Posted on 08/27/2008 11:11:17 AM PDT by ricks_place
CRAWFORD — Texas Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison's long-shot prospect for vice president is getting a push from conservative and other pundits in the lead-up to next week's Republican National Convention.
The latest flurry of speculation online and on cable television constitutes at least a third or fourth wave of chatter about Hutchison, whose name surfaces occasionally as a possible Republican vice-presidential candidate.
Hutchison, a delegate to next week's convention, will address the gathering in Minneapolis-St. Paul on the subject of energy independence on Sept. 3, her office announced Tuesday.
The speaker slot would seem to douse the veep-talk, but no one would say for sure. A spokesman for Hutchison declined to comment, and the McCain campaign did not return a call about McCain's colleague from Texas.
"She is female, which addresses the novelty of the opposition; she is smart and well-respected; she is knowledgeable on key issues, especially domestic policy," said Bruce Buchanan, a University of Texas at Austin government professor. "I still think it's going to be Mitt Romney."
Announcement expected
McCain, the Arizona senator and presumptive Republican nominee, is expected to announce his choice for vice president at the end of the week.
Hutchison, 66, would be "an excellent choice," syndicated husband-and-wife columnists Dick Morris and Eileen McGann said in a piece that catalyzed renewed speculation on the subject.
(Excerpt) Read more at chron.com ...
Dick Morris has been pushing Kay for a while. Of course the pro-life issue has zero significance for Morris...one of the areas where she is weak.
Dennis Miller the other night on BOR was trying to think of Dick Morris' name but had to get help from the bloviator.
It better be just that: chatter.
KBH has wanted to be gov of TX. Maybe she has given up on that. Morris is seldom, if ever, correct. She is not a good choice.
Just what we need...a female RINO. Biden would make mincemeat of her.
Does anyone know her stand on the abortion issue? At the moment, I can't remember what it is.
Wouldn’t one think that the VP pick would have been by now? Like maybe a week or two ago at the latest?
She’d be fantastic at pretending to support McCain’s pretending to secure the border.
She’d be a disaster. No charisma. No new ideas. If he wants to pick a woman VP, then he should choose Palin, provided that she would even have the job, considering her family circumstances.
Man the media is just DYING for McCain to pick a pro choicer aren’t they? Hopefully McCain has enough sense to see the trap.
For whatever it’s worth ...
I just heard Bill Cunningham say on his radio show that McCain insiders informed him that “the [VP] offer has been made” to Colin Powell, and that Powell has yet to give an answer.
Bill loves to stir the pot, so consider the source. :)
KBH would be a sharp pick IMHO...and may give her the legs for her own bid to kick HRC’s @ss later on!
She’s too old.
KBH is not a good choice. Not the worst choice, but not a good one.
At least a female RINO brings in the women vote and helps McCain win.
A male RINO (Romney) brings nothing to the table except all-around failure.
Try a search basil...there was a post earlier this morning about her voting record I believe...it appeared to be pretty positive IMHO.
If McCain wants a woman...why not a governor for added weight on the ticket.
There used to be a time in this country when the GOP nominees were almost always Govs or former Govs because they bring more executive experience to the office.
This election cycle is such a huge disappointment:-(
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2069086/posts
Don't let her relatively low NARAL ratings fool you. She's a major league pro-abort, and would be a disastrous pick for VP, in my opinion.
She alienates the pro-life vote and will not bring in enough new independent women to make up for it.
She’ not the pick. Too old and I believ she has other, less ambitious plans.
I’m puzzled by the unexamined assumption of those generating the buzz and even most combox responses that any women in the VP slot “brings in the women’s vote.” Who sez?
How many women who otherwise would not have voted for McCain will vote for him because he has a female VP? Some, I’m sure. But is it really that significant? How many women would actually be turned off by the specific woman chosen to be the Token Woman Second Fiddle?
It’s one thing for women to be enthused about Hillary because she’s a woman and ditto for African-Americans with regard to Obama. But in each case, we are talking about the top of the ticket—the first woman president, the first Black President (BJ Clinton notwithstanding).
Does a VP slot tacked on to McCain really bring in that many women voters? If Palin is too young, under a cloud, has young children to take care of, why the yammering about finding a woman, any woman, who cares about her policy record or charisma/lack of charisma? Does any woman really accomplish the feat of bringing in Hillary voters?
I remain profoundly skeptical. And KBH is enough of a RINO that I’d be profoundly angry if McCain chose her because she was the next-best, run-of-the-mill Token Woman. To me that would be stupid because it would alienate at least as existing McCain supporters as it would draw women voters.
Any RINO spells failure. There are plenty of conservative women to choose from. The governor of Alaska would be outstanding.
So what gives with Palin? Has her star faded in the last week or so? I just see lots less posted about her prospects. To me she’s the best female choice available. Her bio and pro-life experience, her reformist history, and her executive experience are all huge winners and complement Mccain.
Horrible pick. People in Texas don’t even like her.
KBH is a squish on abortion/life.
“As a lifelong Texan, I’m very ambivalent about KBH. On the one hand, she is so right on so many issues, but wrong on others. My bottom line opinion is that she is a Limousine Republican.”
