The John McCain Imperative
Who John McCain picks as his vice presidential nominee is more important to the future of the Republican Party, and indeed the country, than it might otherwise initially seem.
Speculation of McCain's possible choices has grown with the news that prominent Republicans Mitt Romney, Charlie Crist and Bobby Jindal will join McCain over the Memorial Day holiday at his Sedona cabin, but if McCain and the Republicans give in to conventional tactics and select a conservative running mate to complement the maverick John McCain, they will most likely have opted for a losing strategy for a party that is now in decline.
The Republican Party is in a downward spiral since losing the majority in Congress in 2006, most recently evidenced by the loss of three congressional special elections in the last few months. Furthermore, the most recent polls all show Democrats have a double digit lead in congressional voter preference.
There is a way for the Republican Party to transform the race and ultimately have a strong chance to win the election. And that is by nominating a non-Republican for the second spot to create a fusion ticket that would be based on a centrist, non-partisan approach. Polls show that 60 to 70% of the American electorate is attracted to the idea of the parties offering a non-partisan, results-oriented approach to the nation's seemingly intractable problems. Fortunately for Democrats, the current makeup of the Republican Party suggests that it is highly unlikely that they will follow this potentially game-changing approach.
A quick look at some recent polls shows how uphill a climb Senator McCain faces if he is to emerge victorious.
The Democrats are currently divided and fighting among themselves. Twenty to 25% of Obama and Clinton supporters now say they will defect to McCain if their candidate loses the nomination. But those numbers are likely to change when the Democratic Party, as they inevitably will, consolidates around a nominee. This means that the polls that currently show McCain running very competitively with both Obama and Clinton will almost certainly change for the worse once the Democrats conclude their nominating process.
In a recent Fox News poll, McCain led Obama by three points. However, when voters were asked to choose between two presidential tickets, Obama-Clinton and McCain-Romney, the Obama-Clinton ticket won by six points, at a time when the Democrats appear hopelessly divided. The McCain-Romney ticket is a generic Republican ticket backed by such Republican stalwarts as Karl Rove, and these poll numbers are indicative of how that ticket is likely to fare in the fall general election.
Other polling, which focuses on the parties, demonstrates how big of an advantage the Democratic nominee is likely to have.
In an NBC/Wall Street Journal poll taken at the end of April, voters said they prefer that a Democrat be elected president instead of a Republican this fall by 18 points. A Washington Post/ABC News Poll taken last month shows that by an almost 20-point margin, the electorate would choose a generic Democratic presidential candidate over an unnamed Republican presidential candidate to resolve the situation in Iraq and handle the economy.
Thus, the odds are stacked greatly against a Republican winning the 2008 presidential race. So what can McCain do to win the race?
One compelling option for McCain is to change the nature of the Republican Party and indeed the electoral process in the United States in a way that has not been done in the modern era. Slated to join McCain this weekend is an independent Democrat, Joe Lieberman. The former Democratic vice presidential nominee is a strong supporter of a hawkish foreign policy, a loyal ally to McCain, and as McCain's running mate would allow for a number of arguments that will uniquely empower McCain and the Republicans in the fall elections.
By picking Joe Lieberman, John McCain can do three things he can not otherwise do. First, he runs as a centrist and a maverick, not a mainstream Republican, effectively and finally distancing himself from George Bush and turning the race into a contest between a bipartisan coalition and a more narrow Democratic ticket. This will avoid allowing the race to inevitably become a contest between a partisan Republican and a partisan Democrat -- a contrast that works inexorably to the Republican disadvantage.
Second, choosing Lieberman as his vice president allows McCain to develop a new, centrist ideology, borrowing ideas and principles from both parties. Working in a bipartisan fashion, and advocating and responding to the electorate's desire for change by indicating he will choose a bipartisan cabinet, McCain can take on the serious issues facing our country, such as entitlements, healthcare, our struggling economy and both the war on terror and the war in Iraq.
The Obama candidacy has compellingly proven that voters are attracted to this type of centrist, bipartisan approach, and there is ample survey research that supports this conclusion.
Finally, if McCain selects Lieberman as his vice presidential running mate, he creates a critically important opportunity for America -- the possibility for bipartisan coalitions in the House and the Senate to be forged in a way that will uniquely reassure the American people about what can be achieved in Washington in the future.
To be sure, this idea goes against conventional wisdom. When Karl Rove and other Republican leaders have been asked who McCain should choose as his running mate, they run through a list of prospective choices and conclude that someone like Mitt Romney would make sense, or perhaps Charlie Crist can deliver Florida, or Bobby Jindal can balance McCain's age. I think this conventional approach is wrong for the Republican Party and wrong for the nation.
Let me be clear. This is about more than just choosing a vice presidential running mate. This is about fundamentally altering the nature of the political party system in America, which will redound not only to the short-term benefit of McCain, but also to the long-term benefit of the country.
Thus, selecting Joe Lieberman is not only a smart electoral strategy for John McCain, but a strategy that could potentially transform American politics.
Carly Cooperman contributed to this article.
Loading comments…
Want to reply to a comment? Hint: Click "Reply" at the bottom of the comment; after being approved your comment will appear directly underneath the comment you replied to
My fear is that he will choose Jeb Bush. No matter how low W's numbers are, I think the right would flock to Jeb.
How big is the right that would flock to Jeb? Would that be the 28%-ers?
I truly hope we are finished with Bushes. Clintons too, for that matter.
Both of them?? There are very few right wingers any more. Most of the die-hard republicans I know voted fervently for Bush twice. Now they are voting for Obama. The intelligent ones have taken a look at where the country is headed. Some of them voted for Dems in 2006, now all of them except one are voting for Obama. One of them is a delegate to the Dem convention. The one who is wavering won't vote for Clinton but can't yet bring himself to vote for a democrat. He has decided that he won't vote for a Republican, all we have to do is get him to vote for the dem.
