The Veep Thread

[deskslave]

Guys who might work well with Obama, Jim Webb and Wesley Clark.

Does anyone ever really vote for a president based on the VP on the ticket?

I think McCain's pick is probably more important than most since, due to his age and health situation, voters realize there is actually a significant chance the GOP VP nominee will, in fact, succeed to the Presidency.

They can't get away with simply throwing an unqualified foof on there for ticket demographics. It's got to be somebody who could at least theoretically function in the WH.

Whether McCain survives his term or not, and I'd expect he would, I think it's highly unlikely he'd run again in 2012. So if he wins, he's basically chosen the GOP presidential candidate for 2012.

 

[Starman]

Guys who might work well with Obama, Jim Webb and Wesley Clark.

Does anyone ever really vote for a president based on the VP on the ticket?

I think McCain's pick is probably more important than most since, due to his age and health situation, voters realize there is actually a significant chance the GOP VP nominee will, in fact, succeed to the Presidency.

They can't get away with simply throwing an unqualified foof on there for ticket demographics. It's got to be somebody who could at least theoretically function in the WH.

Whether McCain survives his term or not, and I'd expect he would, I think it's highly unlikely he'd run again in 2012. So if he wins, he's basically chosen the GOP presidential candidate for 2012.

Both good points, but at 72 (as of election day) with a cancer history, while he certainly would be expected to survive out his term, my guess is the actuaries would say there's probably a 20-25% chance he would not.

On the other hand, if he did win and arrived at 2012 with no additional health problems, my guess is he'd run again. He appears a lot sharper than Reagan did at 71, that's for sure. Of course, Reagan was functionally senile from about the age of 55 onward.

 

[Yawn]

Um, how about deck Cheney again?

 

[EStreetJoe]

McCain will pick Tim Robbins or Susan Sarandon before he picks Mitt Romney. They hate each other and Romney doesn't bring a damn thing to the ticket.

Well, he is younger and apparently healthier than McCain, but for that matter, so is deck Cheney.

"Younger and healthier than McCain" is a pretty wide net. I'm not sure that eliminates Chester Arthur.

It may or may not eliminate Chester Arthur, but it will keep Bea Arthur eligible for the ticket

 

[deskslave]

Guys who might work well with Obama, Jim Webb and Wesley Clark.

Does anyone ever really vote for a president based on the VP on the ticket?

I think McCain's pick is probably more important than most since, due to his age and health situation, voters realize there is actually a significant chance the GOP VP nominee will, in fact, succeed to the Presidency.

They can't get away with simply throwing an unqualified foof on there for ticket demographics. It's got to be somebody who could at least theoretically function in the WH.

Whether McCain survives his term or not, and I'd expect he would, I think it's highly unlikely he'd run again in 2012. So if he wins, he's basically chosen the GOP presidential candidate for 2012.

Both good points, but at 72 (as of election day) with a cancer history, while he certainly would be expected to survive out his term, my guess is the actuaries would say there's probably a 20-25% chance he would not.

On the other hand, if he did win and arrived at 2012 with no additional health problems, my guess is he'd run again. He appears a lot sharper than Reagan did at 71, that's for sure. Of course, Reagan was functionally senile from about the age of 55 onward.

He would, though, have access to tremendous medical care, and every time he had a mole that looks a little funny, he'd get a complete workup. That would probably keep him going another four years, anyway. But I have a hard time thinking people wouldn't think twice about voting (in 2012) for someone who'd be 80 at the end of a term.

I've always found it a little interesting that LBJ died Jan. 22, 1973, two days after what would have been the final day of his last term, if he'd run and won again.

 

[deskslave]

McCain will pick Tim Robbins or Susan Sarandon before he picks Mitt Romney. They hate each other and Romney doesn't bring a damn thing to the ticket.

Well, he is younger and apparently healthier than McCain, but for that matter, so is deck Cheney.

"Younger and healthier than McCain" is a pretty wide net. I'm not sure that eliminates Chester Arthur.

It may or may not eliminate Chester Arthur, but it will keep Bea Arthur eligible for the ticket

I wouldn't vote for John McCain with Bea Arthur's deck.

 

[Starman]

I wouldn't vote for John McCain with Bea Arthur's deck.

If I were you, I'd head for the bumper-sticker printing plant.

 

[Fenian_Bastard]

Just saw a Washington Post story on the wire that lists five on each side.

In order, their theories are:

GOP
1. Tim Pawlenty
2. John Thune
3. Rob Portman
4. Charlie Crist
5. Mitt Romney

Dems
1. Kathleen Sebelius
2. Ted Strickland
3. Hillary
4. Tim Kaine
5. Sam Nunn

Boy. those are two unremarkable lists.
If it's Sam Nunn, I'm back to voting for Kodos.

 

[Moderator1]

I like 4 on the Dems side.

 

[Yawn]

Just saw a Washington Post story on the wire that lists five on each side.

In order, their theories are:

GOP
1. Tim Pawlenty
2. John Thune
3. Rob Portman
4. Charlie Crist
5. Mitt Romney

Dems
1. Kathleen Sebelius
2. Ted Strickland
3. Hillary
4. Tim Kaine
5. Sam Nunn

Boy. those are two unremarkable lists.
If it's Sam Nunn, I'm back to voting for Kodos.

The GOP list sucks the convention floor dirt.
The Dems makes sense only with 2 and maybe 5.

 

[PopeDirkBenedict]

Just saw a Washington Post story on the wire that lists five on each side.

In order, their theories are:

GOP
1. Tim Pawlenty
2. John Thune
3. Rob Portman
4. Charlie Crist
5. Mitt Romney

Dems
1. Kathleen Sebelius
2. Ted Strickland
3. Hillary
4. Tim Kaine
5. Sam Nunn

Boy. those are two unremarkable lists.
If it's Sam Nunn, I'm back to voting for Kodos.

Well, you've ruled out any sitting Senators. Who would you pick for Obama?

The best picks: McCain-Portman; Obama-Panetta

What is most likely to happen: McCain-Pawlenty; Obama-Biden

 

[Ben_Hecht]

I don't get Thune at all.

I get Portman, because of his geographic orientation, but broad enchantment with wingnuts/Fredo toadies seems to be down, just a bit.

And you've got to be kidding, re Kaine. He's a foreign-policy cipher, and anyone running around yelling "Abstinance!" at older teenagers would be better off serving as a Jonas Brothers roadie than running for national office.