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

[lthuedk 1]

Top Neo Cons would never have pushed Miers if they actually thought she'd have made it into the SCOTUS. They play the rebound trick, willfully offering garbage first, followed by the rebounder-the ringer-with no further resistance from the Dems. In fact, they have become anxious to accept #2 every time without fail. These people represent us?

The Neo Cons also benefit from running out the clock, not affording any time to vet their final offering.

This was the essence of the first comment I made to my wife after the Palin appointment. Palin will be replaced by who they truly want. Top Party Democrats should know this by now and should have actively been investigating every possible candidate without interruption. This election is more important than any in the nation's history, and this matter should be treated accordingly.

The DNC should take this very seriously. We aren't fighting Republicans anymore, but Neo Cons desperate to save their skins from prosecution.

http://www.light-to-dark.com/supremes_06.html

[MikeLee7125]

How much do VP vetters get paid? Because I can do a better job. Let's see; currently under investigation for abuse of power. Red flag. Hit oil companies in Alaska with a windfall profit tax and gave the money to Alaskans, exactly like Obama proposes on a national level. Big Red Flag. Actually campaigned FOR the bridge to nowhere. Humongous Red Flag. Was member of Alaskan Independence Party back in '94 and still maintains ties to the group. Ginormous M***f*cking Red Flag. Conclusion: Senator McCain I regret to inform you this woman would be political kryptonite to you and your campaign. And that's putting aside her zero experience on foreign or domestic policy issue and her not ready for prime time campaigning chops. Right wing bloggers may be in love with her, but we both know they deal in BS not cold hard facts. The prolife and social conservative camps may love her right now, but anti-tax, pro-law enforcement, anti-pork, and pro Keeping the Union together voters will leave you in droves. If you make her your running mate you will lose.

Darn.

[Allablaze]

Sarah should just pack up the kids and head home to Alaska, It's over. This scenario looks like a repeat of 1972 when democratic VP choice Thomas Eagleton was forced to withdraw because of undisclosed evidence Eagleton had previously been treated for a mental illness.

[NTO08]

It isn't at all...though I respect and admire George McGovern greatly and would have voted for him if I had been but a few years older, McGovern let Eagleton twist in the wind...say what you like about Mack, he won't do that to Palin...if she leaves, it will be on her own volition...but she doesn't strike me as a quitter by any means.

[ConnieInCleveland]

This isn't schoolyard politics, when at first you don't succeed, 'do-over'. Mainstream media will do their usual, 'nothing to see here, move along' and spin something new to fear while the Republicans give them the new 'spin' of the day.

It's time American Journalists earn trust and respect. 'Talking Heads' have to go, propaganda in America is un-American. I used to trust our media, but that was before I found out they were paid and scripted as to which talking points to use.

Jon Stewart shows us nightly which talking points they are using for the day. He doesn't just make the claim, he shows the footage, put together for a laugh. Yes, it's funny and yes it's sad! Sad fact is, American is not a comedy show, we are real people, trying to live real lives. We can’t afford to be misled again. Not by Republicans, Democrats or our media!

NO DO-OVERS! BAD JUDGMENT IS BAD JUDGMENT!

[NTO08]

Stewart is fine for the college set, but I will stick with PBS, Amy Goodman and BBC if I want my political news, thank you very much.

[OutToLunch]

Replace Palin with "someone who'll really get conservatives excited?" Who could excite this base more? Unless they're digging up the corpse of John Birch.....

[NTO08]

EXACTLY...apparently the base is delighted with her, and the attacks by the media and liberals has only served to unite them more...the smart thing would be to shut up about this and let it unravel in its natural course...

[KarlaElisa]

The oddity among conservative voters is that they tend to rally no matter how BAD the choice is and they easily forget it seems when they get hung out.
Throwing Palin under the bus is probably the smartest move McCain can make and yes, it WILL energize these dopes rather than cause them to question his judgment.
I agree with Red8scope's assessment that voters that haven't decided yet are most likely retarded or comatose.

[NTO08]

Quite the opposite would happen...many in the base don't trust him, and to throw someone who is as kooky as they are would only send them scurrying away and reluctant to come out in November...this has united them and made them excited for the first time in campaign...it may, of course, be delusional, as is so often the case with this bunch, but if they turn out in big numbers, it could make the race very interesting.

[BlackbirdHighway]

When she steps down, Palin will say that she was harassed by the Obama campaign and the liberal media, so it won't be her fault or McCain's. McCain will then choose Lieberman, but still take credit for picking a women and a hard core conservative.

Thus they will attempt to turn the feelings of disappointment among the Palin supporters into anger directed at the Dems and the media. I don't know if it will work, but that's what they will try to do.

[NTO08]

Choosing Lieberman would end Mack's chances of even coming close...right wing nuts would stay home...

