Is McCain Getting Set to Dump Palin?

I love the 2008 presidential campaign. It's not only the most exciting, most historic and one of the most hotly contested races ever, it's starting to become fun too. That is, if you're a Democrat. If you're a Republican, I suspect you're not having such a great time.

The Democrats are coming off a kick-ass convention week where their rock-star nominee, Sen. Barack Obama, has jumped about 9 points in the polls following his brilliant acceptance speech. To the contrary, this week began with a postponement of the much-hyped RNC convention amid controversy, scandal and humiliation. The public reason was Hurricane Gustav. The real reason is more likely the continuing shitstorm created by Sen. John McCain's selection of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his vice presidential running mate. That and the embarrassment President Bush, McCain and the Republican party still face over the government's abysmal reaction to Hurricane Katrina in 2005. In fact, the anniversary of the mega-storm which hit the Gulf is almost three years to the day of the RNC's first convention day. Embarassingly, on that day, Bush and McCain were in Phoenix celebrating Grandpa John's 69th birthday. Yeah, I'd say this week's delay is to give pause so the party can regroup and figure out just what its next steps are, in particular in dealing with the Palin controversy.

And the Palin mess is getting uglier by the minute. The NY Times Tuesday reports that, in addition to Palin's daughter being five months pregnant, she's hired a private lawyer to defend her in her abuse-of-power investigation; was a member of a political party seeking Alaska's secession from the Union; and that her husband Todd was arrested 22 years ago for drunken driving. Jeez, the Republicans sure have a distorted view of "family values," huh? With McCain's temper, we can only imagine how much yelling and screaming must be going on behind the scenes right now.

But McCain likely has only himself to blame. Word on the street is that no one in his vice presidential selection committee but him wanted Palin. He wanted his pal Sen. Joe Lieberman, but hastily switched plans last-minute in a likely act of desperation following Obama and the Dems Denver blowout. His move, purely political to seduce Sen. Hillary Clinton's disaffected women supporters, hardly is a "country first" strategy. If McCain was/is so concerned about country, he wouldn't be pushing to put it in the hands of the very inexperienced Palin in the event something were to happen to him. He'd give us someone like Sen. Joe Biden, the Dems' VP nominee.

So what is McCain and the party to do? Don't be shocked if there's a surprise announcement early this week from Palin, something to the tune of:

It is with deep regret that I am withdrawing my name from consideration as the party's nominee for vice president of the United States of America. Given my daughter's pregnancy, the difficulty in raising a Down syndrome child, and the ongoing personal investigation in Alaska, I feel there are too many distractions right now that would not allow me to effectively fill my role as vice president, both over the next 2 months as Sen. John McCain's running mate, and after he is elected president. It is my duty therefore to step aside so that Sen. McCain and the party can replace me with someone who can and will be able to devote 100% of his or her time to this extremely important position. Americans deserve that. Thank you.

Deja vu all over again. Sarah Palin/Harriet Miers. The names are interchangeable. And just like Bush did in replacing Miers with Samuel Alito Jr., Grandpa John will quickly replace her with someone who'll really get conservatives excited. Someone like Gen. David Petraeus, Mitt Romney, Mike Huckabee, Gov. Bobby Jindal or, yes, even Lieberman. All in time for the RNC convention to remain a right-winger's dream event. But, while he'll be getting rid of one problem, he'll be creating another: the judgement issue. Either way, he' a loser.

Have I mentioned how much fun I'm having?

Read more reaction from HuffPost bloggers to John McCain's running mate, Sarah Palin

Comments

[BernieBernie]

Senator McCain has intentionally and arbitrarily insulted American WOMEN voters by knowing the controversy surrounding Governor Sarah Palin character, lack of foreign policy and experience would ruin his chance of defeating Barack Obama in November. To show party unity within the republican base, gain support from evangelical voters he chosen Palin. McCain /Lieberman ticket would show discord among the base and evangelical during the convention. McCain announcement will come before the Palin vs. Biden debate.

[Star2000dancer]

If you ignore people, you sap any power they may have. I am a Clinton supporter, I KNOW she knows what she 's doing. I also watched her & Bill double team uo & pay off GHW's 5 trillion debt, give us peace & prosperity under enormous Republican attacks, & our stupid country allow the Repugs to Impeach him with billions of our dollars because he did not have sexual relations with that girl.


