The Candidates
Only 18% of the country wants McCain to pick Lieberman as his VP:
Just 18% of voters believe that John McCain should reach across party lines and select Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman as his Vice-Presidential running mate. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey found that 42% say he should not offer the job to Lieberman while 40% are not sure.
The concept of a McCain-Lieberman ticket is supported by 19% of Republicans, 14% of Democrats, and 22% of voters not affiliated with either major party.
Lieberman has considered himself an Independent Democrat ever since he lost the Democratic Primary during his re-election bid two years ago. He then ran—and won—as an Independent. He still caucuses with the Democrats in the Senate, a fact that gives the Democrats their current status as majority party. However, he has endorsed McCain for President and angered many Democrats with his visible support for the GOP’s presumptive nominee. Some pundits have suggested that adding Lieberman to the ticket would be a bold move to highlight McCain’s ability to work across traditional party lines.
The poll also found that an Obama-Clinton ticket would narrowly defeat a McCain-Lieberman ticket, 46% to 44%. Perhaps the most striking feature of that result is that it is so similar to the results for an Obama-McCain match-up without mentioning Vice-Presidential picks. At the time this poll was taken, Obama held a very slight edge over McCain in the Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll. This suggests that either Clinton and Lieberman either have no impact at all or cancel each other out.
Just 47% of all voters say it’s important for McCain to pick someone younger as his running mate. Thirty-nine percent (39%) say it’s Not Very Important and 9% believe it is Not at All important.
Thirteen percent (13%) believe McCain should pick a woman or a minority candidate to be his running mate. Forty-seven percent (47%) disagree and 40% are not sure. Seventeen percent (17%) of Democrats say McCain should pick a woman or minority candidate. Fifteen percent (15%) of unaffiliated voters agree along with 6% of Republicans.
June 7th, 2008 at 11:05 am
I still find it hard to believe this pairing is/was even considered.
June 7th, 2008 at 11:22 am
I’ve never liked the idea of Lieberman as VP (Sec of State — maybe).
However, this polling also shows that he has little negative impact, either. Or at least in the match-up with Hilary, which ,ost people have been touting as the strongest Dem ticket.
Either Lieberman doesn’t hurt the McCain ticket, or Obama-Hillary is less attractive than conventional wisdom maintains.
June 7th, 2008 at 11:45 am
This poll makes clear voters do not like “status” picks. I agree. The case for Obama choosing Clinton is more about what she accomplished in the primary than her gender. McCain choosing Palin or Jindal, otoh, would scream affirmative action.
June 7th, 2008 at 12:02 pm
Leiberman could help McCain win Connecticut by campaigning for him there. Beyond that, he’s not much help.
June 7th, 2008 at 12:05 pm
3-Memnon
You’re saying that voters would reject Palin or Jimdal as affirmative action, and then go on and vote for Obama?
June 7th, 2008 at 12:30 pm
No, I think he was saying that, unlike the case for a Obama/Clinton ticket, the case for McCain choosing Palin or Jindal is rather weak.
June 7th, 2008 at 12:35 pm
This poll confirms what the SUSA polls have shown in that Obama’s VP choice is more important than McCain’s.
This poll shows that only 30% of Republicans say the VP choice is important while 48% of Democrats do.
I think there are a lot of democrats out there who aren’t so sure about Obama but feel reassured when he has an expreienced/name VP with him. It’s why he does much better with Edwards as VP in those SUSA polls than the other names that no one knows. If he picks a VP like Webb, Sebelius, Warner, Biden, even Richardson, they’ll help in certain states but overall I think they’ll only make voters more nervous about handing the keys to the guy with the thinnest resume of any candidate since Wilkie back in 1940. Especially at a time when both nat’l security and the economy are at such crossroads and important times.
And 17% of Democrats and 15% of independents who say he should pick a woman or minority may not seem like a lot, but in a general election, if close to 20% of democrats are enthused by his pick and particularly those that are less inclined to him to begin with, that’s a big deal.
Because McCain is so experienced to begin with he doesn’t face the same hurdle Obama does in regards to his VP.
Although, I also think these polls show that an all-experience and stability ticket of two figures that are widely known and respected could do well against Obama and his VP. Someonle like a Colin Powell who voters know and respect and has the credentials to reassure people that adults and serious people are in charge.
Powell himself probably isn’t the best choice but someone of his stature. I’m thinking a Petraeus, someone who’s equivalent to a Powell in the economic field.
Also, McCain should go the Truman route of 1948 and run against the Dem Congress and Bush. He should call them out as the do-nothing Congress. Educate people on what has happened to gas prices, employment, GDP and other economic figures since they took over back in 2007. He should force Obama to defend them and associate himself with them. All the while McCain stakes out the middle ground as someone who will wipe theslate clean of both Bush and the Dem Congress and have a fresh start.
June 7th, 2008 at 12:58 pm
Sorry for being off-topic, but I think y’all might like to visit this website:
http://blog.pumapac.org/
It’s for poor, angry white folk who are bitterly clinging to Hillary.
PUMA originally meant “party unity, my a**”, but it has since been bowdlerized.
June 7th, 2008 at 12:59 pm
Rudy is the one.
June 7th, 2008 at 1:00 pm
I’m thinking a Petraeus, someone who’s equivalent to a Powell in the economic field.
McCain/Greenspan ‘08!
June 7th, 2008 at 1:02 pm
Greenspan is 82 years old. Do we want to risk a Nancy Pelosi Presidency.
Well, that’s probably what Obama’s Presidency will end up being if his buddy Deval Patrick is any indication.
June 7th, 2008 at 1:24 pm
Medvedev blames US (in particular Greenspan and Bernanke) for possible global depression.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aLYU7HXCr_F8&refer=worldwide
June 7th, 2008 at 3:00 pm
I’m not sure I’m going to accept the advice of someone who is only a decade and a half removed from communism when it comes to economics.
June 7th, 2008 at 3:14 pm
Obama will NOT pick Hillary as his running mate. Guarantee it. He doesn’t want her and Bill planning behind his back if he’s the President. Edwards won’t be picked (thankfully, as I think Edwards is probably Obama’s most electable choice for VP)…http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/06/06/edwards-again-rules-out-vp-job/
June 7th, 2008 at 3:16 pm
Also, as of right npw, according to the latest CNN poll… Obama/Hillary beats McCain/Romney 52 to 46. But I don’t think Hillary adds a lot to an Obama ticket, but it could be enough to make the difference.
June 7th, 2008 at 3:16 pm
Also, as of right npw, according to the latest CNN poll… Obama/Hillary beats McCain/Romney 52 to 46. But I don’t think Hillary adds a lot to an Obama ticket, but it could be enough to make the difference.