Presidential Candidate John McCain picks woman running mate

Source: bbc.co.uk

 

US Republican presidential hopeful John McCain has picked Sarah Palin, the female governor of Alaska, as his surprise running mate, US media say.

 

At 44, she is younger than Barack Obama and is credited with reforms during her first term, but she is relatively unknown in US politics.

 

Mr McCain is due to present her on stage at a rally in Dayton, Ohio, as he celebrates his 72nd birthday.

 

Analysts say the Republican is keen to wrest back headlines from Mr Obama.

 

Ms Palin is perhaps the most daring vice-presidential choice for Mr McCain, the BBC's Kim Ghattas reports from Dayton.

 

The two most likely choices were, until recently, former Governor of Massachusetts Mitt Romney and Governor of Minnesota Tim Pawlenty.

 

Broad appeal

 

The youngest governor of Alaska and the first woman to hold that position, Ms Palin is married with five children.

 

Analysts say she may have been chosen by the McCain campaign as a tactic to win over Democratic women voters, disappointed by the defeat of Hillary Clinton to Barack Obama.

 

Her relative youth and reforms as governor may also go some way to match Mr Obama's appeal, and boost Mr McCain's chances.

 

"She will be his partner in reforming Washington," a senior McCain official told Reuters news agency, speaking on condition of anonymity.

 

But Ms Palin lacks foreign policy experience and while being a Washington outsider can be an asset for the McCain ticket, it also means she has not been tested on the national stage, our correspondent says.

 

At the same time, Ms Palin is a strong conservative, fiscally and socially.

 

She also opposes abortion and one of her sons has Down's Syndrome.

 

Abortion has been a key issue cited by Republican voters who feel the Arizona senator is not conservative enough, our correspondent says.

 

tbh i cant see him winning no matter who he picks.... but hey ho, what do i know? lol.

I think it is a good choice as will attract female voters to the GOP

 

My concern is that McCain at 72 might well suffer serious health problems or even die in office and a women with 3 years political experience would be the new president if that happened

 

Having said that I hope McCain gets the Presidency, Obama is a brilliant orator but appears to me to be all soundbites and style and no substance, would I buy a used car or a timeshare or snake oil off Obama ? you bet - is he qualified or fit to be president ? not in my opinion

Yeah, I think this is a obvious choice, so McCain can attract female voters after Clinton got beat...

 

But anything other than Obama getting into power would be a disaster for America (and the rest of the world) tbh.

Truly bizarre. A "hockey mom" from Alaska who has spent all of 2 years in politics on any major scale and has never worked in Washington. I'm speechless.

 

I see this as an act of desperation. Disillusioned Hillary Democrats are McCain's only hope at this point. But I think he insults them by bringing in Palin, obviously chosen simply because she's a woman. It's like in Illinois in 2004 when the Republicans brought in Alan Keys (perhaps the only black conservative they could find) to try to beat Obama in the Senate race and failed miserably.

 

The vast majority of Hillary supporters support and will vote for Obama/Biden. It was a gutsy move by the McCain camp - and frankly one I didn't think he was smart enough to consider - but it won't succeed.

Yay, he picked the most conservative woman in the country!

 

If he wins, I'm moving.

Truly bizarre. A "hockey mom" from Alaska who has spent all of 2 years in politics on any major scale and has never worked in Washington. I'm speechless.

 

I see this as an act of desperation. Disillusioned Hillary Democrats are McCain's only hope at this point. But I think he insults them by bringing in Palin, obviously chosen simply because she's a woman. It's like in Illinois in 2004 when the Republicans brought in Alan Keys (perhaps the only black conservative they could find) to try to beat Obama in the Senate race and failed miserably.

 

The vast majority of Hillary supporters support and will vote for Obama/Biden. It was a gutsy move by the McCain camp - and frankly one I didn't think he was smart enough to consider - but it won't succeed.

 

I would have preferred Condy Rice to be VP, incredibly smart woman, black too which would eat into the Obama vote and not too tainted by Bush

 

I am not convinced that Palin will attract many new votes for McCain and I do worry about her credentials were McCain to be incapacitated or die during his presidency if he is elected but I do hope that McCain is elected in November

 

I do like her right wing conservative credentials though

I do like her right wing conservative credentials though

 

Why? So that America can be socially locked into the 1950's for another 4 years?

Edited August 29, 200816 yr by Tyler

McCain will win the Presidency

 

If Obama has a healthy lead in early October the GOP will create a security scare which will strike fear into the American people (muslims arrested with a dirty bomb in New York or something) about voting for Obama and given McCain has a healthy lead over Obama on internal security issues that will win McCain the presidency

Why? So that America can be socially locked into the 1950's for another 4 years?

 

I am a GOP supporter

 

The GOP believe in the same principles as me, Low tax, enterprise, anti abortion etc etc

If Obama has a healthy lead in early October the GOP will create a security scare which will strike fear into the American people (muslims arrested with a dirty bomb in New York or something) about voting for Obama

 

I am a GOP supporter

 

:blink:

:blink:

 

I am also a realist, politics is a dirty business

 

I am not advocating nor condoning such a tactic but I am realistic enough to know that such a tactic may well be used

McCain will win the Presidency

 

If Obama has a healthy lead in early October the GOP will create a security scare which will strike fear into the American people (muslims arrested with a dirty bomb in New York or something) about voting for Obama and given McCain has a healthy lead over Obama on internal security issues that will win McCain the presidency

 

Unfortunately like Massa winning the F1 title, I think this will happen.

