John McCain says Sarah Palin was a ‘better candidate’ than Mitt Romney for VP (Slap!)

The National Post ^ | July 17, 2012 | Staff

[2ndDivisionVet]

Republican Senator John McCain says he chose Sarah Palin over Mitt Romney as his running mate in 2008 because she was a “better candidate,” not because of Romney’s much-discussed tax records.

The McCain presidential campaign received 20 years of Romney’s tax records, much more than what the 2012 Republican presidential nominee has revealed to date. Democrats have suggested the McCain campaign passed over Romney because they found something politically damaging.

“Of course not,” McCain told Politico when asked if the tax records hurt Romney...

[HANG THE EXPENSE]

Right you are.Where do you want the pony delivered?

[HANG THE EXPENSE]

And that was by design.

[Zhang Fei]

And, John, even thought I’m not a huge fan of Romney, he is a better presidential candidate than you.

Myth is a better candidate simply by not engaging in unilateral disarmament. McCain self-destructed by deciding to go for Federal financing, figuring that since Obama had already pledged to do so, he would keep his word. Obama changed his mind, rejected Federal financing and outspent McCain 3 to 1. That translated to six points of victory margin for Obama, about $75m for each point of margin. All I can say about McCain - war hero or not - is that he was extremely stupid.

[KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle]

They finally revolted, however, at being offered a pitifully inadequate $5,000 to "take care of my daughter, MeggieMac, and her 'special needs' for me... okay, amigos?"

[YankeeReb]

Gov. Palin was chosen to WIN, but was backstabbed by Team Romney.

I'd say it was McLame that backstabbed Palin

[Diogenesis]

He was McLame, but it was Backstabber Bishop Romney
who began the assassination of the GOP ticket ... for himself
and his Obama.

FLASHBACK:

The McCain/Palin ticket was up ++4 to 10 pts
in some polls, days prior to Election 2008.
So rather than helping the GOP, Romney and
TeamROMNEY and the RNME (Republican National Media Establishment)
decided …to attack Gov. Palin to throw Election2008.

Romney, and the Van der Sloot RNME RINOs for Obama in 2008

Late in October, The American Spectator's The Prowler revealed:
"Former Mitt Romney presidential campaign staffers…
have been involved in spreading anti-Palin spin to reporters, seeking to diminish her standing after the election.
'Sarah Palin is a lightweight, she won't be the first, not even the third, person people will think of when it comes to 2012,'
says one former Romney aide…
'The only serious candidate ready to challenge to lead the Republican Party is Mitt Romney.
"Some former Romney aides were behind the recent leaks to media, including CNN, that Governor Sarah Palin was a 'diva' and was going off message intentionally."

---

The Palmetto Scoop reported: "One of the first stories to hit the national airwaves was
the claim of a major internal strife between close McCain aides and the folks handling his running mate Sarah Palin."
"I’m told by very good sources that this was indeed the case and that a rift had developed, but it was between Palin’s people and the staffers brought on from the failed presidential campaign of former Gov. Mitt Romney, not McCain aides."
"The sources said nearly 80 percent of Romney’s former staff was absorbed by McCain and these individuals were responsible for what amounts to a premeditated, last-minute sabotage of Palin."
… aides loyal to Romney inside the McCain campaign, said The Scoop, reportedly saw
that Palin would be a serious contender for the Republican nomination in 2012 or 2016, which made her a threat to another presidential quest by Romney.

---

"These staffers are now out trying to finish her off ….hoping it would ingratiate themselves with Mitt Romney."

---

"Who's the Palin Leaker from the McCain Campaign?
National Review Online The publication of a Vanity Fair profile of Sarah Palin
appears to have opened old wounds in the McCain campaign.
... the source of the “Diva” leak was Nicolle Wallace’s husband."

---

"Peeking Out From the McCain Wreckage: Mitt Romney"

"Someone's got to say it: IS MITT ROMNEY RESPONSIBLE FOR OBAMA'S VICTORY?"