The statement that Lieberman is a centrist shows how far america has shifted to the right. Lieberman is another conservative with a centrist lapel pin.
Lieberman was once a centrist but has become cynical and right wing. He now panders to John Hagee. Similar to D.C. Stephenson of Indiana in the 1920s.
The citizens of Connecticut are now really sorry that they elected him in 2006.
It would transform American politics all right. It would OFFICIALLY turn the USA into a client state at Israel's bidding - not to mention WWIII.
It would OFFICIALLY turn the USA into a client state at Israel's bidding
__________
Of all the ridiculous statements I've read on HuffPost, this one must rank near the top. However, I don't say this for the reasons you probably think.
It's not that Lieberman as VP wouldn't be heavily pro-Israel, but the notion that the U.S. would be a "client" state of a country with roughly 1/100th its population. Do you even know what a "client state" is? How much money do you suppose the Israelis will give us every year to do their bidding? Will they supply us with hi-tech weaponry? Will they protect us from the powerful enemies on our borders, those nasty and dangerous Canadians and Mexicans?
http://en.
I agree, this term does not accurately describe the relationship.
Aren't we giving money and weapons to Israel? Isn't that one of the reasons the Palestinians and other Moslems are so annoyed with us? The arms which kill them say "made in USA" on them? (hey at least that is one product we don't get from China).
There is nothing "centrist" or "non-partisan" about Joe Lieberman. He's a right-wing Republican through and through.
I would love to see Joe L. because it would make McC even easier to beat.
He is irrational and one of the most off-putting, sanctimonious politicans around.
He was a terrible campaigner.
So I hope McC picks him.
Me too- Run Joe Run!!!
Joe Lieberman is a Rebublican and as right-wing as they come. Any progressive quality that he would bring to the table would be countered by McCain's drift rightward.
Barbara Bush... eliminates the question of McCain's age, diverts attention away from Cinderella's tax returns, provides years of White House experience and ensures a continuation of the Bush Dynasty.
No wait... the Bush Dynasty continues no matter who the VP choice.
Lieberman is no longer a democrat. He has lined up with Bush on the issues. There's no way dems consider him a part of their community any longer. Picking him will not create a bi-partisan ticket. It will just be the ticket to continue W's policies for a third term. The American public will reject this choice. McCain has abandoned his hope of winning by selling out all his 2000 positions to appeal to the neo-cons. If McCain 2000 was running this year, he would have a good chance in the general election. But, this new 2008 McCain has sold his soul to the devil and ruined his chances.
Joe Lieberman would rally the right wing of the Republican party behind McCain whom they see as too liberal. Also Joe would put Florida in McCain's column, an absolute must-State for McCain.
it isn't easy to get the great unwashed masses to vote for the Republicans who will proceed to ship their jobs and salaries overseas but I think Joe Lieberman is the man you want in such situations as he is expert at raising the fantasy of an apocalyptic Adolph Hitler lurking in the shadows and nothing gets the ignorant more riled up than fantasies of enemies lurking under the bed.
I totally agree with ajax2 Lieberman is not a centrist and is a democrat in name only.
Lieberman used to be a centrist but no longer is. Much like William Randolph Hearst, who had an election stolen from him and became cynical and right wing, so has Lieberman. The citizens of Connecticut are sorry they voted for him now. New York State had Senator Buckley in 1970 who was voted out handily in 1976. I think Lieberman has seen his last days of elected office from Connecticut.
I wonder if Chuck Hagel of Nebraska didn't quitely threaten Lieberman with a counter shift (Hagel to caucus with Dems) if Joe had switched to GOP and changed the balance of theSenate.
Interesting that the center-right government of Israel disregarded the Bush "appeasement" smear and went along and talked with Syria anyway.
A bit more realistic than Bushie-McCain and Lieberman- dare I say Clinton. They seem to have the idea if you don't talk to people they will cooperate with you.
They are afraid to talk to anyone that disagrees with them, cowards one and all.
His approval ratings in CT are about as low as BUSH - that would sure bring the Dem base out LOL
Not going to happen. Joe Lieberman is pro choice. Also, Lieberman is in the CT's doghouse so I doubt CT will turn red.
Republicans cannot transform American politics while they accuse people of being appeasers, while appealing to our worst expectations. We cannot afford more of the same nonsense that has taken hold of our collective consciousness since 9/11.
So far neither side has transformed politics. Obama is no different than any other politician.
States who vote for him are enlightened and those who go for Hillary are racist cesspools?
How is that different?
Lieberman supports the Bush Iraq and Iran wars, preemptive war, Imperial America, torture, unitary President, and random spying on U.S. citizens. None of these positions are centrist, mainstream, or any other right wing euphemism.
You lett out being beholden to corporate interests and especially the war related mainstays. Also, the heads I win, tails you loose mindset.
I know he's only 66, but he looks OLD. Not the confidence inspiring backup that will set at rest those who are concerned about McCain's age. Can you say President Nancy Pelosi?
Really, why not ask President Kerry about it? Oh that's right...
When you're talking Lieberman, you're talking President Gore, not Kerry.
I am astonished by this opinion piece. A major (and for the moment, largely unspoken) problem for McCain is his age. A younger VP would be instrumental in overcoming that. Lieberman is almost as old as McCain: to choose him is to reinforce McCain's age, a strategy for me that is a sure loser. And oh, yes, I almost forgot: Lieberman is no centrist where Democrats are concerned, he is a moralistic warmonger.
You must be logged in to comment. Log in or connect with