 

McCain is already 5% ahead of Obama in the polls because a large percentage of Americans are stupid small-minded right-wing xenophobic bigoted racists, whilst the lead went from a 1% reversal in the last two months thanks to the sabre rattling with Russia (what a coincidence :rolleyes:)

Obama needs to win this or we're f***ed. End of.

 

I also think it's interesting that one of the main reasons Republicans have been opposing Obama is that he 'doesn't have enough experience' yet McCain has picked someone for VP who's been in office since 2006.

I am a GOP supporter

 

The GOP believe in the same principles as me, Low tax, enterprise, anti abortion etc etc

 

Lower taxes for the wealthy, you mean? The people who don't need the tax cuts? -_-

Lower taxes for the wealthy, you mean? The people who don't need the tax cuts? -_-

 

Craig's a Right-Winger who doesn't give a damn about such trifles as "freedom" or equal rights, or people getting an actual fair deal, just so long these mythical "tax cuts" are in place... A tax cut for the rich usually entails the rise of Stealth Taxes which adversely effect the poor a lot more than the rich... It's an illusion...

 

And what a ridiculous choice for VP..... Like Consie says, some Soccer Mom from a town of 9000 in sodding ALASKA, with no actual Washington experience, at least Obama is a SENATOR in the capital and knows how things operate, and he chose his VP extremely well, with both of these guys you get a mixture of youth, vitality, vision, idealism and experience, what the fukk does McCain and Palin seriously have to offer the world... ? More fascistic, bigoted, right-wing, Neo-Con cr@p....

 

McCain is clearly and pathetically trying some attempt at tokenism.. But this is what the Republicans are all about really....

I am a GOP supporter

 

The GOP believe in the same principles as me, Low tax, enterprise, anti abortion etc etc

I'm sorry, but didn't Obama just declare a couple of days ago that should he be elected, he would cut taxes for 95% of struggling working class families? Or does it not count because they don't cut taxes for those who can actually afford being taxed? :rolleyes:

 

Ridiculous desperate choice for a Veep anyway. If the election goes ahead as planned I can't see McCain beating Obama (that is if Bush doesn't make a desperate grab for emergency powers and nuke Iran -_-), but I can't see Obama serving the full term as some pathetic racist will doubtless assassinate him. Watch this space for President Biden in 2012 -_-

I'm sorry, but didn't Obama just declare a couple of days ago that should he be elected, he would cut taxes for 95% of struggling working class families? Or does it not count because they don't cut taxes for those who can actually afford being taxed? :rolleyes:

 

Ridiculous desperate choice for a Veep anyway. If the election goes ahead as planned I can't see McCain beating Obama (that is if Bush doesn't make a desperate grab for emergency powers and nuke Iran -_-), but I can't see Obama serving the full term as some pathetic racist will doubtless assassinate him. Watch this space for President Biden in 2012 -_-

 

He would say the moon is made of blue cheese if it meant being elected by the gullible masses, the reality is that that poor and the middle classes would see tax RISES as he needs to have funds for this "change" he talks about, just "soaking the rich" is going to be a drop in the ocean financially for the money that he needs to bring about this "change", he is a traditional left wing tax and spend politician

 

If he wants any credibility Obama has to explain exactly where the money is going to come from to finance all these lavish plans that he has because the idea he can do it on the basis of taxing the rich and the wealth creators is as credible as the easter bunny being real

 

The best way to bring about a more prosperous society is to reduce the tax burden on the rich and then the wealth trickles down into other areas, reduce tax for the wealthy brings about more consumer spending and retail sales and more money for these guys to expand their businesses and this in turn leads to more jobs being created and a better standard of living for all

Craig's a Right-Winger who doesn't give a damn about such trifles as "freedom"

 

Wrong, I am one of the people on here that condemned the Patriot Act the most, I have also been one of the most vigourous opponents on here of ID cards, DNA database, speed cameras, the ban on protesting in Parliament Square etc etc, I very much believe in freedom and personal rights and personal privacy

 

However I do also believe in the idea that top rate taxpayers should not have to pay extra taxes to prop up and subsidise the less fortunate financially

 

He would say the moon is made of blue cheese if it meant being elected by the gullible masses, the reality is that that poor and the middle classes would see tax RISES as he needs to have funds for this "change" he talks about, just "soaking the rich" is going to be a drop in the ocean financially for the money that he needs to bring about this "change", he is a traditional left wing tax and spend politician

 

If he wants any credibility Obama has to explain exactly where the money is going to come from to finance all these lavish plans that he has because the idea he can do it on the basis of taxing the rich and the wealth creators is as credible as the easter bunny being real

 

The best way to bring about a more prosperous society is to reduce the tax burden on the rich and then the wealth trickles down into other areas, reduce tax for the wealthy brings about more consumer spending and retail sales and more money for these guys to expand their businesses and this in turn leads to more jobs being created and a better standard of living for all

You don't still believe in the trickle-down theory of wealth do you? It sound's good but IT DOESN'T WORK. The people who benefited from Bush's tax cuts already had far more than they could possibly spend so why would they spend any more?