"Vanity: Team Romney Sabotaged Palin and Continuing to Do So?"

"Romney Supporters Trashing Palin"

"Romney advisors sniping at Palin?"

---

[YankeeReb]

What did McCain say about the illegal hordes overrunning his state? Or, the Federal government attack on Sheriff Joe.

I'm not sure what he said recently, but judging by his past statements, I can make a pretty good guess.

http://sensico.wordpress.com/2008/08/22/video-mccain-americans-wont-pick-lettuce-for-50hr/

[Zhang Fei]

Nobody wants to hear this, but I suspect McCain chose Palin because he did not want to be upstaged. In the American context, Romney was obviously a more accomplished man than McCain, whereas Palin was an obscure governor of a small state. When her star power threatened to put him in the shade, he had his minions cut her down to size. The problem with this strategy is that Palin’s shrinking stature with the general electorate also diminished McCain’s.

[gortklattu]

Oh! So now McCain is respected here?

Unless you value individual rants, this forum has lost its purpose.

[2ndDivisionVet]

It didn't work. Governor Sarah Palin is a much bigger name in politics than either Senator McCain, Governor Romney or even (in some ways) Mr. Obama. That's why Mitt is struggling against a candidate that you or I could beat. I could easily raise a million or two for Gov. Palin, doing the same for Gov. Romney would be an uphill battle and Mr. Obama has to ask for money in three dollar increments!

[Starboard]

This from one of the worst presidential candidates in history.

[dfwgator]

I’m not a Romney fan, but McLame needs to STFU.

[2ndDivisionVet]

[bgill]

You’re about 4 years too late, Johnny.

[Tennessee Nana]

From the Congressional Record:

Senator McCain on the GAO Report
On Sept. 19, 2000, Sen. McCain, speaking in opposition to the Conference Report on the 2001 Legislative Branch Appropriations bill advised the Senate of details from the GAO’s report. As recorded in the Congressional Record, Sen. McCain stated,

“The GAO now determines that $1.3 billion—and some of those I will read: $974,000 for the Utah State Olympic Public Safety Command; $5 million for the Utah Communications Agency Network; $3 million to Olympic Regional Development Authority, upgrades at Mt. Van Hoevenberg Sports Complex; $2.5 million, Salt Lake City Olympics bus facilities; $2.5 million, Salt Lake City Olympics regional park-and-ride lots; $500,000, Salt Lake City Olympics transit bus loan, and on and on; $925,000 to allow the Utah State Olympic Public Safety Command to continue to develop and support a public safety program for the 2002 Winter Olympics; $1 million for the 2002 Winter Olympics security training; $2.2 million for the Charleston Water Conservancy District, UT, to meet sewer infrastructure needs associated with the 2002 Winter Olympic Games. What the Olympic games supposedly hosted and funded by Salt Lake City, which began in corruption and bribery, has now turned into is an incredible pork-barrel project for Salt Lake City and its environs.” — Sen. John McCain in the United States Senate, Sept. 19, 2000 - [Page S8731-S8748 - Congressional Record.]

[Tennessee Nana]

Much of McCains staff were RomneyBots who were former staffers for Willard...

[RichInOC]

[cue Peter Stormare as Wolfgang the VW engineer]

“Oh, schnapp!”

[KevinB]

All I can say about McCain - war hero or not - is that he was extremely stupid.

McCain is not a war hero. As you say, he is stupid. He graduated eighth from the bottom of his class at the Naval Academy and was only able to get in because of who is father and grandfather were. His entire military career consisted of crashing airplanes and then, finally on the last one, getting picked up by the enemy. He's a putz whose IQ may well not extend into the third digit. How he keeps getting elected is beyond me.

[Kinder Gentler Machinegun Hand]

I think that at the time she was a good gamble for an old, grouchy politician who was running against a young, energetic African American with good pecs.

But McCain was doomed either way.

[SarahPalinForPresident2012]

I wish Romney would select Gov Palin as his running mate as that would make a heart-beat away. With luck, she could assume the presidency during this cycle itself :-)