About right. I’d say KBH is the “establishment Republican” in Texas which means country club moderate to fiscal conservatives with a dollop of Bushian noblisse oblige triangulate for the minorities.
Obvious gender play but I dont think it will work. Hillary voters are not going to especially spring for a Texas Republican even if she’s a woman. Another Senator is the last place we should be looking.
I always felt that if they wanted a woman, why not Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee. She would be way way better than KBH. And Palin would be better too.
Plus, KBH is not really a Hillary-type gal, is she? She will not appeal to Hillary cross-overs or independents. In fact, I think ANY woman -- who is not Hillary -- will just rub salt in their wounds and they will resent the fact that another woman (not Hill) may end up in the WH.
The cross-overs McCain will pick up due to their anger at Obama are a done deal no matter who McCain chooses as VP. A woman scorned and all...
Last, McCain is running neck and neck with Obama when he should be several points behind by historical standards. He doesn't need to pander.
“I just heard Bill Cunningham say on his radio show”
That’s Bill HUSSEIN Cunningham, right? :-)
Colin Powell would indeed be quite the game-changer!
He’s probably the one non-conservative choice that wouldnt tick me off royally. First african-american VP is a Republican. Cool.
I’d say go for it. If you are going to throw conservatives under the bus, do it for a guy that popular, who would instantly vaporize the one remaining Obama ‘transformational’ talking point.
I also think Powell would not ever be in line to be POTUS, so it leaves the ‘succession’ open, as it was with Cheney.
basil and I are from Texas, we know her.
KBH has good vote ratings because she know who sent her there and lines up behind it ... but she is not and has never been a conservative leader or activist. She’s a go-along senator, not a leader. You have to goad her to do the right thing. She wont be a bad VP, just not POTUS material IMHO.
I speak as someone who helped elect her in 1993 special election.
Compare her to Cornyn or Coburn and you’ve got nothing to be thrilled about.
Thanks...I’m from Texas too.
I could not possibly agree more.
I have spoken to other women who support Hillary, and they are not supporting her because she is a woman. They are supporting her because she is a woman who they perceive is someone who waited until it was "her turn".
How many women who otherwise would not have voted for McCain will vote for him because he has a female VP? Some, I’m sure. But is it really that significant? How many women would actually be turned off by the specific woman chosen to be the Token Woman Second Fiddle?
In the eyes of many supporters, Hillary sacrificed and put up with Bill's cheating and everything else, and this was supposed to be her turn.
That is why choosing another woman just to get the women's vote won't work and could backfire.
Sssshhh....I don’t think we’re allowed to say “Hussein”.
Uh oh..I hear The One’s legal team pounding at the door....QUICK...IN THE ATTIC!!
Exactly.
He'd automatically be in line, if any thing happed to McCain, but I understand your meaning; he may not be interested in running for the higher office. These next four, or, it is hoped, eight, years of McCain or another republican, WOULD give some of those mentioned as possible VP candidates. Palin, Jindal, Cantor, et al, time to get a little more age and experience so they COULD be ready, either as a Veep for a President Powell, or a different Repub. President, or as Presidential candidates in their own right
I searched before posting but did not get a hit to your link.
Hell NO
Then you would have a ticket almost as bad as Obama/Biden. She is pro-choice. And other liberal programs.
Not to rain on your rant, I don't want BKH either, but a woman VP would be a first, in case you haven't noticed there has never been a woman VP, and women have to start somewhere. I think Governor Palin would be the perfect woman VP choice, but that is just me. At any rate, first woman VP is better than no woman at all and a lot of women will see it that way, it opens the door to the Presidency in 2012 to a qualified woman(not necessarily Hillary).
She would be the first REPUBLICAN nominee. Geraldine Ferrarro (sp?) was the first.
I guess you didn’t read my comment very well, I didn’t say first VP nominee, I said first woman VP. McCain will win and if Palin is VP, she will win also. Please try to read before you comment, it keeps me from having to answer posts that should never have been written.
“he may not be interested in running for the higher office. “
I’d think Powell would be either too old or viewed as too liberal or both.
I certainly wouldnt have him as my first pick in a primary, as I know he’s a moderate/RINO type. Maybe that’s why he’s right up McCain’s alley.
“Chatter over Hutchison as possible VP pick gets louder”
She’s pro-baby murder.
She’s tepid on illegal alien/border issues.
No thanks.
You did not read my post carefully. She would only be the first REB woman nominee. Geraldine was the first dim/woman VP nominee
I dunno....KBH has a whopping 7% rating from NARAL, who considers her to be a pro-lifer. KBH voted for the Secure Fence Act and votes mostly in favor of stricter immigration policies...she’s very much pro-gun...I can think of worse veep candidates.
I read your post exactly the way you wrote it, the problem is you didn't read mine the way I wrote mine. I was not talking about nominees, I was talking about the first elected woman VP, there has never been a woman VP that was my statement, nothing was said about nominees. In case you don't remember GF was not elected VP, she lost. I repeat, please read carefully and save me the trouble of answering comments that should never have been made.
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