2008
What’s McCain Got Against Vetting Anyway?
Perhaps McCain didn’t fully vet Palin because he didn’t care for the vetting process himself? A friend writes…
Back in 1996 McCain was a finalist to be Bob Dole’s running mate, and by all accounts, he was a one of the last ones left. That said, my memory says it was reported at the time, prior to the internet saving our every sneeze, that McCain bristled at the vetting of him and his wife… particularly her family’s beer distributor business. Obviously he wasn’t chosen and he might feel the vetting has something to do with it.
I am guessing, fast forwarding to 2008, that McCain feels vindicated that he is now his party’s nominee despite whatever was turned up by Dole’s research team. Victory often teaches us the wrong lesson and I am guessing that McCain might have felt his gut would be better than whatever a vetting team of his own could turn up on Palin. Hence his hurried decision.
There’s not a lot available online about the 1996 election—particularly the VP mightabins—but my friend did find this reference to McCain’s experiences with being on the receiving end of the VP vetting process…
McCain was especially sensitive about maintaining the privacy of his prospects after he was passed over in 1996 by the GOP nominee, Bob Dole. McCain had waited around his hotel room in Hawaii on the eve of Dole’s selection thinking he might get the call, but learned on television that Jack Kemp had been chosen.
Hawaii? Hm. Weird that John McCain would vacation in such an exotic, foreign place. Now who will break the news to Cokie Roberts?
Comments (8)
This whole thing has me perplexed. Go ahead a choose a woman as VP, but why this woman? There have to be more qualified Republican woman out there than Palin. I really don't understand how they could have chosen her.
Posted by Suz | September 3, 2008 9:01 AMIronically McCain's first car was a 'Vette.
Posted by DOUG. | September 3, 2008 9:13 AMMyrtle Beach? Honestly Cokie. Obama is from Chicago, so if you expect him to vacation in a cheesy, shithole tourist trap, he should be going to the Wisconsin Dells.
Posted by Joe M | September 3, 2008 9:47 AMI'm John McCain, and I approve of Sarah Palin's hot fundy booty.
Matter of fact, in my mind, I'm groping it right now.
And no, I don't feel like letting it go.
Posted by The Incredible Sulk | September 3, 2008 9:48 AM@1: Maybe she's the only patriarchal fundie in the bunch. Oh, and she's staunchly pro-oil. Hell, all of Alaska gets a check each year from Alaskan oil industry profits. I'm sure if you asked Alaskans whether or not to punch holes throughout the ANWR they'd come over with their own drills.
Posted by K | September 3, 2008 10:10 AMJust curious... mightabin? Not mightabeen? if you're going to change been into bin, why include all the useless consonants of might? mytabin mightabeen more consistent.
.02
Posted by consistency | September 3, 2008 10:16 AMI doubt that Palin was a hurried decision. I think that McCain overanalyzed the crap out of the decision, and then flubbed it anyway.
I picture that scene in Princess Bride, where Vizzini is trying to figure out which glass is poisoned, and he uses psychology, and reverse psychology, and double-secret psychology, before finally drinking the poison and dying.
Posted by Mahtli69 | September 3, 2008 10:30 AMLet's not forget that you and I and everyone else have been talking about Palin nonstop since her nomination, NOT Obama's speech or anything else that happened at the DNC. I think that has a lot to do with the hurriedness of the decision..."quick! We need a fundie woman and we need to time the VP announcement to draw focus from Obama! JUST PICK ONE!"
Posted by hillside_hoyden | September 3, 2008 10:38 AMComments Closed
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