A lot of people have suggested that McCain ought to nominate a woman or a minority or a minority woman as Vice President to counter the excitement of having Obama on the Democratic ticket. My response has been that this is too cute by half; it is too much like picking Alan Keyes to move to Illinois and run for Senate against Obama. Also, while Governors Palin and Jindal might well end up being good Republican presidential/vice presidential nominees in the future, they're too young and inexperienced for this cycle. John McCain's most pressing need in a running mate is someone who can obviously move right into the Oval Office -- Dick Cheney, circa 2000, would be the perfect McCain VP.
I now suspect that McCain would love to put a woman on the ticket, as part of his wooing of Hillary supporters. And I'm starting to think that the right minority man would be ok, too. Colin Powell, for example, remains popular with the nation as a whole, and wouldn't be the turn-off for the Republican base that, for example, Joe Lieberman or even Rudy would be. (I know about all the inside-baseball Plame and went soft on Iraq baggage he carries, but no one cares about that stuff but us wonks.) Iraq works well for Powell because he can say going in was the right thing to do, W screwed up the execution, then W took McCain's advice and it worked.
In any event, I'm not actually suggesting Powell (I don't think Powell would do it, for various reasons). I'm simply saying that a woman or minority VP with gravitas and a reputation for competence could work well for McCain.
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...while Governors Palin and Jindal might well end up being good Republican presidential/vice presidential nominees in the future, they're too young and inexperienced for this cycle.
Which makes either of them the perfect riposte. They each have more executive level experience than does His Obamaness.
Voters can choose between getting complete inexperience now, or, possibly, less inexperience later.
Which makes choosing either sound like a win-win. It gives a great many people a self-congratulatory reason to vote for McCain, making any Democratic criticism akin to an own goal, and making a lack of criticism speak volumes by its absence.
Skipper: I don't much disagree with the politics of it, although I'm concerned that it won't persuade anyone if it just looks like a stunt: I see your black nominee and raise you a woman.
But I expect better of the Republicans then just throwing the flavor of the month onto the ticket. McCain's age demands a good, substantive vice president for the good of the country and I expect John McCain, once again, to put country first.
Also, politically, I think that putting country first is a vote getter.
I think you are putting way too much emphasis on terms you really can't define. What constitutes "good", "substantive", or enough experience?
I'll bet that if you were to become president tomorrow, you would make a very credible show of it. As would AOG or Bret.
Similarly, I am convinced that Palin -- who is apparently to be the choice -- has the combination of temperament, presence, instincts and outlook to be a very credible president.
In all respects, in fact, I think she is superior to Bush the younger.
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