Which VP pick was worse?

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

I can't believe I'm saying this, but Palin was marginally better. At least she had an elected experience on local and state level and didn't have a baggage like being an epic fail CEO. Plus, for all her (numerous) flaws she was an actual politician, while Fiorina's political acumen is as cringeworthy as a potted cactus in a monkey's pajamas.

[NeverAgain]

I don't think there is anywhere close to enough time to judge. Overall as a candidate, Palin inspired the base. Fiorina yelled at PP, and then dropped out when they realized that she is a dumb dumb.

[Darthpi – Anti-Florida Activist]

It is hard for me to imagine Fiorina becoming an object of constant mockery the way Palin was. She might not add much to the ticket, but the downside risk is less.

[Wisconsin+17]

Palin was a pretty good choice. McCain's numbers went up and stayed up. He was ahead of Obama just before the financial crisis, and the suspension of his campaign. McCain was probably the most moronic campaigner ever.

[Averroës Nix]

It's not a "VP pick" if you haven't been nominated, obviously.

[🦀🎂🦀🎂]

Reminder again that McCain was musing about picking Lieberman.

[Lyin' Steve]

At the outset Palin seemed like a much better choice than Fiorina.  Palin was governor of Alaska.  Fiorina is a CEO who got fired and lost every political race she's ever run in.

Palin was a humiliating disaster of course, but the choice to make her VP wasn't such a bad choice at the time they made it.  I can tell you right now that Fiorina is a bad choice.

[Santander]

On paper, Palin was a great running mate for McCain, because she checked the boxes he was missing and shared a maverick streak and bipartisan credentials. Who knew she would turn out to become the national embarrassment she became?

Fiorina is just a bad pick on all levels. She's a failed CEO-turned-failed politician who will not deliver a single state or voting constituency for Cruz. She's even less likable than Cruz, so she doesn't even help him on that front. I respect Cruz a lot less for doing this. Maybe the hush money he paid her before wasn't enough?

[SillyAmerican]

It is hard for me to imagine Fiorina becoming an object of constant mockery the way Palin was. She might not add much to the ticket, but the downside risk is less.

Agreed.

It's not a "VP pick" if you haven't been nominated, obviously.

And agreed. She's been picked as the Cruz attack dog, plain and simple.

[wolfsblood07]

I disagree that Fiorina is a bad pick.  When she speaks she sounds intelligent, articulate and well versed on important issues.  And I love that she can completely demolish Hillary.

[syntaxerror]

Fiorina is a strong orator. Her speech today was better that any Cruz has made, and she performed well in debates.

[Lief 🗽]

Palin was a gamechanger before she turned out to be an idiot. McCain surged into a dead-heat and she was very well-received at first.

[Horsemask]

Palin by default, because she was actually the VP nominee. This is just a publicity stunt from a desperate campaign.

[Fuzzy Bear]

Fiorina can do the things needed to help Cruz on the stump.  Her communication skills are through the roof, and she's steely and focused.  As a Presidential candidate, she's overly intense, but as a VP pick, she provides the laser.  Cruz could have done a lot worse.  This doesn't hurt him, and I don't think anyone else would have helped any more than she will.

[Young Conservative]

We all know that Carly Fiorina is better in every regard compared to sarah Palin

[HAnnA MArin County]

I disagree that Fiorina is a bad pick.  When she speaks she sounds intelligent, articulate and well versed on important issues.  And I love that she can completely demolish Hillary.

lol keep telling yourself that. Hillary hasn't even went after Fiorina because she's so irrelevant and "soooo yesterday."

It's too hard to pick right now, but Palin didn't become as big of a laughingstock until after she quit her job as Governor and decided to cash in on her newfound fame. Fiorina is more intelligent and knowledgeable on policy, but she still has no government experience because she's lost every race she's ran. That notwithstanding, Palin was only in office for less than two years, but was a mayor before that (granted of a small town with a population ~ 10,000). For all of her obvious flaws as a candidate, Palin helped McCain by energizing the base and connecting with voters who felt ambivalent and skeptical of McCain. I don't see Fiorina doing that save for the handful of Republican women who would support her just because of her gender. I see this as another affirmative action selection by the Republicans: put a woman on the ticket to help with female voters, since it worked out so well last time.

Fiorina, unlike Palin, won't get to be the VP nominee, however, since Cruz isn't going to win the nomination.

[Lyin' Steve]

I disagree that Fiorina is a bad pick.  When she speaks she sounds intelligent, articulate and well versed on important issues.  And I love that she can completely demolish Hillary.

Everybody kept saying, back before she got 1% in Iowa and dropped out, that Carly could demolish Hillary.  I fail to see any evidence of that, and nobody ever offered any besides "she's good at debating" and "she's also a woman."  Hillary's also pretty darn good at debating... and a woman.

Also Carly ain't that good at debating.  Her sharp, uncivil, hyper-aggressive machine-gun style was a shock in the second debate after we'd gotten it used to everyone fuddy-duddying around and the occasional Trump punchline, but in the subsequent debates it got old really really fast.  Nobody missed her when she got pushed down to the kiddie table.

I'm watching this interview with Megyn Kelly now and Carly looks so exhausted... does she have a huge pimple on her right lip or is her makeup just mis-applied?  I know you're not supposed to talk about a woman politician's looks (notwithstanding that I'll make fun of Ted's eyebrows until the cows come home) but she looks gaunt and seems like a shadow of her former self, like a memory of a bad dream.  Wearing all red can't make up for a lack of enthusiasm.

This whole thing reminds me of in Pride and Prejudice when Charlotte Lucas quickly marries the inadequate Mr. Collins although she doesn't love him.  Then they all go visit her and he's fuddling around in the garden and it's very awkward, but she says she think she can be content with the marriage.

[Orser67]

I don't think there is anywhere close to enough time to judge.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

It's not a "VP pick" if you haven't been nominated, obviously.

Tell that to Ronald Reagan... or DW Perry.

[pho]

We'll never know since Cruz/Fiorina will never reach a general election.

One isn't really more awful than the other. One is famous for sinking a Presidential campaign, the other is famous for sinking a Fortune 500 company. Neither one is remotely coherent or have any practical ideas that weren't fed to them by somebody else. I call it a wash.

Of course we are comparing Fiorina to Palin c.2008. The modern day Sarah Palin is clearly suffering from severe mental illness (or drug addiction) and needs medical attention.

[Oldiesfreak1854]

Palin, because Fiorina at least sounds intelligent when she speaks.  Although I would argue that Dan Quayle was worse than either one.

What is it with female GOP running mates that liberals hate so much?  Is it simply because they're women?

[wolfsblood07]

Of course we are comparing Fiorina to Palin c.2008. The modern day Sarah Palin is clearly suffering from severe mental illness (or drug addiction) and needs medical attention.

She definitely exhibits odd behavior, and controversy follows her everywhere.

[Beefalow and the Consumer]

Palin was a gamechanger before she turned out to be an idiot. McCain surged into a dead-heat and she was very well-received at first.

And then the campaign realized to its horror that in its eagerness to capitalize on all of those upsides, no one vetted her intellectual capacity.  They bought the shiniest car on the lot without so much as giving it a test drive, let alone taking it to a mechanic.

[Coolface Sock #42069]

Palin, at least for now.

[RaphaelDLG]

I mean, in terms of substance, Fiorina is definitely better, but it's totally by default.

Fiorina sucks, is unlikeable, and has an awful, awful record on which to run... but she's not a moron.

Sarah Palin is, like, a borderline mentally retarded redneck.