Random thoughts about the state of the presidential race, in no particular order:
(1) In New Jersey yesterday, my parents canceled each other out. My dad voted for Clinton and my mom for Obama (she was undecided as late as yesterday). Yay for bucking gender roles!
(2) It’s interesting how many candidates have multiple home states. Clinton is “from” Illinois, Arkansas and New York. Obama is “from” Hawaii, Kansas and Illinois. Romney is “from” Michigan, Massachusetts, and Utah (kinda).
(3) Running mates:
(a) McCain would be a fool not to pick Huckabee. He brings in the evangelicals and the South, yet they’re both appealing mavericks. But I was hoping to see a decline of evangelical influence in the White House.
(b) If Clinton gets the nomination, how could she not pick Obama? Not that I necessarily think she should. But she’d look like a chump if she didn’t ask him, and he’d look like a chump if he turned her down. But there are ways to avoid it and still save face. Meanwhile, would he be under pressure to pick her as a running mate?
(c) On the other hand, it’s unusual for nominees to pick primary opponents as running mates. Kerry/Edwards in 2004 was the exception; before that, the last such ticket was Reagan/Bush in 1980. So take (a) and (b) with a grain of salt.
(4) I can’t get the MSNBC election music out of my head.
In what bizarre alternate universe is Huckabee an “appealing maverick?”
I find his personality appealing. And he’s a maverick because he doesn’t toe the Republican line on foreign policy or taxes. (He did say he would follow bin Laden to the gates of hell, but he’s not a neocon.) This is not to say that I would vote for him.
Kennedy picked Johnson and look how that worked out.
I was discussing running-mates with a friend last night, and she mentioned Huckabee for McCain, and I thought that was a HORRIBLE idea and it would alienate the left-leaning republicans and independents that got McCain the nomination. Would that sway the election enough back to the Democrats, though? I don’t know.
Also: I think Clinton would pick Obama, but Obama would never pick Clinton. I think if Obama said yes to Clinton, it may slightly undermine his whole “running for change” thing, but not enough to sway people away from that ticket. Clinton, though, I don’t think would accept VP under Obama — she doesn’t want to be the woman behind the man again. Although I think either one of them would be wise to pick Richardson, but that’s just my personal preference.
Ah, so you mean “appealing” in an objective sense as in people (albeit scary people) find him appealing rather than a subjective sense in that you find him appealing? That makes sense.
While he may differ from the mainstream GOP party line on foreign policy and taxes, he’s thick as thieves with the worst elements of the GOP in terms of domestic social policy. That being said, he would not be as directly dangerous as VP as if he were President, but it’s still not a situation I care to think about.
I do not think McCain can even consider Huckabee for VP, in that the fiscal conservatives and defense conservatives would howl. Not that I care, mind you, but John needs to find a loyal conservative that will not be rejected by the part of the party he now needs so much.