Last night I went to bed thinking Gov Pawlenty was going to be the Veep pick, it wasn’t certain, but it was pretty likely (especially with the rope-a-dope on canceling his Denver appearances). InTrade moved all around between Pawlenty and Romney. The long shot was Lieberman. Early on we heard Sarah Palin was on the short list, but there wasn’t much from her recently. Eric Cantor seemed to be gaining steam in the last week. We had what we thought, but we weren’t sure.
The news of Sarah Palin being chosen only leaked maybe about an hour before she was to be introduced as John McCain’s running mate. Wow. This week was impressive for the McCain campaign. They really faked everyone out (especially Erick, sorry, heh!) and lowered expectations, and then BANG… Gov Palin!
I give kudos to the McCain campaign, contrast this to the way the Obama rolled out Joe Biden. Obama’s selection got leaked at 2 am, prompting them to have their 3 am text message of annoyance and still getting scooped by the MSM. Biden was already known to be on the short list and most people had him as the selection 2 days ahead of time. No one really had Palin in the final 3 (Lieberman, Romney and Pawlenty). That is a tight campaign.
Additionally, the McCain team has really has been awesome with their ad campaign. We’ve seen time and time again the sharp contrasts and quick turn arounds. They are inside the Obama decision loop. We’ve seen that for the last month plus (ever since Obama’s World Tour).
Great job McCain, great pick and great roll-out. Steve Schmidt, you rock!
PS. I predict that this will knock Obama’s bounce right out of the water.
Moe Lane
Steve Maley
Dan McLaughlin
Neil Stevens
Daniel Horowitz
Ditto
KeyWestConservative (Diary) Friday, August 29th at 1:05PM EST (link)I, too, am in awe of the McCain campaign for the way this decision was handled regarding the press, but more so because of the political strategy surrounding the pick itself. Choosing Palin was a brilliant political move by McCain. If you doubt that, just watch the level of energy that has just been infused into the McCain campaign. People who were apathetic before but still committed to McCain have shown a lot of enthusiasm after the Palin pick.
My biggest fear was that McCain would pick a moderate running mate leaving the future of our party in the hands of moderates. He put those fears to rest this morning with the choice of a conservative. The future of our party belongs to conservatives like Palin and Jindal and if elected in November this team will bridge the gap between the past and the future. Way to go Johnny Mac.
oh yeah!
Darin_H (Diary) Friday, August 29th at 1:14PM EST (link)People who were apathetic before but still committed to McCain have shown a lot of enthusiasm after the Palin pick.
And there are people like me who has been on board the McCain train for a while now, who are absolutely pumped now! I thought he’d go the safe route, but wow, McCain is playing to win.
A visionary coward says that anger can be power, as long as there’s a victim on TV – Flat Top, Goo Goo Dolls
gc recommended - yes, McCain is running a masterful
Mike gamecock DeVine (Diary) Friday, August 29th at 9:22PM EST (link)campaign.
Mike DeVine’s Examiner.com, Charlotte Observer and The Minority Report columns
“One man with courage makes a majority.” – Andrew Jackson
McCain's 2008 campaign is as awesome
zuiko (Diary) Friday, August 29th at 9:37PM EST (link)As his 2000 campaign was bad. It is a really impressive machine.
Underlying most arguments against the free market is a lack of belief in freedom itself. – Milton Friedman
Mostly Agree
itrytobenice (Diary) Friday, August 29th at 9:44PM EST (link)McCain vs. Obama: One of these men is a tactician. McCain timed his announcement perfectly, he picked perfectly and he kept his secret. Good job.
The only thing I disagree with you on is this: Obama’s secret wasn’t spoiled at 2 a.m. I read it on RedState and saw it on Fox News before I went to bed at 11.
Wouldn’t you think the Obamaphiles would have chewed out their tongue over that? Their two most hated outlets beat BO’s txtmsg.
Proper grammar saves lives.
Let’s eat Grandma.
Let’s eat, Grandma.
The Genius of the Palin Pick
Freedoms Truth (Diary) Friday, August 29th at 9:56PM EST (link)is how it works on so many levels, and how none of those levels contradict each other much.
I feel distinctly different about McCain/Palin than I felt about McCain say a month ago.
I feel like WE CONSERVATIVES NOW HAVE SOMETHING TO LOOK FORWARD TO AND SOMETHING TO SUPPORT.
Pleasing the base all by itself is a worthy goal, but since the pick makes sense on a populist, maverick and make-history-for-women level, it makes a good pick into a GREAT pick.
The only fly in the ointment is Palin’s experience, but even that is a fly trap for Obama. If the Democrats want to lower themselves to questioning a VP pick we can compare and note how much more ready Palin is to lead compared to Obama. She is ready, Obama is not.
From lamenting the pathetic McCain website 3 months back to marvelling at how they are running rings around Obama in web ads, to trumping Obama bigtime on VP picks,
I commend the uber-Rovian Geniuses in the McCain camp. You’ve come a long way, baby. Onward to victory!
Freedoms Truth,
Travis Monitor – http://travismonitor.blogspot.com
Austin, TX
And you get the sense that she would not
QueenOfCups (Diary) Friday, August 29th at 10:00PM EST (link)be mortified if someone called her “sweetie”
She knows who she is, has a strong sense of herself and her capabilities and does not need constant re-assurance that she is not being marginalized just because she happens to be a woman.
5555555555 - nt
Mike gamecock DeVine (Diary) Friday, August 29th at 10:05PM EST (link)5
Mike DeVine’s Examiner.com, Charlotte Observer and The Minority Report columns
“One man with courage makes a majority.” – Andrew Jackson
Obama TXT SNAFU
Freedoms Truth (Diary) Friday, August 29th at 10:21PM EST (link)That makes it even worse. A complete TXT SNAFU. They tell the world that the first ones to know will be the special Obama fans who sign up to get the text message, and a Fox News has it … 4 hours prior. Oh, and unless you were waiting up until 3am, you got informed next morning, 10 hrs after the first newsies and blogs had it.
OMG LOL RU4real? PWNED. TXT SNAFU. SOL.
They say the campaign can be a good preview of the presidency. So far Obama is all superficial hype, and no solid execution.
Freedoms Truth,
Travis Monitor – http://travismonitor.blogspot.com
Austin, TX