Do you know how much lewd & perverted stuff goes on in the whitehouse? Far more than you' imagine. Since you drove her out of the contest & did'nt even vet her or offer her VP, are you going to let this phoney barracudda bother you? Ignore her, do'nt sweat her, let Joe Biden. Just keep talking up good Obama & Joe. points. Drown her out with your cheers of Obama,, YES WE CAN, & he can do it this way. Know the issues yourselves. Do'nt let anyone catch you off guard. Ket's beome the SMART VOTERS the think we're not!! Go Get "Em!! We WILL NOT ALLOW OURSELVES TO ALMOST BECOME A NAZI GOVERNMENT EVER AGAIN!! jUST IGNORE HER, SHE'LL GO AWAY.

[athenasword]

Oh, let him keep her.... cling to her, actually. Like a lead weight. The press is now awake, I think.

[MBLADY]

Sarah Palin: The above withdrawal speech is perfect for you! Give It Today & then go home to Alaska to your family that needs you!!!!

[legalninja]

She'll withdraw right at the end if the polling doesn't look good for them. In the meantime, they are probably vetting someone else to take her place with about 2-3 weeks before the election.

[NTO08]

The Democrats are coming off a kick-ass convention week where their rock-star nominee, Sen. Barack Obama, has jumped about 9 points in the polls following his brilliant acceptance speech.

Who are you kidding?
The Dem convention was a crashing bore, only relieved by the Clintons showing that they know how to pull out the stops when needed, and can teach a tyro like Obama how it's done. Still, his speech was a rehash of all the lecture circuit blather he has given before. The Repub convention wasted no time doing what the Dems never did: trashing the opponent...

[athenasword]

You're so right.... it was Sooooooo boring that 40 MILLION folks tuned in! bye-bye, now.

[JulianJons]

Thats two of us that are having fun. Keep these news reports coming from Alaska, and I am a happy camper. Drip, drip, drip. I just hope that at the home stretch they gain a huge lead so I can relax some more.

[infpinfp]

Reminds me of the famous line by Senator Hruska of Nebraska in supporting Supreme Court nominee Harold Carswell - "even mediocre people deserve representation" on the Supreme Court. Carwell was not confirmed.

[NamelessGenXer]

You nailed it in a word: shitstorm. The GOP convention was supposed to be the big "feel good" introduction to the citizens-at-large of the best and the brightest the GOP has to offer, the future of their party: Candidate John McCain! Now they have to clamor for attention with lurid National Enquirer headlines that make John Edwards seem like the world's greatest family man. Meanwhile, the Barack and Joe show is busy winning hearts and minds...

Is this great or what? ~ Flounder

[athenasword]

These folks are not having any fun. Behind the scenes, I think there is some serious anxiety. Break out the xanax!

[sherbug]

I don't think so. Any woman who would front her daughter to the whole world for her own ambition is not the kind to tuck tail and run. I don't think she will be stepping aside.

[zeezan]

You're so right. A woman willing (and even eager) to expose her daughter to national public humiliation to further her own ambition cares only about herself. How very sad.

[La2NC]

My thoughts exactly

[NTO08]

Palin isn't going anywhere...the base loves her, the media trashing of her has only served to unite them...remember when Bush I tangled with Dan Rather? Didn't hurt him at all, nor when Rather's true story about Bush ducking service got him s--t canned by CBS. As the media and the liberal blogs continue to rant about Palin, it has in turn energized the very voters we had hoped would stay home, so disillusioned with Mack some of them were. But now that is all over, as well as the prospect of Gustav derailing their convention. Dems and the bloggers made a HUGE mistake in railing against Palin...it has backfired bigtime...if they had shut up, this could have mushroomed all on its own...better to let them twist in the wind unassisted.

[athenasword]

Actually the far right part of the base likes her. Others who are seriously concerned with the economy, R.ussia, a stable Pakistan and such are not so sure. And, that was before she threw her daughter to the wolves in order to dispell a rumor (gee, medical records would have been just boring I guess?)

