Romney ran as social liberal for MA and Kay Bailey Hutchinson has a pretty good record on being pro life

While I will share your gastronomic ejaculation, she BY NO MEANS would be ok as Governor. We have the Republican version of the Breck Girl now, as it is…we’re all set down here with KBH taking his place…thank you very much.

Or I should say, the rest of the Fredheads.

I might point out, in all fairness, that InTrade is just so much fashionable herd-following speculation. It ain’t McCain’s fault, and I predict here and now that we will find that neither Romney nor KBH were ever on the short list.

*  Voted YES on defining unborn child as eligible for SCHIP. (Mar 2008)

* Voted YES on prohibiting minors crossing state lines for abortion. (Mar 2008)

* Voted YES on barring HHS grants to organizations that perform abortions. (Oct 2007)

* Voted YES on expanding research to more embryonic stem cell lines. (Apr 2007)

* Voted YES on notifying parents of minors who get out-of-state abortions. (Jul 2006)

* Voted NO on $100M to reduce teen pregnancy by education & contraceptives. (Mar 2005)

* Voted YES on criminal penalty for harming unborn fetus during other crime. (Mar 2004)

* Voted YES on banning partial birth abortions except for maternal life. (Mar 2003)

* Voted YES on maintaining ban on Military Base Abortions. (Jun 2000)

* Voted YES on banning partial birth abortions. (Oct 1999)

* Voted YES on banning human cloning. (Feb 1998)

* Rated 7% by NARAL, indicating a pro-life voting record. (Dec 2003)

* Expand embryonic stem cell research. (Jun 2004)

* Rated 75% by the NRLC, indicating a mixed record on abortion. (Dec 2006)

Or no Tom Ridge. I mean if you are going to pick some crazy wildcard, pick one that has some sort of big base – like Ron Paul, as bad as I hate to say that.

that’s it for me. US News reports Romney out, that’s why the Intrade crash.

Sophomoric pick if true.

Pride goeth before the fall.

And while I like Cantor, I think McCain is more worried about taking Ohio and Pennsylvania than he is about Virginia. With that in mind, based on the 3-state rollout planned with the VP pick, which includes both Ohio and Pennsylvania, I feel that John Kasich could be the one.

I’m sure he has been one of the least researched candidates by the dems and is flying under the media radar. As former chairman of the budget committee, he knows the process and could help McCain achieve one of his pet projects, cutting wasteful spending, earmarks, etc. And he is a good speaker, although I didn’t care for his stint on Fox News “Heartland” show.

I wonder where InTrade has Kasich?

Why isn’t there more talk about Sarah Palin for Veep? She’d be perfect, imho.

1) Conservative.
2) Executive experience.
3) A woman.
4) Young.

What’s there not to love?

or the one. I could live with that.

1. she has 2 years as Governor 2 she has total wrong image and does not seem strong enough for debates 3 she and McCain disagree on ANWAR which Dems will use

Plus, she could not even help Parnell yesterday defeat Young

Senator Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) offered an amendment to the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act (S. 3) stating, "It is the sense of the Senate that the decision of the Supreme Court in Roe v. Wade (410 U.S. 113 (1973)) was appropriate and secures an important constitutional right; and such decision should not be overturned."

She was one of nine republicans voting FOR that amendment. She agrees that there is a Federal Constitutional RIGHT to an Abortion. How does she reconcile that with being pro-life???

I agree with her vote and consider myself pro life

She has 75% voting record of pro life thats pro life

Pick Romney;

But Pick Hutchinson and;

John McCain,

Please, please do not make the mistake Obama did and pick the wrong VP!

Kay Hutchinson is a nice person and everything, but she is absolutely not the right call for you, or the country.

We need someone who could be POTUS in 4 years, she is not that person.

Mitt Romney is the right call despite the ads you are afraid of seeing with the two of you taking shots at one another.

Mitt will be the man for you, and he can hold his own.

A woman is a nice idea, but it is an idea for another cycle.

PLEASE do not make the critical mistake that will cost us this election!

McCain-Romney is the ticket we can all get behind and put you in the White House!

Either Romney or Palin would leave me very disappointed

Please Pawlenty he is actually someone many young Republicans can be inspired by and actually a pro for McCain

Novak came out of retirement due to terminal illness to write a column warning him off a Lieberman pick, but notes that despite warnings from nearly everyone – including Lieberman himself – McCain is still considering it.

McCain, over his career, has been pretty conservative. All the same, he will do what he wants, without worrying about what the base thinks (and without caring who bugles on their keyboard).

He figures he has at least 90 percent of the Bush base showing up on election day and voting for him, no matter what he does. And, probably, he’s right – he can take the religious right for granted because they have no other option. Four fifths of a loaf with McCain beats what Obama and Biden offer.

