RNC: McCain Won’t Choose Abortion-Supporting Running Mate

FOXNEWS.com ^ | 8/19/08

[LdSentinal]

As speculation grows around who John McCain will select as his vice presidential running mate next week, Republican National Committee officials said Tuesday that McCain is no longer considering former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge.

Several sources at the RNC told FOX News that in the last 36 hours, senior McCain advisers and aides have told RNC officials that McCain “got the message” last week that choosing a running mate who supports abortion rights would not be helpful.

GOP pundits had been vocal in urging the presumptive presidential nominee not to pick a running mate who supports abortion rights. Ridge, the first homeland security secretary, was said to be on McCain’s short list, and the only candidate who explicitly supports abortion rights.

The National Review reported Monday that the McCain campaign has been calling key state Republican officials around the country in recent days to weigh the consequences of picking a candidate who backs abortion rights. The conservative magazine interpreted that as a sign that the McCain campaign is seriously considering Ridge or another abortion rights defender.

“I think it’s a hard sell and I don’t see much upside to Tom Ridge except for John McCain likes him a lot,” National Review Editor Rich Lowry told Fox News Tuesday.

“I don’t think he’s going to be a big benefit in Pennsylvania and even if he is, I think the downside is the rest of the country among conservatives are going to be upset about this, just at the moment they’re beginning to work up being excited about John McCain. ”

Conservative commentator David Limbaugh went even further Tuesday, labeling a McCain-Ridge ticket “political suicide.”

[Brimack34]

I think they did this to make Pawlenty or Romney look better to conservatives.

[huldah1776]

I thought she was a dem, but was following the thread and then I guess instead of going back, I hit post. Oh well. Sorry. Think about it, what if we all had the same idea and posted it all at once! :)

[Miss Didi]

Please, I’ve been a wreck all day over this.

[Sister_T]

ROFL!

[Reagan is King]

Somebody tell me why I should be excited about Pawlenty? I’ll admit I’m on the Palin bandwagon and maybe I just don’t know enough about Pawlenty. Edumacate me please.

[MaggieCarta]

We’ve just been nutkicked by this guy too many times to take off our cups yet.

Ouch! Thanks for the word-picture.

[Westbrook]

>> Does he think that by alienating his base, he will
>> mobilize the perfidious “middle” to his side?
>
> That would be typical RINO-think which has been disproved
> time and again.

That's what I thought.

Like it or not, it's going to be either RINO McCain or Marxist Obama.

"What a revolting development this is!"
~ Chester A. Riley

[Eric in the Ozarks]

To see how f’ed up out government is, take a look at both Republican senators from Alaska. Despicable !

[MSF BU]

Your answer is no!

[chiller]

A FR Classic ! :)

[Hamilcar_Barca]

That’s impressive. He even made the grass grow!!

[Earthdweller]

Let me put it in the strongest words I can concerning Romney...if the Pubbies nominate him for VP...they will lose. The creep factor is the worst I've seen. The only person that comes close to that level of creepiness is Joe Biden.

[sefarkas]

David Petraeus

A poll recently conducted by Foreign Policy and Prospect magazines selected Petraeus as one of the world's top 100 public intellectuals.[6] And in April of this year, the Static Line Association named Petraeus as its 2008 Man of the Year.[7] In 2007, Time named Petraeus one of the 100 most influential leaders and revolutionaries of the year as well as one of its four runners up for Time Person of the Year.[8][9] He was also named the second most influential American conservative by The Daily Telegraph[10] as well as The Daily Telegraph's 2007 Man of the Year[11] and "America's most respected soldier" by Der Spiegel in 2008.[12] In 2005, Petraeus was selected as one of America's top leaders by US News and World Report.[13]

David Petraeus on the ticket in 2008 would completely defuse the negatives regarding the WOT and Iraq in particular. It will be difficult for the Democrat candidate(s) to debate/discuss the WOT with the man who has the most current intelligence and the best historical knowledge of the current situation.

David Petraeus would energize the base to get to the polls. The electoral calculus is this. Less than half the eligibles vote. It does not take much to make an election look like a landslide. K Rove knew it, and so did Haley Barbour before him. The assorted governors mentioned may throw one state over to McCain. A nationally popular VP nominee would at once bring many states into play as well as shoring up the marginal ones GW Bush carried in 2004.

[elizabetty]

To annoy you.

He is doing a fine job. This party is about a certain set of ideas and ideals and he seems bound and determined to change them.

[Dionysius]

I’m not overly fond of the Deignated Hitter rule myself, but to say he has ZERO chance at the plate flies in the face of rationality.

[Aussie Dasher]

No. She’s pro-abortion.

[infowarrior]

Obama shows up at Saddleback and the VFW, McCain “considers” a pro-choice running mate. Are we all being played?

Was there ever any doubt?

the infowarrior

[infowarrior]

heard she’s in a bit of a scandal...something about using her powers to fire a state tropper who was her ex-brother in law. Anyone know what’s up?

The ex-brother in law had made threats, and even tased his 10-12 year old stepson, so its not as you might think...

the infowarrior

[painter]

I believe Condi is Pro-Choice....

No she is not.She has said that roe/wade was bad law.She wants the decision taken back to the states.

[goodnesswins]

Thanks for that clarification.