Buyers Remorse Redux

An amazing 51% think McCain is a moderate. http://news.yahoo.com/s/rasmussen/20080225/pl_rasmussen/ideologyfeb20080225;_ylt=AhHG8N9mrp9PFuo_Bm0.0jKs0NUE Although he has his differences -- largely on personality and a few issues -- with some of the conservative leaders, his positions and beliefs are very very conservative. I worry that just as folks were surprised at how conservative Bush was when he got elected (thinking he was just a rerun of his dad), we will have a lot Independents and even Democrats voting for him and then being very surprised with what they end up with.

McCain's Running Mate

The New York Times had an article saying that McCain might try to balance his ticket by trying to pick a younger running mate. Of course he will -- how could he pick an older running mate? Strom Thurmond is dead and Senator Byrd is a Democrat.

She was his mistress

How else can you explain the Vicki's meteoric rise -- she comes to DC with a degree in primary education from the Indiana University of Pennsylvania. She gets a job as receptionist at lobbying firm and with no Hill or other experience is a Partner at the firm (probably pulling down a half a million a year plus) before she is 30. That doesn't happen. Check out the profile of her in her alumni magazine -- she's probably their most accomplished or at least today most famous grad. http://old.www.iup.edu/publications/iupmag/backissues/Fall02/iseman.shtm

Of course the fact that she is the spitting imagine of a younger Cindy McCain is more damming evidence -- guys have types and clearly McCain has his.

Vietnam Veterans Last Chance

John McCain represents the last chance for a Vietnam Veteran to be elected President. Every other war has had one or more veterans become president. The usual pattern was set with our first President, where the over-all commanding General succeeds to the Presidency, this seems to be especially true for our big wars -- Grant from the Civil War and Eisenhower from WWII. The war of 1812 gave us Andrew Jackson and the First Harrison. The Mexican American war gave us Zachary Taylor and Spanish American War gave us its one hero -- Teddy Roosevelt. WWI gave Truman as its vet that served (that's counting Ike as a WWI vet, although he was also WWI) Both the Civil War and the Second World War were long tail conflicts as far as vets becoming President -- from Grant to McKinley we were electing Civil War Vets and WWII vets were getting in until 1992 when Bush the first finished up his term.

Korea may or may not be an exception -- Carter was a Korean War era vet, but studying nuclear subs did not see action.

So McCain is the last hope for the Vietnam vets.

Even I didn't think they could go lower

I really thought some kind of bottom had been hit in 2000 in the SC primary when McCain was attacked for having a "black" daughter -- he had adopted a girl from Mother Teresa's orphanage in Bangladesh.

But now a hit piece is circulating accusing him of cooperating with the North Vietnamese and being a bad pilot! http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2008/01/slime-time-begi.html I guess it is the ultimate blame the victim.

(I admit I had pledged to not blog on politics, but somethings just call for it).