[pdquick]

More to the point, the right wing nuts in the convention, fresh from their platform victories last week, would have melted down the convention if Mac had picked Lieberman. Their antichoice zealotry and their anti-Semitism would have completely unhinged them. On the other hand that would have been some good television, and it would have revealed what the "base" he's appeasing with Palin really is.

[bodhibabe]

January 20, 2009, Senator Barack Obama is sworn in as the 44th President of the United States of America.

[mmkm]

Whoops! So the latest Republican spin (or wishful thinking) is that Americans will identify with Sarah Palin BECAUSE of her looks, peppy personality, piety, and mediocre intellect. Apparently the assumption is that voters will welcome, and vote for, somebody "just like us." Well, I'm sorry, guys. I think that's kind of insulting. Personally, I consider myself totally unqualified to hold national office and I definitely don't want somebody "just like me" there either. I definitely want people there who are one helluva lot better and smarter than I. Somebody like, for instance, Barack Obama and Joe Biden.

[guriboy]

Paraphrasing Jon Stewart: "Since when did being an elitist become a *bad* thing? I want a president that is embarrassingly superior to me."

[1ladylawyer]

Amen mmkm!!! Politics aside, one has to give kudos to Obama for the sheer fact that he was accepted into Harvard Law School and was the first African American president of the law review. And NO his acceptance was not affirmative action as he didn't even mark the box that indicated his race. Sarah Palin is not worthy to even share the intellectual stage with either of the DEMS on the ticket.

[NTO08]

America doesn't like smart Presidents, at least ones who have to remind voters to "pay attention" to him, as Obama so reminded voters in Eau Claire, WI.

[bacaangel]

A Question - Should we have a VP pick who is under ethics investigation? It seems as if that would be a Disqualifier!

To me it seems that it would be a legal policy and position that anyone under investigation by a federal or state Court, that it would be an automatic disqualifer for the V.P. (or for that matter, Presidential) job. I think the GOP knew that all the time!

However, if Barack was under investigation or Biden they (the press and opposition party) would crucify them.

[Jsaint]

THERE'S A PRIOR SITUATION OF HER TERMINATING TWO EMPLOYEES WHO WOULDN'T SUPPORT HER.

WHAT KIND OF PERSON IS THAT?? WHAT'S HER PLAN FOR CAPITAL HILL??

[Relax08]

Why is this not a headline in every newspaper in the United States.
V.P. Pick under subpoena for Ethics violation!
Did the Republicans pick her because they wanted another crook in the White House and they figure why wait for January for her to be indicted?

She may play well with the RNC base- Gomer Pyle would play well with those people- but I find it hard to believe that any thinking people would not see her for what she is, an utter complete lightweight who even has questionable parenting skills.

[NTO08]

A Repub under investigation would never stop them from admiring her...what are you thinking?

Your idea of questionable parenting skills certainly isn't theirs...there is a disconnect, as always, between the right and left. Time will tell which wins out, but if the last 40 years are any indication, don't expect that the left will be victorious.

[Steamboater]

Replacing Palin would be more of a disaster for McCain than selecting her as his VP to begin with. It would confirm to everyone that he made a hasty and reckless decision and that his judgement is seriously flawed and that he acts out of desperation, which is all true of course.

[NTO08]

Obviously...and the base, fired up, would flee in droves...of course he won't do it...ridiculous rumors.

[rharris513]

I think McCain was NEVER serious about Palin. This was all a misdirection bit to sqaush the buzz from the Democratic Convention and Obama's awe inspiring speech.

Result, the entire weekend was consumed with stories about Palin, and Obama received very little bounce from the convention. The Repugs knew they couldn't top the Democratic convention so they found a way to crap all over it.

Palin WILL be replaced!

[NTO08]

Hey, it wasn't hard to crap all over the Dem convention...I have never been more bored in all my life, except for Clintons speeches.

[ProudLiberalDan]

It won't happen. McCain has sold his sould to the radical religious right so they'll turn out and they have every intention of cashing in on that marker.

[NTO08]

Finally, someone who uses a good portion of their brain on Huffpo. This was McCain's way of capturing the right wing nuts who have been wary of supporting him and have shown lackluster interest in voting for him...Palin has sparked their interest bigtime, and having what they see as the "liberal" press and bloggers trashing Palin only serves to make them more supportve of both her and Mack...throwing her under the bus would effectively mean Mack is dead in the water.

[Economike]

Get the lawnchair and crack open a beer. The shows just starting. I'm enjoying it too.

[ignorantwillyharper]

Big Mac will dump Pilan, but the only PICK, that will excite the party...is that of Hillary Clinton!
Aw, you say, but she's a democrat!
I say No, she's from the party of Clinton and there's only two in the party, but it's their party and it's all about them.
Hillary will denounce the Democrats for the Republicans so quick, Pilan will think she been put a cast on an iceberg!
Then it's just a matter of time until Bill can roam the Whitehouse halls at night, looking for those late night working interns!