[pastgone]

Any Dems now celebrating victory are completely ignorant. This fight is just beginning. Only time will tell if Palin is as lousy a choice as HuffPost readers seem to think she is, but even if Obama is elected in a landslide, this fight is just beginning. More than half of the Democratic party has been bought by the same folks that own Bush. Just watch Obama try to pass comprehensive health care legislation--that fight will make this election look like a Sunday school picnic. And don't necessarily expect Obama to be your saviour, either. He only tells half the truth. He doesn't talk about prosecuting for war crimes or our slaughter of innocent people in Iraq or the obsessive militarism or the mafia-like "contractor" profits or the real troubles with this economy or the depths of corruption and decadence to which this government has sunk. If he gets anything more done than Bill Clinton--i.e., not much--I'll be amazed. And you guys are all "oh, Palin stinks" as if that means the end of corporatism in America. Not hardly.

[sm53]

I dont think its going to happen this week - if at all. There will too much loss of face for McCain (or whatever is left of his "face"). There would have to be something more damning, perhaps an indictment in the troopergate or some other hitherto unknown scandal. In the meantime we can all enjoy the RepubliCains make a fool of themselves as they get into verbal contortions justifying the foreign policy credentials and family values of Ms Palin.

You have to give them credit for talking so shamelessly. It takes special talent at lack of introspection and belief in truth to see so many otherwise respectable people such as Lindsey Graham, Fred Thompson talk about Palin's leadership skills.

[desertdweller]

Harriet Miers thought that Bush was the "smartest man she ever met." Wonder if Sarah Palin feels that way about Johhny-Get-Angry?

[lis60]

i hope so. it is not about winning. It is supposed to be about country first. Mccain doesn't really get that yet, i have heard he is so stobburn he would never admit he was wrong. Is that the kind of president that we want? makes impulsive decisions and then won't own them? It is frightening.
the press is not attacking palin and mccain, i wish he would open his eyes but he does not read the internet. what is going on is that millions of Americans think it was a terrible political pick. it isn't sexist-it isn't her daughter-it is everything together.
how sad that they really don't put country first. wouldn't it be great to have a president who really did?

[BionicWoman]

McCain is not going to dump Palin.

5 minutes after the announcement that she is his running mate - I changed my political party - just like thousands of other women did. Its not about the issues. Its about breaking the cast iron ceiling.

A lot of people are not thrilled with Obama and just plain sick of hearing about him and his wife. Picking Biden over Hillary was assinine and disrespectful to women.

Besides, I'm beginning to think that American values have been taken down way too far. I'm ready for the conservative influence. Besides, in 4 years, Hillary can try again. I'd rather have this than 8 years of the Obama show.

[WillFillmore]

I feel strongly you should rethink your stance. If you supported Hillary, then issues like a woman's right to choose for herself is a VERY important issue. Do you want women to lose more rights that they have had for decades just so you can support Palin? Get real. There are 2 or 3 justices on the high court who will be retiring in the next 4 years. Can we afford to lose rights (especially rights for women) that a right-wing court will find illegal?

Remember, Supreme Court appointments are for life!

[desertdweller]

As a woman, why would you support a political party that opposes "equal pay for equal work?" It would be interesting to contemplate whether Sarah Palin would be willing to serve as VP and be paid 75 cents for every dollar that a male would receive.

Conservative influence? Guess you haven't sent any sons off to war.

[Cameronj]

Yeah, I think you're lying... HIllary asked "were you in it for me, or were you in it for the issues we all care about.?" She wants you to vote for Obama.

And regarding your desire for a conservative influence, we've already seen it. Over the past eight years, the 'Conservative influence" has brought us war in Iraq, the erosion of our civil liberties and the destruction of our economy.

You want more of that, because it now bares a female face? Seriously? If so, you make me sad...

[SBuchanan]

You really have to be kidding, don't you?? That "thousands of other women" would vote for McCain/Palin who oppose everything feminists have fought for in the last fifty years is ludicrous and I believe you are deluding yourself if you believe others will follow your misguided example. If this PUMA rhetoric is genuine (and I have my doubts) it reveals only how lacking your judgment is about the needs of women and the needs of this country.

[smurphette]

You'll vote for someone just because she is a woman, so iam sure your not voting for Mr. Obama because he's Black. Pathetic &sad I bet you wouldn't vote for me either, boy wouldn't it be nice to have you say that to my face. Not so Bionic then I bet!

[jp916]

You just can't make this stuff up!!!

[BlueZoo]

From your lips, Andy, to God's ears! I don't belive it'll happen, though. McCain would NEVER admit he was wrong and will keep this pick firmly entrenched in his ego.