It will be very interesting to see what he does and how people react.

Pick Lieberman.

he and McCain can successfully bury the hatchet and if his people and McCain’s people can work together cohesively. If there’s little bad blood and much synergy for a GOP victory. If this is true, McCain will demonstrate to the nation that he is truly a maverick in that he can rise above an acrimonious primary battle and unite with a former foe. This, UNLIKE a certain Illinois Senator who passed over his primary foe.

However, if these factors are not true, then a McCain-Romney ticket could be an utter disaster. In that case, I think Pawlenty is the best second choice. Reliably conservative, acceptable to evangelicals, with executive experience and from a swing state (and the home state of the convention). Not an exciting choice, perhaps, but a reliable one.

If she pledges to make the right judicial nominations, why so much worry about her personal decision?

Are you counting on the POTUS to overturn Roe vs. Wade? Kay would nominate good Supreme Judges and besides that, her odds of being President even if McCain wins are fairly small.

as I wrote in a diary earlier today.

She is very conservative overall.

if KBH is picked. The Editors will whine and moan for awhile, and then they’ll put out an editorial calling all of us Republicans to put aside our differences over primary candidates, to set aside our disagreements with McCain, and get to work.

It’s Alexham/Feddie all over again, who assured us all he would never vote for Giuliani, and then castigated people for sour grapes because our preferred nominee didn’t make it through to the end.

It really is tiring to engage in dialogue with fellow pro-lifers who chuck all notion of political strategy and incremental gains out the window when it comes to that one issue. Yes, I know, 40 million. Here’s another number: 59 million. That’s the number of people who voted in the last election for the candidate who would have set us back years. Whether we like it or not, that number guarantees that incrementalism is the only way to go.

I want McCain to pick the VP that maximizes the likelihood of him getting into office, and nominating conservative Supreme Court Justices. If the analysis proves it’s a women with only a 7% rating from NARAL instead of zero, and 75% by the NRLC instead of 100%, well, I can live with it, and I can also help make it happen. And I think any intellectually honest RedStater, including our esteemed poster, will be able to as well.

on something else

It’s Brownback? [Kathryn Jean Lopez]

An e-mail:

I just got an email from the McCain campaign telling me that I can meet Brownback in Iowa tomorrow.

And I checked Brownback’s website— he doesn’t have plans to visit any other Kansas counties in the near future…

So, cornerites— any thoughts on a Brownback Veep pick?

08/27 10:26 PM

brought this upon yourself by championing lost casue candidates like Fred Thompson and now Eric Cantor instead of swallowing your pride and promoting alternatives that were actually “within the realm of possibility”. Your comments about Romney are among the many that have most likely convinced McCain that he’s too divisive to put on the ticket. Since Fred and Eric are non starters, we may be stuck with a pro choice Senator. But at least it’s not Romney right?

Plenty of people I respect among establishment Republicans are very strongly in favor of Romney, but I don’t understand how they can’t see the blindingly obvious: Romney turns off vast numbers of rank-and-file Republicans and does absolutely NOTHING to appeal to Independents, which is where we need to be training our sights now.

He’s slick, he says the right things, and quite frankly I think he’d be a tremendous VP or POTUS… but I don’t see him winning any votes that McCain doesn’t have in the bank already.

Romney belongs in the cabinet in some role where he can do some good–and hopefully position himself for greater things down the road.

But not in the McCain VP slot, which ought to be used to shake up the race somehow and cut into the Democrat’s strengths. How does Romney do that? He doesn’t.

Hutchison could plausibly make inroads among the female vote, at least those who are “soft feminists”–working class women, single moms, etc., who were strongly for Clinton but don’t have dogmatic attachments to left-wing politics in general.

It would get her out of the Senate into someplace where she can do a whole lot less damage. Although that will be taken care of in a couple of years anyways when she runs for Governor.

The only real downside to it I see is Governor Perry would probably appoint himself to the Senate seat for the remainder of the term.

However, having resigned myself to voting for McCain, I can honestly say that the veep slot doesn’t really interest me all that much. If I let it interest me then it will just hurt that much more when McCain decides to make like the scorpion riding across the river on the frog’s back and sting us. If he makes a good pick, then I can get excited, but until then I don’t want to think about it.

It would take a motion from one state convention with a second from five others to bring forth another candidate and throw the convention into chaos…all according to TAS…if the VP is Lieberman…or Pro-Choice…the effort will be made no matter how hard it would be to bring it about.

