Posted on 08/19/2008 12:31:41 PM PDT by 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.”
(Excerpt) Read more at elections.foxnews.com ...
Yes
As well as I think of her, I believe it is about 4-10 years too premature for Palin - especially with the Downs child now. She will only benefit from aging and experience.
He said pro-lifers needed to change "hearts and minds" before fighting abortion. Did he do one thing to change anyone's heart or mind about abortion in 7 1/2 years?
Alito and Roberts.
I guess i was pretty cranky that day....
Did that change any hearts or minds?
IMO, yes, when the ban on partial birth abortion was upheld by the Supreme Court.
they wanted CHANGE!
Good; send you money to worthy conservatives. I’d suggest two: Duncan Hunter in California for congress and Schaefer (spelling?) in Colorado for the senate.
Not doing any rallying here. I’m in California and have the luxury of writing in (as our electoral votes are not at issue). Already sent in my red “NO” sticker....as far as monetary support goes.
If McCain goes off the deep end and nominates a “middle of the road” to destruction pal, then I won’t even give a second thought to maybe voting for him afterall.
Nevertheless, I don’t want Obama to win, or Hillary for that matter. Those in contested States have a very difficult decision to make.
I warmed up to Romney watching him in the debates, and hoped he was now showing his genuine self.
The trouble with the perfect hair and the perfect suits and the Ken doll looks is that it throws up a feeling of artificiality that a lot of people couldn’t get beyond, especially with the political opportunism on the abortion issue. If he’d had a military service record, I think all would have been forgiven vis a vis the bias of some about his LDS religion, but he didn’t.
So, I think the problem with Romney is that not just a chunk of conservatives/evangelicals will never warm to him, but that middle of the roaders that McCain is counting on won’t either.
Sounds like it’s going to be Pawlenty, however, about whom I know precious little, which is always a risky thing to do in nominating someone to national ticket — picking a relative unknown. Never know what the press will dig up.
I always find talk about General Patraeus for V.P. kind of out there.
This general is not Wesley Clark, and not interested in mucking around in politics, IMO.
He still has valuable and critical contributions to make in his chosen career and is not stupid. He won’t give up his real world position for a chimera.
On changing hearts and minds on abortion, in addition to Roberts and Alito:
Abstinence was added to school sex curricula.
Bill banning Partial birth abortion was signed.
Federal taxes are not funding embryo stem cell farms.
Federal funding of overseas abortions halted by executive order.
Despite the assertions by Obama, I believe the abortion rate is down. Would appreciate some accurate stats if anyone has them.
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