The Institute of VP leaks, tips, and speculation (GOP edition)

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

I just can't believe they'd pick Mitt Romney.

[Flying Dog]

I just can't believe hope they'd pick Mitt Romney.

[Beet]

I have to admit if jmf is right he will look awfully good. And don't believe it wouldn't make a media splash.

[12th Doctor]

I just can't believe they'd pick Mitt Romney.

Supposedly, the Secret Service went today to do a security sweep of his sister's house.


Son of a Bitch.  I can't stand him.  Why?  Seriously.  Why?

BTW... I called my contacts in Erie, there has been no Secret Service activity there, so it seems Ridge almost certainly won't be the pick. 

[Keystone Phil]

I just can't believe they'd pick Mitt Romney.

Supposedly, the Secret Service went today to do a security sweep of his sister's house.


Son of a Bitch.  I can't stand him.  Why?  Seriously.  Why?

That was part of standard procedure. His sister was hosting some McCain event or something and Romney was going as a surrogate.

[12th Doctor]

I just can't believe they'd pick Mitt Romney.

Supposedly, the Secret Service went today to do a security sweep of his sister's house.


Son of a Bitch.  I can't stand him.  Why?  Seriously.  Why?

That was part of standard procedure. His sister was hosting some McCain event or something and Romney was going as a surrogate.

Ah... okay.

[Lunar]

Eric Cantor on Larry King:  I think it will be Mitt Romney or Tim Pawlenty

im watching this eric cantor guy on television.  my goodness, he is horrid.  absolutely awful.

I KNOW.  I actually like him a bit.  I didn't realize how Republican Ben Stein was.

I think the Jew with the Southern accent with intellectual glasses is appealing though.  But he's not a fluid talker.

People need to stop saying Pawlenty is safe because he has no negatives.

The negative is the absence of positives.

Did I fall asleep and miss out on a massive electoral shift where the GOP brand suddenly became popular again?  To win, McCain must keep breaking the mold.

Yet the absence of negatives is one of the biggest positives a potential VP can have.

[JSojourner]

Steele on Fox News stated about 30 min ago he thought it was either Palin or Pawlenty, but thought McCain would pick Palin.

That would be amazing.

If McCain picks Palin, he would be seen to fail his first major test as a Presidential nominee, i.e., his selection of a running mate. 

McCain has stated his number one criteria for a running mate is to pick someone who would be capable of being President.  Palin comes nowhere near this qualification.  It is ludicrous to think she does.

McCain would be laughed off the Presidential stage with a Palin pick.

yeah, right up to the point where Palin takes the mike.  get on youtube and watch some of her speeches or interviews or debates.  She is one woman who is in command but in a totally graceful and down to earth manner.  She is intelligent, articulate, focused and hard working.  She makes bold but doable plans and executes them without offending the masses.  

she may be a dark horse of a pick, but in everything she does, she simply excels.  She is the poster child of excellence.  America would fall in love with Sarah Palin, even without the good looks.

Positively spot-on.  And yeah, I make a big deal about how hot she is.  (I have a think for hotties with glasses for some reason.)  But she really is bright.  She has a good sense of humor.  She's also pretty warm and caring from what I have heard.  America would love her.

I have no idea if she has the stuff of a Commander in Chief.  But that's exactly what people have said about Obama.  And they are right.  We really don't know until he takes office.  The upside with Palin is that she would be the number two, as opposed to the number one.

Question -- anything new on Ridge?  Has his stock risen? Dropped?  I still like him the best of all the choices.

[Flying Dog]

Come on, how come we don't know yet!?

[bkey]

Steele on Fox News stated about 30 min ago he thought it was either Palin or Pawlenty, but thought McCain would pick Palin.

That would be amazing.

If McCain picks Palin, he would be seen to fail his first major test as a Presidential nominee, i.e., his selection of a running mate. 

McCain has stated his number one criteria for a running mate is to pick someone who would be capable of being President.  Palin comes nowhere near this qualification.  It is ludicrous to think she does.

McCain would be laughed off the Presidential stage with a Palin pick.

yeah, right up to the point where Palin takes the mike.  get on youtube and watch some of her speeches or interviews or debates.  She is one woman who is in command but in a totally graceful and down to earth manner.  She is intelligent, articulate, focused and hard working.  She makes bold but doable plans and executes them without offending the masses.  

she may be a dark horse of a pick, but in everything she does, she simply excels.  She is the poster child of excellence.  America would fall in love with Sarah Palin, even without the good looks.

[12th Doctor]

Eric Cantor on Larry King:  I think it will be Mitt Romney or Tim Pawlenty

im watching this eric cantor guy on television.  my goodness, he is horrid.  absolutely awful.

I KNOW.  I actually like him a bit.  I didn't realize how Republican Ben Stein was.

I think the Jew with the Southern accent with intellectual glasses is appealing though.  But he's not a fluid talker.

People need to stop saying Pawlenty is safe because he has no negatives.

The negative is the absence of positives.

