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

[Mr. Morden]

In the tradition of Lunar's thread for the Dems, here is a thread we can use to consolidate rumors and news stories about McCain's running mate selection....so that we don't have a new thread for every single story.

Here's the first one:

link

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[Mr. Morden]

OK....earlier, Rendell had suggested that he knew that McCain wasn't picking Ridge as his running mate, because Ridge was going to be introducing McCain at an event in Washington, PA where McCain would be announcing his running mate:

link

Now I'm thinking that Rendell wasn't really claiming to have any special insight.  He was just repeating analysis that he had heard/read elsewhere.  This blog post:

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/blogs/fortyfourthestate/show_comments.php?entry_id=3077

was written on Friday, and indicates that Ridge will in fact be introducing McCain at the event in PA on Saturday.  And the author of the post speculates that this means that Ridge is out of the running.  But it doesn't really mean that at all (IMHO).  McCain will presumably be announcing and/or making his first joint appearance with his running mate in Dayton on Friday, so there's no conflict with Ridge then introducing McCain in PA on Saturday.  He can do that whether or not he's been named as McCain's running mate.

[Mr. Morden]

One thing I have heard is that McCain will limit himself to one term.

I can't imagine someone waking up every day with all the power of the presidency, and then voluntarily giving it up after just four years.  Only way McCain would make that pledge is if he was absolutely convinced that it would win him the election (which it wouldn't).

[Mr. Morden]

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0808/12868.html

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Note the bolded sentence.  This suggests that McCain won't simply announce his running mate in Dayton.  The running mate will also appear there with him.  (Because otherwise, how could they take the bus ride together to PA?)  Which means that there's an excellent chance that the identity of the person in question will leak out on Thursday night as travel plans are being made (a la the Joe Biden / Secret Service thing).

[Mr. Morden]

Chatter over Hutchison as possible VP grows louder

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/nation/5967502.html

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[Mr. Morden]

McCain apparently has no public events on his calendar today or tomorrow:

http://projects.washingtonpost.com/2008-presidential-candidates/tracker/candidates/john-mccain/

So he has a lot of free time to make a few phone calls.....like, say, calling up the people on his short list to tell them whether he's chosen them as his running mate.

[Mr. Morden]

The Hutchinson chatter is increasing.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/nation/5967502.html

Umm.....note what I posted just a few posts ago:

Chatter over Hutchison as possible VP grows louder

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/nation/5967502.html

[Mr. Morden]

Announced Friday noon.

Huh?  We already know that.  See this post for example:

https://uselectionatlas.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=81522.msg1687455#msg1687455

However, as that story implies, it sounds like McCain's running mate will actually appear with him at that rally in Dayton, which means there's a good chance the name will leak out tomorrow, as we see who's making plans to travel to Dayton.

[Mr. Morden]

From RCP:

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/veep_watch/2008/08/chatter_over_cantor.html

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From Bob Novak:

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2008/08/avoiding_a_lieberman_disaster.html

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[Mr. Morden]

If McCain's running mate will indeed appear with him on Friday, then there is every possibility that the name will leak out by Thursday night, whether McCain likes it or not.  I mean, by that time, you're going to have to have more than a few people in the know as to who it is, just because of the travel arrangements.

And I don't think the name leaking out would be such a bad thing for McCain because of the news getting "buried" by Obama's speech.  The media is going to have to spend some time talking about McCain's running mate once the name is out there.  There's no way around it.  They can't just say "Oh yeah, in other news, McCain's running mate will be Tim Pawlenty.  Now, back to discussion of Obama's big speech tonight."  They'll have to spend at least a little time talking about the McCain running mate news that would have otherwise gone to discussion of Obama.  So the McCain running mate news gets a little play on Thursday night, and then more play on Friday when they appear together, and the Obama speech is over.  It's not such a bad idea.

[Mr. Morden]

Liebermanworld pushes back hard on Novak report

http://www.politico.com/blogs/jonathanmartin/0808/Liebermanworld_pushes_back_HARD_on_Novak_report.html

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[Mr. Morden]

Politico says that Hutchison "has not been asked for any documentation of the sort typically handed over for vetting, according to a source in a position to know."

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

[Mr. Morden]

Rice is being vetted.  Just reported.

Source?

[Mr. Morden]

National Review's Byron York reports:

http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=Mjk1MjQwOWI4NjIwNDk4ZGQyNTgzMjIyYWYwOWYyNDg=

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[Mr. Morden]

Where is this phantom news about Rice being vetted?  I'm not finding it anywhere.

[Mr. Morden]

Drudge says "MCCAIN HAS DECIDED ON HIS RUNNING MATE... DEVELOPING... "

[Mr. Morden]

Larry Kudlow of National Review says:

http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=MzM5ZmU0YjJhMTUzNjhhNjIwMjU2ZWM3YmRhY2M1MDA=

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[Mr. Morden]

NYT says McCain has made his choice and will reveal it on Friday at 11am (not noon as previously reported):

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/28/us/politics/28repubs.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

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Politico says McCain will inform the person he's picked tomorrow:

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0808/12915.html

[Mr. Morden]

On CNN, they just said that the McCain campaign might put out an official statement late tomorrow night (after Obama's speech) announcing who the running mate choice is.

[Mr. Morden]

The Politico says that Rove has been pushing Romney and trying to throw cold water on Lieberman as McCain's running mate:

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0808/12922.html

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[Mr. Morden]

Drudge on McCain's running mate:

http://www.drudgereport.com/

SOURCE: NAME MAY LEAK AT 6 PM ET... WITH SOME SORT OF CONFIRMATION AT 8 PM... DEVELOPING...

[Mr. Morden]

More from National Review's Byron York:

http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=NDgzZjRkZmRiOWVmMDdiYzZlYjA2NjcwNWI4N2M3NDI=

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[Mr. Morden]

McCain denies that he's already decided:

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

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Also:

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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!

[Mr. Morden]

Firstread:

http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/08/28/1300384.aspx

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Politico:

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

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[Mr. Morden]

John Martin also said to expect Powell to be name-dropped:

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I didn't take that to be a prediction about Powell specifically.  Just a prediction that more crazy rumors would surface....and that a rumor about Powell being in the mix is an example of how crazy the rumors could get.