Let’s pray Mac Takes note

The “Big Tent” analogy isn’t the correct one…the correct one is a MAGNET…we need to be a MAGNET that draws these independents in who are sick and tired of what’s going on in Washington—Fred Thompson

1. Cantor – Would be cool
2. Palin – Is she ready?
3. Pawlenty – A SAFE choice

Tied for 10th – FDT, Meg, and Kay Bailey. Too much old? I do like a woman on the ticket, though.

1. Huckabee – Fiscal yikes!
2. Romney – Social yikes!
3. Portman – Bush yikes!

1. Lieberman – Everything yikes! What possible reason would we pick him? Other than foreign policy, I disagree with this man on everything.

Hopefully the talk of KBH is just a clue that he’s going to pick a woman, something he absolutely should do if he wants to win this election. Governor Palin has accomplished a great deal in her time in office and has a record approval rating. If Democrats want to attack her as not having enough experience, that’d be a pretty sweet deal as that would be basicly admitting their own nominee doesnt have enough experience either. The fact is she has a lot more Executive experience than Obama, and isn’t just ‘ready’ to lead, she HAS led, and the vast majority of her state’s voters approve of her leadership, Democrats and Republicans alike.

The bottom line for me is, Im not comfortable with KBH’s mixed record on abortion. I know she’s cast some good votes but obviously not all her votes on abortion have been good ones, and to borrow a phrase from the star of the night, Bill Clinton himself, why ‘roll the dice’ when a woman with a proven record, like Governor Palin is available?

Also, on ANWR, her being pro-ANWR is a major asset, as it will enable McCain to change his own position on that issue. His being anti-ANWR is hurting him needlessly, he needs to be completely pro-drilling if he wants to own that issue in the fall, his current inconsistency on that issue could keep him from really getting full benefit from that key issue.

McCain has been making too much hay about all the attacks Biden and HRC made about Obama, to pick Romney and have the some attacks thrown back at him. As for Hutchison she seems like a “check the box conservative” she has a 90% career ACU rating, but I could not tell anything she has done. If he is going for a women, it should be Fiorinia because she would atleast bring executive expirence to the table. I think if you polled a 1,000 economist I think a majority would say the Compaq deal was a good thing HP. She has also been doing reach-out efforts on behalf of McCain with HRC voters. Lets face it we have no good women candidates, so McCain just needs to pick a conservative who can help him with independents like Cantor or Kaisch.

nt

McCain and the VP pick will rally in Dayton, Ohio on the start of a 3-state rollout. Kasich’s 12th district was about 60 miles northeast in the Columbus area. They will then travel by bus to a suburb of Pittsburgh, near where Kasich was born and raised. They will travel to Missouri for another rally. Both the Pennsylvania and Missouri rallies are to be held at minor league baseball stadiums. Kasich is known to be an avid baseball fan. Ohio and Pennsylvania are crucial for McCain to win.

A lot of coincidences. Maybe to throw us off. We’ll see.

according to MSNBC so take with as much salt as necessary. My guess is it will be Pawlenty because Sen McCain has to throw a bone to the SoCons.

If he doesn’t he not going to gain people on the other side of the issue, because nobody is going to say “well I didn’t like candidate x, but now that’s a slight chance we might get his VP who I do like on this issue, I’ll guess I’ll vote for him.”. You also aren’t going to the other side to vote for him because he’s sending the message that he’s not serious about the issue ( which he is) because that’s a message that he’s a phony.
McCain needs to pick someone who agrees with him on major issues – that includes Abortion. I well say though that since the most any pro – life president is planning to do on the life issue is to pick good judges, I would be okay with someone who was personally pro – life, and anti Roe, even if they were pro-choice.

I’d argue she’d be WORSE as governor, and I’ve said before I won’t even consider voting for her if she runs. About the only upside to making her VP is keeping her out of the governor’s mansion.

I don’t believe or take seriously claims McCain is considering her.

I think some kid in a newsroom who has nothing better to do keeps generating and throwing out new names of “possible” running mates for kicks and giggles. I think they did it with Obama too to a lesser extent.

I don’t take seriously a word I hear about possible running mates or considerations, and I won’t until someone is actually chosen.

that someone with a Right to Life rating of 75 is STILL not acceptable to those who have never been elected to city, state or national office. How about we just trot out Richard Nixon as BOTH our candidates- would he be conservative enough?

I am guessing not, so really the plan has to then be for the GOP to pull Ronald Reagan out of his place of honor and run him for the next thirty years. Because I am not sure some in the party realize it- but Reagan was elected THIRTY years ago when about 20% of today’s Americans were not even alive or living here!

And Reagan- who is beloved by all-

also did such non conservative things as retreating from Lebanon in 83, presided over huge deficits, never really stopped Iran, traded hostages, and at times did not completely support Israel. But why let facts get in the way of a good anti-McCain rant…

right?

