but I hear from an impeccable inside source (my dad) that’s it’s accepted as a matter of course in the State Department and an open secret in Washington that Condi Rice has this longtime girlfriend named Randy. [/QUOTE] So Bush’s most trusted aid is a black lesbian? I actually just experienced a moment of respect for George W. Bush. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Frostillicus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Frostillicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frostillicus)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2008, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-will-should-mccain-pick-as-running-mate/453391/36 "2008-06-19T22:26:25Z")
How about Jeb! Bush? He can help carry Florida and he appeals to Hispanic voters. In fact, I cannot think of any negatives. ---
**Author:** ![ZebraShaSha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/eada6e/32.png) [@ZebraShaSha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZebraShaSha)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2008, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-will-should-mccain-pick-as-running-mate/453391/37 "2008-06-19T22:34:26Z")
[QUOTE=Frostillicus] How about Jeb! Bush? He can help carry Florida and he appeals to Hispanic voters. In fact, I cannot think of any negatives. [/QUOTE] His last name? ---
**Author:** ![What\_the](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f4b2a3/32.png) [@What\_the](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_the)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2008, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-will-should-mccain-pick-as-running-mate/453391/38 "2008-06-19T23:13:18Z")
[QUOTE=BrainGlutton] Ain’t gonna happen: 1. She has never held an **elected** office in her life. 2. She’s a lesbian. [/QUOTE] Hey I was going to suggest a black woman who is gay not even realizing we had one! ---
**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:** [June 19, 2008, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-will-should-mccain-pick-as-running-mate/453391/39 "2008-06-19T23:22:56Z")
The genius choice would be Jesse Ventura, as the most successful representative of the Andersonian schism that left the GOP & became “Independents.” But it’s arguably smarter for Jesse to run for the Senate instead & hope to let the GOP bleed to death. On the other hand, whichever candidate doesn’t pick a female running mate is simply disarming himself. In that vein: [Liddy Dole](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liddy_Dole), 'cos duh, she’s Liddy Dole. The not-quite-so-ancient half of the original Washington power couple. [Heather Wilson](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heather_Wilson), known as an independent-minded Republican but one that only the most benighted dittohead would mistake for a “librul.” Of course, she’s also from the Southwest, but the last two successful tickets were men from neighboring states (or really the same state in the case of Bush/Cheney). ---
**Author:** ![descamisado](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@descamisado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/descamisado)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2008, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-will-should-mccain-pick-as-running-mate/453391/40 "2008-06-20T00:44:44Z")
[QUOTE=DigitalC] As opposed to how it is now? [/QUOTE] That’s why I said irrevocably, in a way that’s set in cement, unlike any future, guaranteed flip-flops and “I didn’t say/hold that position, when we have proof he actually did” lies. Does anybody actually think Powell would accept the VP if asked? I doubt he would. I actuallly hope he will pick Rudy. Now there’s a combination that’s an express bus headed fast to Nowheresville. Rudy has a lot of baggage – big loser in the primaries, bad judgment re Bernie Kerik, having nothing to add but “a noun, a verb and 9/11” without any real natiional security or foreign policy experience. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-will-should-mccain-pick-as-running-mate/453391.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-will-should-mccain-pick-as-running-mate/453391.md?page=3)