GOP Nominee
Former Candidates
Name a woman and a black that would not be an “affirmative action” VP choice for McCain.
The rooster crows:
1) Those republicans that reject Condi have surrendered to the PC left;
2) Do not use the above 1) to avoid the challenge. Name a woman and a black that would not be an “affirmative action” VP choice for McCain.
3) Again, do not avoid the challenge. Name a woman and a black that would not be an “affirmative action” VP choice for McCain.
4) Now that I have shamed you into actually NAMING BOTH A WOMAN AND A BLACK AS A NON-AFIRMATIVE ACTION GOP VP CHOICE, explain why who you named are not affirmative action choices and why Secretary Rice is.
[For the record, I have not been a Rice advoctate.]
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“One man with courage makes a majority.” - Andrew Jackson
April 10th, 2008 at 11:44 pm
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April 11th, 2008 at 12:03 am
If we’re just talking about black candidates, I think Michael Steele is a better pick. Neither of them strike ME as AA VP choices, but they would strike a lot of folks that way. Now, if Hillary is the nominee, no black VP candidate would look like AA. But it’s just that Obama will be the nominee, and a black VP choice might look like some, who are already not likely McCain voters, as “Me-Too” politics.
But, I don’t care. If they’re qualified, why would I?
I just like Michael Steele better. Can’t think of a better female candidate than Rice, though.
April 11th, 2008 at 12:05 am
Rice would be a fine, smart pick. But personally I would be more thrilled with her prospects if she come out strongly as a prolifer. If she is squishy on the topic then my support would not be as high.
April 11th, 2008 at 12:23 am
good points 2 and 3
April 11th, 2008 at 12:46 am
Rice is not popular. As an affirmative action pick or as a practical pick she’s not a good choice for McCain. Luckily Rice has taken her name out of consideration.
April 11th, 2008 at 12:55 am
Blacks
Why do people keep mentioning Michael Steele? The guy failed to defeat a fairly bland House representative in a Maryland Senate contest. He has 4 years as Lt Gov. You can’t pick him as VP because it undercuts the key argument of experience.
My view –> the key reason he keeps being mentioned is because the cupboard is so bare.
Women
Hutchison has the experience, but I don’t think a Senator is McCain’s best pick at this time.
Rice
She has the experience, but I think her ties to Bush would make McCain the candidate who doesn’t represent “change” in what is very much a “change” election. So not ideal. Also, the fact she is mildly pro-choice would go down very badly with the christian base.
April 11th, 2008 at 1:17 am
I echo #6. Rice allows the Dems to chant “No Bush 3rd term” over and over again. Plus she’s never run for electon office. You don’t send a noob into the World Series.
April 11th, 2008 at 1:19 am
Gamecock, are people saying Rice would be an Aff Action pick? I can’t agree with that, although I can understand it when people promote her to “counter the energy of a historic woman/black candidacy on the other side”.
Secretary of State is a responsible position, its not unreasonable to go from their to VP. Although you can argue how well she did at NSA & SoS…
Colin Powell wouldn’t be an affirmative action pick - he’s a former SoS, with military experience to boot. But he’s much less likely than Rice to be picked.
Hutchison would be almost an Aff action pick, as there are better senators around (who are male), so she’d be picked in part for her gender.
Anyone else who is black/women in the GOP would probably be an Aff action, I think.
April 11th, 2008 at 3:05 am
Random thought, for what it’s worth. Back in the early days SecState was the springboard to the Presidency, not the Veep slot.
April 11th, 2008 at 4:13 am
Michael Steele would absolutely be an affirmative action choice. We’re not exactly going to be able to use the experience argument against Obama if the guy that could be President at any minute as less experience than Obama. When Steele ran for Senate here in Maryland, there was actually controversy about whether he was qualified enough to serve in the Senate, because the Lt. Governor has no official duties.
April 11th, 2008 at 4:15 am
Condi would definitely not be an affirmative action choice. Her life is filled with more accomplishments than nearly any other public figure out there. She just so happens to be a black woman, too — if that’s an asset, then hey, utilize it.
But I think the fact that we have to discuss whether someone like Condi Rice is an ‘affirmative action’ choice or not is a better testament to why affirmative action is counterproductive than any other argument out there. Affirmative action stigmatizes the success of minorities.
April 11th, 2008 at 5:04 am
Condi wouldn’t be an affirmative action pick. As for your questions, Linda Lingle, Olympia Snowe, amd Kay Bailey Hutchison wouldn’t be affirmative action picks. Other then Powell and Rice, there are no blacks in the Republican Party who wouldn’t be affirmative action picks. JC Watts meets the barest of qualifications, but he’d be literally the only Congressman, who didn’t hold an executive position, on the entire 20 person short list. So it’d be flatly absurd to claim he wasn’t selected in large part because of his race.
April 11th, 2008 at 7:42 am
Give Steele some credit, #10. He ran in a terrible year for Republicans in a state that overwhelmingly votes Democrat in every major race for office — heck, look at Baltimore City’s Mayoral race last year, Dixon gave her victory speech after the primary with no regards to the general election. My wife was told to register as a Democrat by her high school history teacher back when she was in school because, “Then you’ll get to vote in the primary and be able to at least weed out the really bad candidates.” Steele was chairman of the GOP in MD when it had enough support to help get Ehrlich elected Governor. Yea, he didn’t have to do much as LG in MD, but he wasn’t an Affirmative Action choice for Senate. He was an articulate Republican who held statewide office, even if said office didn’t do a whole lot.
On that note, I still think Steele would be a weak choice for VP. I like Steele and all, and I wouldn’t mind seeing him in a cabinet post that he’s qualified for, but not for VP.
April 11th, 2008 at 8:00 am
Rice is pro-choice. Most pro-choice VP names are considered non-starters. No other pro-choice candidate with so cloudy and limited of a “conservative†record is being considered for VP… nor should they.
Is Rice a woman? Is Rice black? Oh… So? Next…
April 11th, 2008 at 8:57 am
I have to agree with you Charles, Dr. Rice would be a very risky choice.
April 11th, 2008 at 10:08 am
A Woman and a Black who would not be considered “affirmative action” choices?
Well, I can’t think of any names at the moment, but for a woman or a black to be considered just another VP pick, they would have to have some qualities that would meet some of the McCain campaign’s needs. Namely, executive expereince, economic experience, strong appeal to the conservative base, or pull in swing states.
In short, for a Woman or Black to be seen as anything other than an “affirmative action” pick, they would have to be the person most likely to be picked if the selection was made “blind”.
April 11th, 2008 at 10:08 am
I don’t care whether she is an AA pick or not, I am opposed to Rice because she would undercut the entire message of his campaign — pro-victory, without being forced to defend the missteps of the Bush Administration.
Plus, she doesn’t bring anything to the table in terms of economic policy, where McCain is weakest. McCain needs a governor as his VP nominee, period, and one with at least 4 years experience already (sorry Palin/ Jindal, maybe next time).
April 11th, 2008 at 10:31 am
Oprah Winfrey. She wouldn’t be AA because clearly McCain would pick her up so she could fund his bankrupt campaign. Besides, she’s good friends with international global warming experts like Leonardo DiCapprichio (sp) who could help McCain craft his global warming tax hike package.
April 11th, 2008 at 1:53 pm
#11 amen
April 12th, 2008 at 3:32 pm
Rice will not be V.P. speculation is a waste of time.