Why Palin? McCain v. Rove

Why did John McCain select Sarah Palin as his running mate? The real reason is that he made an impulsive decision to prove his independence in reaction to pressure from Karl Rove, who was lobbying for Mitt Romney, as I explain in a forum on Firedoglake.com on my new book, The Strange Death of Republican America: Chronicles of a Collapsing Party.

I explain the inside story, according to sources close to the McCain campaign:

On Palin: My information is that Karl Rove wanted Romney and pushed him. McCain pushed back. He really wanted Lieberman. That was completely out of the question. Palin is the result. One element of the Palin nomination is McCain establishing himself apart from the Bush/Rove political operation, even as his campaign manager, Steve Schmidt, is one of their creatures. From the outside, it's often hard to figure out how vicious and divided the Republicans can be with each other.

I further explain that McCain rationalized his hasty choice as an appeal to the Republican base:

On McCain and the GOP base: Conventions are real tests of party unity, as we've just seen with the Democrats. McCain still has to pass the test through his own convention. Palin, among other things, enables him to bring along the social conservatives, or it ought to do so. Once McCain receives the nomination he is freer to move to the center. He is already campaigning more as a "maverick" and behind the scenes he is in some conflict with both Bush and Rove on policy and politics. If we had a sensate political press corps they might report on these abrasions.

McCain's emergence as the GOP nominee represents the fracturing of the conservative Republican dominance of the party, shattered as a consequence of George W. Bush's radicalism. I explain the story of how the Republicans came apart in "The Strange Death of Republican America." On the ruins, McCain must attempt to piece together the broken shards. In McCain's case, the political motive has combined with the temperamental. Thus, Sarah Palin.

Comments

[elizabethc]

I agree with Blumenthal. There are two excellent articles from Rolling Stone and The New York Times Magazine that point out that former and current Bush aides that have said that Bush has no faith in McCain. These articles also point out that Rove and Bush supported Romney from the beginning. Bush and his current and former aides have serious doubts that McCain can beat Obama. And if I am a betting person I think they are probably right. Palin will probably hurt McCain sooner then later and I doubt that she will NOT reach out to those women who share Hilary's vision of universal health care and a woman's reproductive rights. This could be a serious backlash for McCain. McCain is hardly a "Maverick" and he is clearly a desperate man that will lose his dignity to become President.

[boatswain]

This makes no sense whatsoever. Sorry, I'm not buying it. Why would McCain cut off his nose to spite his face like that? More likely, Rove wanted Palin because chaos is his middle name and that's the party's last hope for '08.

[GrayShockley]

With a tip of the hat to James Moore and Wayne Slater:

Karl Rove is John McCain's medulla oblongata.

[InfiniteShibumi]

"If we had a sensate political press corps they might report on these abrasions." Wow. Wonderful prose...But I digress. I've heard that a Rove led-cabal dictated to McCain what he had to do to gain their support and keep Rush off his back, and that Palin was neither his choice nor his decision.

[Nancy2008]

I said I wasn"t going to participate in the presidential hoopla this time, so I knew it was a mistake to check in on the conventions. Now I have to ask- what the hell is going on?
A debate about whether Sarah Palin is ready to take over if something should happen to McCain? Isn"t the real debate whether anyone should vote for a person who is so sickly that it is a very real possibility that he will die of natural causes in the next four years?
But something much worse than McCain"s death could happen. He is extremely frail and decrepit. Where I live, it is illegal to drive after taking cold medication. With McCain"s health history, we might just end up with someone under the influence of chemo-therapy. Who would vote for that? What decisions do sick, old people make that are different from decisions of healthy, young people?

Sarah Palin is a big fat distraction from the real issues. That"s why she was chosen. Stir the pot, distract the press. Exactly like race baiting, only using women"s issues instead of minority issues.

Senator McCain"s health is an issue. Governor Palin"s experience is not

[BDeCola]

Old Joe has turned his back on Democrats and America because he is more loyal to Israel than the US.
He has put his lot with the warmongers because they will attack Iran quicker than a democrat will.
Think about it. Why else would he change his position so dramatically.

[LightningJoe]

Anyone notice, that Holy Joe called himself a Democrat three times, in his Republican Convention speech -- not once referring to his actual registration as an Independent?

Seems he wants the Rep base to think they are "winning over" Democrats, or some such nonsense.

Personally, I find it offensive, for someone who threw over the Democrats at the drop of a hat, just to get back to DC, to then don the sheep-skin again, when it promises some help for a short-term bump in the polls.

[tcolgan001]

Has anyone considered that this whole Palin thing may be merely a maneuver to get Lieberman on the ticket? Remember how effective the trick was for Bush. He proposed Harriet Myers, totally unqualified for the position, then withdrew and got his desired candidate through.