Did I fall asleep and miss out on a massive electoral shift where the GOP brand suddenly became popular again?  To win, McCain must keep breaking the mold.

Yet the absence of negatives is one of the biggest positives a potential VP can have.

Saw it... makes me think it won't be either of them.

[Lunar]

Jeeze, the Palin love is just ridiculous.

Way more ridiculous that those of us hoping for Schweitzer since Schweitzer would not undermine Obama's two most powerful messages.  Palin completely eliminates the experience and the celebrity arguments for McCain for all of the swing voters with an IQ over 70... which is about half of them.

[Beet]

Come on, how come we don't know yet!?

You're just jealous that McCain is keeping his a better secret than Barack "text message" Obama.

If Obama can't keep his VP a secret, how do we know the nuclear codes won't leak to Marc Ambinder??? OMG

[bkey]

Jeeze, the Palin love is just ridiculous.

Way more ridiculous that those of us hoping for Schweitzer since Schweitzer would not undermine Obama's two most powerful messages.  Palin completely eliminates the experience and the celebrity arguments for McCain for all of the swing voters with an IQ over 70... which is about half of them.

I disagree. I think experience (to be cliche) is much more important at the top of the ticket than at the bottom. I think Palin would be a very viable and legitimate pick.

[Lunar]

Jeeze, the Palin love is just ridiculous.

Way more ridiculous that those of us hoping for Schweitzer since Schweitzer would not undermine Obama's two most powerful messages.  Palin completely eliminates the experience and the celebrity arguments for McCain for all of the swing voters with an IQ over 70... which is about half of them.

I disagree. I think experience (to be cliche) is much more important at the top of the ticket than at the bottom. I think Palin would be a very viable and legitimate pick.

I agree with you completely.  It is far more important at the top of the ticket.  That is why McCain could get away with selecting someone with the title of "Congressman" while Obama probably couldn't.

However, McCain's biggest arguments, meaning those that have gained the most traction with swing voters, are that Obama is a pretty-boy and only has 3-4 years of experience.  It'd be like if McCain went out of his way to appeal to the racist vote yet selected an African-American as his VP.  I'm not saying McCain is doing this, but it's a parallel.

And who are you jmfsct to say "enough talk!"  You have made possibly 100 posts about Palin, haha!  Most of them under 5 words.

I like Palin on a personal level, but if she's the VP I'll eat my hat.  She hasn't done the media circuit, which is pretty much required for a VP.  Notice that Cantor, Pawlenty and Romney have all done at least one relatively intense interview a week in order for the vetters to understand how the VP handles him or herself under pressure and ability to stay on message.  Why wouldn't the vetters ask Palin to do this like all of the others?  Because she's not being considered and not being vetted.  End of story.

Can anyone produce one solid tip or hint that Palin could be the one.

[JSojourner]

Seriously...anything new or fresh on Ridge?

[Flying Dog]

Seriously...anything new or fresh on Ridge?

He's dead.

[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

Intrade has been all over the map all day.  Romney went from 67 to 5 back to 50 and is now back at 25.  Pawlenty went from 20 to 90 down to 40 and now back up to 74.

[Mr. Morden]

Seriously...anything new or fresh on Ridge?

Just that he lies about not having travel plans. 

http://kdka.com/politics/campaign08/mccain.vice.president.2.804819.html

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OMG!  Ridge says he has no travel plans and then leaves in his car!  He's either a liar, or he's driving his car without any plans!

[12th Doctor]

Seriously...anything new or fresh on Ridge?

Yeah, I just said, there was no Secret Service at his house today.  I got that from people who live nearby.

[Mr. Morden]

Romney's brother denies knowledge of Secret Service checking out sister's house

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080828/NEWS15/80828113

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Hill Republicans told to expect traditional pick

http://www.politico.com/blogs/jonathanmartin/0808/GOP_members_told_to_expect_traditional_pick.html?showall

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Huckabee says he wasn't vetted and isn't going to Dayton

http://www.huckpac.com/?FuseAction=Blogs.View&Blog_id=1854

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[Mr. Morden]

Ambinder: Romney will be in Dayton tomorrow

http://marcambinder.theatlantic.com/archives/2008/08/_live_from_the_floor.php

Erick Erickson says he has a source saying that it's Pawlenty:

http://www.redstate.com/diaries/redstate/2008/aug/28/mccains-vice-president-tim-pawlenty/

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[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

I'm almost tired of reading this stuff now. We have Palin, Romney, and Ridge in Ohio but Pawlenty will be at a state fair in Minnesota?

[True Democrat]

I'm almost tired of reading this stuff now. We have Palin, Romney, and Ridge in Ohio but Pawlenty will be at a state fair in Minnesota?

Where was it confirmed that Palin is in Ohio?

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

I'm almost tired of reading this stuff now. We have Palin, Romney, and Ridge in Ohio but Pawlenty will be at a state fair in Minnesota?

Where was it confirmed that Palin is in Ohio?

I assume that's what jmfcst is trying to tell us in his posts.