I think that Erick is making WAAAAY too much out of this just in order to get people riled up.

Romney is down 12 points, yes, but InTrade still thinks that there is a 54.5% likelihood that Romney will be the VP nominee on a volume of 2,122 in trading as of 7:02 AM on August 27.

Hutchison (NOT “HutchiNson”) is up almost 12 points on a meager volume of 877 to a mere 15% chance of becoming the nominee.

Is there movement? Yes. But there is still nearly a 40% gap between the market’s prediction about who will McCain’s VP.

Personally, I hope to be supporting Mitt Romney for vice president of the United States in 2008, and I hope to be supporting Kay Bailey Hutchison in the GOP primary for Governor of Texas in 2010 because Rick Perry is just a complete idiot.

It is truly amazing that a man with such a vacuous cranium could become the longest-serving governor in the state’s history. I guess it’s a testament to his ability to – while not do anything spectacular – also to stay out of the way and not screw things up, either.

If Kay will at least indicate that she wouldn’t stop universal school choice in Texas, I will be in full support of her.

With Perry, the GOP is in danger of losing the Texas Senate and House – and that could lead to losing some statewide races also. I think that Kay will strengthen the state party.

Let’s be honest about the dispositive elements of this issue, shall we? Irrespective of MSM turnabout on Mr. McCain’s forgotten designation as “maverick”, that is one of his foremost qualities. Using this as a heuristic compass it is somewhat easy to conclude that, politics aside, Mr. McCain would have chosen Mr. Lieberman. Yes, Joe has been great on defense issues but is an abortion advocate, big government, big spending bona fide liberal. That should be indicative of just where this VP pick will be ensconced.

Ridge was a trial balloon on the abortion issue; Romney’s team has mostly performed their cheerleading and Pawlenty is little known outside his home state and Evangelical circles. Hutchinson? Please that is just borderline farcical. Cantor? I seem to remember mostly guffaws when opining about Paul Ryan. Beyond the cachinnation, I was also lectured how we need Paul Ryan in Congress; well I feel the same is necessary for Cantor. Cantor has the potential to be the movements new Newt Gingrich in the salad days of our Contract with America. Frankly, overall I really can’t come up with anything he adds to the ticket or as a potential future POTUS; save he is a conservative.

We need a VP that can lead the conservative movement back to prominence and is a potential POTUS candidate. Someone who helps others understand our core values which are shared with a majority of Americas. They also need to restore credibility to our party vis-à-vis consistent adherence and leadership, not some squishy, half heated advocation which breaks down in the face of adversity. Small government, lower taxes, strength through defense, honesty and compassion for others should be a guiding mantra. Let me know when you find that person; I am not sure they have been born yet.

That said, I will revert to my original point, that being, McCain will pick a compromise VP. In deference to the RNC it will be someone who is pro-life. Yet aligning with John’s proclivities, it will be a person that has an ability to put a thumb in your eye reach across the aisle. Bottom line, they will be a adiaphorous pick. Frankly, I hope to be proven wrong

Please, please, oh pleasepleasepuhleez- DON’T pick Kaye Bailey Hutchison. Yes, she passes the ideological litmus test. Yes, she would be a competent Veep and (God forbid) Prez.

BUT think about this: Will Hillary’s cross-overs make their first vote for a woman a vote for a Republican?

No.

So, what? Is that so large a contingent to cater to? It’s not their size, it’s their story. While their actual votes won’t tip the scales, their support does. Their initial support did. It has been awhile, but think back to when McCain’s numbers started holding and turning the corner. Remember the stories of those days:

-Bill was a racist for accurately pointing out that most blacks supported Obama.

-Media coverage was critical of or condescending to Hillary (Pants suit-gate, etc.)

That was the birth of “PUMA” and the talk of McCain picking Hillary as his veep. “I’m an independent-slash-undecided, and if Hillary’s supporters won’t vote for Obama then I’ll vote for McCain.” Silly stuff, style not substance, politics not governance.

Nevertheless, a momentum-maker. So, also a momentum-taker.

McCain is Bill Clinton’s “candidate Y” that indies and undies agree with half the time. Don’t take away one of their original motivations to vote for him. Don’t be the candidate that loses. Don’t select Kaye.

with McCain with regard to his VP choice speaks volumes to what an unsatisfactory candidate John McCain is.

I do not recall anyone saying they wouldn’t vote for Reagan if he chose a VP candidate they disliked. I do not even recall such carping with the current President Bush or his dad.

Personally my deal-killers would be Huckabee and Leiberman.

What a sad state of affairs for Republicans to have the VP choice mattter so much to so many.