McCain Should Think Of Legacy In VP Choice

(The New Republic)  This column was written by David Frum.

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Yet, if vice-presidential nominations do little good for the candidate at the top of the ticket, they do great good for the number two, especially for Republican number twos. Since World War II, ten men have received the Republican nomination for vice president. Three of those men continued on to win the presidential nomination for themselves, and two actually became president. Meanwhile, a fourth nominee, Thomas Dewey's running mate Earl Warren, rose to arguably even greater power as chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. (Among Democrats, four of 13 veep nominees went on to head the ticket. Only one, Johnson, won -- and he was already president when he ran.)

So as the nominee of my party, Senator John McCain, shortens his list, he should also lower his expectations. There is no running mate from the conservative wing of the party who can calm the internal anger that will be provoked if McCain reverts to his pre-primary support for so-called comprehensive immigration reform. There is no dark horse from the business community who can excite working-class voters in the absence of an exciting health care plan. This is one rare time in politics where policy in fact does count more than personnel.

Which means, Senator, you should forget about wooing evangelicals with a Mike Huckabee or women with a Carly Fiorina. Don't bother attempting to add financial expertise with a Michael Bloomberg or reaching out to party conservatives with a Mitt Romney. Don't delude yourself that a Condoleezza Rice can somehow act as a "gamechanger."

Instead, keep in mind that, when you choose, you may well be choosing a future leader of the party -- a leader whose impact could well equal or exceed your own. Ronald Reagan's selection of George H.W. Bush as his running mate in 1980 resonates to this day, and Richard Nixon left a more enduring mark on Republicanism than Dwight Eisenhower ever did. You never know.

If you use the second slot to make peace with an internal opponent, your moment of comity could end by overturning everything you believe in. Had John Hinckley's bullet been aimed a little more accurately, the Reagan revolution would have lasted only 69 days.

Nor should you recruit a number two to act as your attack dog. Nixon later rationalized his Spiro Agnew choice with tough talk about how Agnew could say things about political opponents that would be unpresidential coming from Nixon. But the things Agnew said were (correctly) perceived as coming from Nixon. Leave the attacks to the 527s. You can plausibly disavow them if need be. You can never disavow your running mate without looking worse than negligent yourself.

I have my own personal nomination for vice president for McCain. It's Rudy Giuliani, precisely because he shares the vision of a practical, reforming, war-winning Republican Party that inspires John McCain, plus the stronger-than-usual grounds for hoping that he might be the rare candidate who can make a difference in an essential state -- in this case, New Jersey.

But, my personal preferences aside, I hope, Senator, that you will make your choice with this consideration in mind: This choice may prove to be your most important legacy to your party and your country. Your nominee probably won't help your candidacy -- but he or she may secure your vision or else destroy your reputation. Sports talk about the veepstakes is good, entertaining political fun. But a party in as much trouble as the GOP in 2008 has little time for fun.
By David Frum
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[davemstewart]

Imagine This: Barack Obama chooses John McCain as his VP running mate. And, John McCain chooses Barack Obama as his. Then let America decide AND be more united in the process. Imagine the message... and the possibilities. A united America... it''s a good thing!

[guysdigdirt]

ianlou, Who was impeached?
Posted by ausus

Clinton was.

Impeachment is the first of two stages in a specific process for a legislative body to forcibly remove a government official. The second stage is conviction.

[guysdigdirt]

Take notice what happened in the aftermath of Katrina, the thugs kicked in people''''s doors and took their weapons for no reason. If that isn''''t the work of Stasi secret police then I don''''t know what is...
Posted by hologram5

Are you saying this was Bush''s fault? If you think Bush is more likely to do this than Obama you are madly mistaken.

Obama has voited against gun ownership by US citizens, if you did not like hearing the police tackled an old lady in New Orleans and took her gun, you iwll not like obama as POTUS.

[hologram5]

joyous88, You really are ignorant. Here is a dictionary definition of Fascism.

1. (sometimes initial capital letter) a governmental system led by a dictator having complete power, forcibly suppressing opposition and criticism, regimenting all industry, commerce, etc., and emphasizing an aggressive nationalism and often racism.
2. (sometimes initial capital letter) the philosophy, principles, or methods of fascism.
3. (initial capital letter) a fascist movement, esp. the one established by Mussolini in Italy 1922%u201343.

Your use of Fascist is a term thrown around by leftists about anybody whose opinion they oppose. It is as overused as someone from the right calling someone they oppose a Communist.


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Posted by ausus at 10:07 PM : Jun 18, 2008

Don''t you know that G.W.''s granddad was a facist that attempted a coup-de-tat during WWI and was removed when it was uncovered? Did you know that he laundered money for the nazi regime? Do a google search for Prescott Bush. Junior achieved what grandpa started. He pretty much has "dictatorship" powers now because of our impotent congress failed to nip it at the bud. I feel sorry for our children. Take notice what happened in the aftermath of Katrina, the thugs kicked in people''s doors and took their weapons for no reason. If that isn''t the work of Stasi secret police then I don''t know what is...

[delfmast]

Defeatocrats only ever win because of their wholly owned minority/welfare/liberal women block''s totally controlled "block voting." Conservatives lose only when they ignore the defeatocrat''s sensible block voting example. Condi Rice is a genius, she is republican to the bone, she defeats several of the block voting options that are HilBilBama''s only hope for victory. Wake up! Rice can have two terms of her own, after she completes McCain''s last term. Our VP should resign, now, for health reasons, to put his full attention to the effective diplomacy of covert action, and allow Condi to gain experience as VP, for the rest of the lame duck parade.

[ausus-2009]

joyous88, You really are ignorant. Here is a dictionary definition of Fascism.

1. (sometimes initial capital letter) a governmental system led by a dictator having complete power, forcibly suppressing opposition and criticism, regimenting all industry, commerce, etc., and emphasizing an aggressive nationalism and often racism.
2. (sometimes initial capital letter) the philosophy, principles, or methods of fascism.
3. (initial capital letter) a fascist movement, esp. the one established by Mussolini in Italy 1922%u201343.

Your use of Fascist is a term thrown around by leftists about anybody whose opinion they oppose. It is as overused as someone from the right calling someone they oppose a Communist.

[ausus-2009]

ianlou, Who was impeached?

[ricknuber]

dmw1167:

So, tell us wise one: what is a "liberal" as it refers to a person?

[joyous88]

hopefull, after the war crimes trials, bush ,cheney, and mccain will all be staying at san quentin

everyone of them a traitor

[joyous88]

searching San Quentin Prison for a VP choice as we speak