Thread: VP Picks

Originally Posted by Mr Earl

She's clearly a breath of fresh air.

yeah, there's nothing worse than the smell of old people.

Originally Posted by chinthee

And, above all, for both candidates, the VP remains relatively insignificant.

Agree, but in the minds of some, McCain's age could put a higher significance on his VP pick.

Originally Posted by Mr Earl

She's clearly a breath of fresh air.

Yep. This is one of the reason she was chosen. A young Washington outsider to help bring change to a broken government.

^Well, in that case, the VP is a relatively inexperienced woman whose main claim to fame is being the major of a small town in the least populated state in the Union. Oh, yes, she is also governor of the largest landmass state, with a population of something like 600,000.

Not impressive.

It kinda looks like Obama was forced to pick an old man as counterbalance, and McCain was forced to pick a young woman.

Nonsense generally for both.

Originally Posted by chinthee

Nonsense generally for both.

Politics makes strange bed fellows. This being the case, McCain made a much better choice than Obama.

^Good point. Reagan was a great President without much between the ears. But, he was tough. Obama is worryingly concessionary. But remember, the VP doesn't traditionally call the shots in foreign policy. In fact, prior to Cheney, the Secretary of State was the most powerful shaper of foreign policy.

Originally Posted by britmaveric

Be honest - you don't need really much experience to be president

hmmm.....funny how brit never posted this about obama.

Originally Posted by britmaveric

As for Obama vs Putin - Obama is soft as a marshmallow Putin would eat him alive.

and this is based on?

Originally Posted by britmaveric

read somewhere that alaska is littered with bodies of her opponents who crossed her. I doubt they would say that if she wasn't tough as nails.

link?

The Most Popular Governor

Just said it about Obama above Ray...

Norton, you're correct, and even more so, there is a 'perception' and expectation that the President be a vibrant man. Reagan managed to keep up that impression with hair dye, a great smile and engaging style. He was also beloved as a decent B movie actor (Bedtime for Bonzo?) He was also a master at controlling his situations. He never got in over his head.

McCain has none of those skills, so his age is out there for all to see. It's more exposed this time.

It's a problem.

Originally Posted by britmaveric

Just said it about Obama above

errrr.....brit......that's the point.

now that mccain has chosen someone with very, very, thin credentials, suddenly you've decided that experience doesn't matter.

Yeah but she has more credentials then Obama - he spent most of his senate career running for president.

Originally Posted by britmaveric

Yeah but she has more credentials then Obama

laughable....but why is that surprising?

^^True, true. Anyone who has run an organization, whether it be as Mayor, Governor, or CEO has much more broad experience than someone who has spent his time orating in the Senate. Agree in full.

That's why Bill Clinton was qualified.

^ This is why its very hard to elect a Senator or congress person for President. Normally it seems to go to past governors.

Originally Posted by chinthee

^^True, true. Anyone who has run an organization, whether it be as Mayor, Governor, or CEO has much more broad experience than someone who has spent his time orating in the Senate. Agree in full.

That's why Bill Clinton was qualified.

This was my point above, take a president that has experience now with a second in command on the learning curve (and with a potential future for the party I might add) or go with a complete newbie with even less practical experience who has to face the current world environment right out of the box and who has a VP that has no potential future for the party?

Originally Posted by chinthee

True, true. Anyone who has run an organization, whether it be as Mayor, Governor, or CEO has much more broad experience than someone who has spent his time orating in the Senate. Agree in full.

so by this 'logic', palin should be at the top of the ticket and mccain her VP.

^Don't be silly ray. A person is the sum total of his experience, education, ability and presence. Driving Force said it best in the post above yours.

approx. 18 months ago this woman was mayor of a town of 6,500 people.

The Associated Press: McCain chooses Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin for V.P.

and now she's going to be one heartbeat away from the presidency....she has absolutely no experience in foreign affairs, as of one month ago, had no idea of what the VP position entails.

But who actually picked this person. McCain admits that he hardly knows her having met once at a govorners conference last february. The next contact was a phone conversation where he offered her the position.

Seems to be a case of profiling. McCain is old we need someone young. McCain is a man we need a woman. McCain is soft on abortion we need a pro life bible basher.

Did they run a thousand names through a computer and this on popped out ?

here's an interesting piece of trivia....

Governors often run for president, but only after many months of prep work on what they might confront in the White House. The last governor chosen for vice president was Spiro Agnew in 1968, and he was the governor of Maryland, which is right over the line from Washington, D.C., not thousands of miles away. Veep candidates with extensive Washington experience like Geraldine Ferraro and Dan Quayle were nonetheless grilled on policy and proved a drag on the ticket when they looked unpresidential.

Alter: Why Sarah Palin Is Likely to Belly-Flop | Newsweek Politics: Conventions | Newsweek.com

Ok...be gentle please!

I personally think Palin is the perfect choice considering her background. Here's why!

Simple management experience! The only difference between between managing a small town and managing the country is the concept of scale.

She was apparently able to "scale up" her thinking from a small town to a small state. The same concept applies to moving up from a state to a country. Personally, I think she brings something that none of the others have...a simple dose of common sense.

And if she unbuttons that second button on her top, she'll be the focus of the attention of every male in America.

CSF, very good post. Being a leader, and being responsible for people - the same dynamics are involved with leading 10 as leading 100,000. You still have to develop leadership and delegation skills, and the good ones are self evident.

An advocate, a Senator, an MP, a Congressman, though they may be great thinkers and orators - they are not trained leaders of organizations.

Yup.