[InfiniteShibumi]

Yup, yup. Won't work though. The Dems (and some liberals) now despise Lieberman, whereas before he was merely tolerated. Unless McCain is in a hara-kiri mood, no bl**dy way will Lieberman get on the ticket.

[ENOS]

So, what you're saying is that McCain allowed Rove to pressure him into not choosing Lieberman?

Also, whoever thinks it is not obvious that McCain chose Palin purely based on the demographic of voters she attracts is completely off base.

[kvberry]

I love her. She is a female Teddy Roosevelt. Obama's experience is equivalent to Dan Quayle.

[LightningJoe]

She's an Alpha Wolf, is what she is. The biggest female always leads the pack.

[elizabethc]

Sarah Palin is a female version of Dan Quayle. Don't insult Teddy Roosevelt.

[BatedBreath]

I find Blumenthal's observations hard to believe. Palin is so in the rovian style it amazing anyone could think otherwise. It was a very canny political pick and mccain is not that astute poltically IMO.

[swkidder]

Yes, but he is that impulsive - remember that famous ability to "know things in your gut" that has been Dubyah's guide down the path of diplomacy ....

[wavydavy]

"If we had a sensate political press corps they might report on these abrasions."

Yup. And if pigs had wings, they could fly. I say both of those events are equally likely.

[richdoll]

this year they can not steal the election, yet they will try. the whole world is watching the anticipation of obama to get elected is key to our world standing. the picking of palin has rove's hands all over it also
the reason they did not bother to vet her due to liberals would and attack her it part of rove's playbook. yet however rove stated tim kaine from va was not well know with 3 yrs as governor would have been obama's first pick. but it would have been a losing ticket. the repigs have branded obama as inexperienced, yet the fact he's a constitutional lawyer & president of his law review 12 yrs of state legislature & senate and passed & written over 800 bills in comparison to someone who graduated with a bs degree for idaho in journalism.mayor of a little unknown town is ludicrous

[2stupid4words]

Some folks may forget that politics breeds strange bedfellows. When your system is shocked, as was mine with the VP choice of McCain, you can bet that some haggling behind closed doors and some jumping in and out of bed occurred. Is this the best way to save face?

[rsaillant1]

Here's the "playbook," as written by Karl Rove:

All this furor and hubbub is meant to transpire while the nation blabs on and on about her capabilities, her lack of experience, whose child it might be, her daughter's latest pregnancy, ad nauseum. Distractions all, from the real issues at hand....this whole melodrama has Rove's fingerprints all over it, down to his alleged desire for Lieberman to be the choice. Face it, they had no one. Whoever they might select had some detractors within the party.

Palin was a wrong choice...but an important and very much intentional "wrong" choice.

Sarah Palin's name will be withdrawn from the nomination for reasons that will appear relevant; family/health issues. The Repub party will be in disarray, but "intentional" disarray. They can't go back to Giuliani. Lieberman, Pawlenty or Mitt. What to do/ What to do. Who fits the bill?
Who has name recognition, a decent resume? Who has occupied a significant office in a major state?Who could reunite the Repugs.....? Who knows hurricanes?

Anyone seen Jeb Bush recently?

[JerseyGirl4Obama]

Very interesting take. But, i sure hope not. i can't stand another 4 years of anyone named BUSH, or McBush.

[margardner]

"NOT THIS TIME" Repubs are not going to steal the election like they did before.

We are fired up, and ready to go! If they went with J. Bush, that would only fire up our
base even more! Bring it on!

[InfiniteShibumi]

Here's a question: What if Rove et al. really don't want the Repubs to win the 2008 election? They already know we're in an economic freefall, sure to last most of the next presidential term. With a weak ha'penny American dollar, a mortgage/housing crisis, rising unemployment and inflation and mounting debt to China -- do the Repubs truly want to be in the driver's seat? They know where jobs are lost, unrest is sure to follow. Whaddaya say if the Repubs at top really just want to "sit this one out." Whoever undertakes the next presidency likely will not have the wind at his back. What better way to retake the White House than after the leader of the Dem party has failed to meet the expectations and hopes of the American people? Convoluted? Yes. Cynical? Yes, but I'm positing a hypothetical here, after all...Any thoughts?

[plantdoc]

Has anyone thought about the possibility that no one else was willing to run with McCain and possibly put their future political aspirations at risk? Of course, Romney would have been the better choice but maybe he got smart and said no to the opportunity to be on the "losing team". I must admit I laughed a little when I heard of the selection - thinking it must be a joke! If Ms. (oops) Mrs. Palin gets anywhere near the White House we will all need to duck and run! Don't just sit and hope that things go well - get out there and register voters or work for the Obama/Biden ticket to make sure that the USA continues to be a place where EVERYONE can live!