Conservative Columnist: Palin should bow out

[Loss Leader]

I can't see Palin leaving at this point. I think McCain would suffer from that in a big way.

Even if she quit for "personal" reasons I think the preception would be that she couldn't cut it and then the question would (rightly so) come back to McCain's judgment.

I agree. The only safe route for McCain is for Palin to die. I doubt, however, that she would agree to this.

 

[rjwould]

Obama won't, but you'd better believe others are going to have a field day with it - like the media, for instance

Whose moderating the debate tonight? I wonder if one of the questions will be loaded.

 

[aerosolben]

I have to disagree. I think the die has been cast, and to change candidates at this late date would wreck whatever chances McCain has got. Look at McGovern in 1972. You are just proclaiming to the world that you are a lousy judge of character and ability..something fatal to a Presendential candidate.

I think switching VPs is not irrevocably doomed to failure - if the VP has a plausible excuse, and the move is done on a campaign upswing (so it doesn't appear to be an act of desperation). Of course, the only reason a candidate is likely to dump their VP on a campaign upswing IS if they have a legitimate conflict, so that probably remains a pipe dream from a practical perspective.

 

[aerosolben]

Oh and, politics aside (I hope, at least), I thought that was surprisingly astute commentary from Parker, who I don't generally enjoy reading. It's how I believe I would feel if I were more conservative-minded.

 

[noch1Narr]

rjwould---moderator is Jim Lehrer

 

[not_so_new]

I agree. The only safe route for McCain is for Palin to die. I doubt, however, that she would agree to this.

LOL

Of course she might agree because she could see Jebus sooner right?

 

[Tricky]

I have a cunning plan.

Send Palin to the Mid East, but secretly arrange for her to be "kidnapped by terrorists". McCain negotiates brilliantly with the faux kidnappers and secures her release just in time for the election. Of course, by the time she has been released, she has been tortured. Torture plays real well with Republicans.

Yeah I know. It all sounds like some bad movie.

 

[wollery]

rjwould---moderator is Jim Lehrer

Shame it isn't Tom Lehrer!

 

[Whiplash]

I absolutely love that you guys are still, after all this time, convinced that Palin is going to go, and has to go. Just keep telling yourselves that.

And look, Ben brings in a completely unsubstantiated "rumor" without any evidence. What a shocker. And some are inclined to want to believe it. Oh please please please please give us the details Ben. Help shore us up. We need the support.

L O F'n L

 

[not_so_new]

I absolutely love that you guys are still, after all this time, convinced that Palin is going to go, and has to go. Just keep telling yourselves that.

And look, Ben brings in a completely unsubstantiated "rumor" without any evidence. What a shocker. And some are inclined to want to believe it. Oh please please please please give us the details Ben. Help shore us up. We need the support.

L O F'n L

And what did I say above?

I can't see Palin leaving at this point. I think McCain would suffer from that in a big way.

 

[gdnp]

I absolutely love that you guys are still, after all this time, convinced that Palin is going to go, and has to go. Just keep telling yourselves that.

Nope. I'm hoping she stays. Obama just demonstrated he can hold his own on foreign policy with McCain. Palin continues to embarrass herself and McCain.

Tonight CNN had Biden give 5 minutes of spin after the debate. He did an excellent job talking up Obama's performance. They offered equal time to Palin. The McCain camp declined. It's not hard to understand why.

 

[FaisonMars]

I hope she pulls out.

With or without her, there's a non-zero chance that McCain could get elected. There's a non-zero chance that McCain could die in office.

Regardless of how much it might hurt or help McCain's campaign to lose Palin, the country would be much, much better off with her off the ticket.

 

[BenBurch]

But what if he wins? And then dies?

As I do not think there is a ghost of a chance he will win, I do not lose any sleep over that. However, I suspect that did that occur, Congress would do "the right thing."

 

[FaisonMars]

As I do not think there is a ghost of a chance he will win, I do not lose any sleep over that.

I don't lose sleep over McCain possibly winning (fivethirtyeight's models still show him winning 25% of the time). I do lose sleep over the possibility of "President Sarah Palin."

Take the numbers we have now: roughly 1/4 chance of McCain winning x roughly 1/6 chance of McCain dying in office = about a 4% of Palin becoming President.

I literally just felt a chill go up my arms and down my back.

However, I suspect that did that occur, Congress would do "the right thing."

Obey the Constitution?

 

[eGadfly]

I don't think she is going anywhere. She would be hilarious if not for the very real chance that she might run our country.

 

[gdnp]

I don't think she is going anywhere. She would be hilarious if not for the very real chance that she might run our country.

It does have the feeling of a summer chick flick: Legally blond meets Mr. Smith goes to Washington.

 

[MattusMaximus]

Whose moderating the debate tonight? I wonder if one of the questions will be loaded.

Jim Lehrer of PBS did it. I love his style, and he totally kicked ass as the moderator tonight. He took it to both McCain and Obama multiple times with no bias.

Nice work. We need more Jim Lehrer's.

 

[Tony]

It does have the feeling of a summer chick flick: Legally blond meets Mr. Smith goes to Washington.

Titled: Bimbo in the Beltway

 

[MattusMaximus]

Nope. I'm hoping she stays. Obama just demonstrated he can hold his own on foreign policy with McCain. Palin continues to embarrass herself and McCain.

Tonight CNN had Biden give 5 minutes of spin after the debate. He did an excellent job talking up Obama's performance. They offered equal time to Palin. The McCain camp declined. It's not hard to understand why.

This is a good point. The mere fact that Biden is making himself so visible at every opportunity causes people to ask the obvious question...

Where's Sarah Palin?

And whenever an undecided voter asks that question, it's a mark against McCain. Because Biden may show up and have some gaffes (he's been doing that lately), but at least he shows up!

It's tough to run a public campaign for VP in absentia

 

[Pookster]

Tonight CNN had Biden give 5 minutes of spin after the debate. He did an excellent job talking up Obama's performance. They offered equal time to Palin. The McCain camp declined. It's not hard to understand why.

The lecture he gave McCain over strategy and tactic was too cute. If there is much discussion regarding foreign policy next week, it could get really ugly for Palin.