Are you saying you'd rather have Obama-Biden go up against McCain-Romney? Sure about that?

What must McCain be thinking? He's got to do all the heavy lifting himself now; he must be knackered.

In that case, Obama and Biden need press their advantage and be firm about not canceling any of the debates.

Tep I think it's simply that Romney would be quite impressive on the campaign trail around now, as he would be making McCain look good by saying reasonably sensible things about finance, business, and related economic issues.  That wouldn't mean a lot in the wider context, however, as (a) Romney might have pissed off the GOP base the way a Lieberman choice would have, and (b) it's still a toss-up how much VP selections really matter, as historically they have been minor to meaningless.

tep, let me make this as clear as possible.  I detest John McCain.  I think he is a cynical man who has chosen to put his own ambitions well ahead of the good of the American people.  His choice of Sarah Palin has now made that abundantly clear.  His judgement is for shit.

I would praise God from the highest mountain I could climb if McCain replaced Palin with Romney.  If the Democrats were to lose, at least two people with some semblance of intelligence and real-world experience with big issues would be in charge.  I would disagree with probably every damn thing they did, but I don't think they're flagrantly unqualified.  If McCain croaks and Romney is the president, I won't literally fear for the future of the country.  

Palin is a disgrace, a joke, and an insult.  She has rankly botched both non-softball interviews.  She has answered essentially no other questions from the media.  And now it looks like the McCain campaign is trying to get her out of having a debate.  She has exercised undue influence in both executive offices she has held.  She sat through a sermon conflating "Israelites" and the banking industry.  You think this woman should be VP?  Explain to me why.

I don't like Romney.  I loathe McCain.  But I am horrified by Palin.

Sarah Palin's going the way of Lehman Brothers, eh?

Personally, I think that Palin is an investment unlikely to recover her value, and that taxpayers should not be forced to bail her out. But, if we do, we must get equity, so that if she returns to profitability in the future, we can sell her back and recoup our losses.

Has anyone called to ask whether Warren Buffett wants a Sarah Palin on the cheap?

Are you kidding, teppy?  Having a super-rich financial bigshot on the ticket would be awesome for the Dems.  Who cares if Romney's companies had anything to do with it?   "The ultra-rich former CEO of Bain Financial, who made his money shipping jobs overseas, now wants to have a say in what we do from here?"  Pure gold.

Yes, well, he also canceled his appearance on David Letterman and felt Dave's wrath as he beat John McCain to a pulp for it. He showed McCain get his make-up for his interview with Katie in a CBS Studio after McCain told him he fly immediately to DC - More people watch Letterman than Couric.

And can it really have been good for the McCain Campaign that CBS then showed the awful Palin interview over 2 nights? And then Katie got on the Morning Show talking about unresponsive and talking points heavy Palin is?

If their strategy was to knock Palin off of CBS it seems to have backfired on them.

McCain won't replace Palin. The far Right -yes, those bastards who call themselves pro-life while salivatng whenever someone is executed- loves her too much. Besides, McCain would be derided for not admitting a mistake. Does he look like a guy who can admit a mistake?

McCain cannot admit a mistake because he has not made one.  A group of my friends have recently started a D&D campaign as an excuse to sit around and drink some beers.  I was reading up on things I haven't thought about in years and came to the conclusion that McCain is like a Paladin.

He thinks only his way is right and if you are in his way he will wreck you.  He is morally always in the right and you cannot through any logic or reasoning sway his holy crusade.  He can't admit a mistake he never made that would be lying.

so danny, if I understand you right-- I hope I'm not going out on a limb here, and please don't take offense if I misconstrue your words-- you don't (how to put it?) like McCain...

boneill - Romney was in private equity, not the debt markets. I'm sure Bain Capital took on a fair amount of leverage when it recapitalized its portfolio companies but they weren't engaged in the carry trade or other forms of arbitrage. Their main way of making $$$ was to build companies, as in the case IIUC of their star performer, Staples

tep, good lord.

Is your problem that the Democrats nominated Obama, or that they didn’t nominate you?

Please cite some actual, concrete example where Obama showed he lacked depth and understanding on a particular issue. Not a generic "the rookie should have seasoned up in the Senate and then run in 42 years from now, cause then he'd be ready" or whatever. I'd like something specific. A point where Obama didn't know what the hell he was talking about. Where he showed he was clearly not competent to be President. Not a time you disagreed with him, or didn’t share the same analysis, but a time when he was just flat out ignorant on an issue of importance.

Then, please show me an example of where McCain provided truly spectacular insight. Where he proved his mastery of an issue beyond mere understanding by osmosis; where his thinking was sublime; where his worn out Senate time card proved to be the only navigator through a complex problem of grand scale and importance.

Otherwise, kindly drop your trite and supercilious comments.

danny - in all seriousness Palin bothers me too, though I confess to a shall we say pakistani response to the glam-librarian thing. Disorienting.

Here's the difference between Romney and Palin:  

Mitt Romney -- a very sharp and basically pragmatic guy -- pretended to be an anti-intellectual right-wing hack during the primary in order to curry favor with the Republican base.

Sarah Palin doesn't need to pretend.

I hate to admit it but I kind of like Romney and the whole clan. I watched some of the videos of the kids blogs, they seemed real, one of the sons put fireworks in a fire while holding it and his father said "what are you, a moron?" but it wasn't cruel, it was moronic, and the kid laughed it off. Honestly, it reminded me of some of my extended family picnics. And certainly Romney is very bright and capable, the only reason he wasn't picked is because he is a Mormon. If he became President I wouldn't be happy but I wouldn't freak.

The Palins haven't made themselves remotely accessible. And her interviews, she couldn't even remember the word Caricature, Couric bailed her out by saying Mock. She just ain't ready for the big time.

In order to join McCain, Romney needed to quit his religion.  Mormanism cannot be squared with the fundamentalist 'Christian' ethos - not EVER going to happen.  While economic conservatives (who might also be evangelicals) could overlook Romney's religious heresy - no serious American fundamentalist Christian could (ever).  The prospect of Romney joining a McCain ticket is truly hilarious.

If you happen to think Palin is a great mistake for McCain then widen by umpteen fold your monitor for political absurdity (via religious daftness) had Romney been appointed McCain's religious (albeit junior (vice)) acolyte.  

At least Palin is one of them - Romney never will be - not at least until the time when one like George Bush Jr. is officially summed up as "The Dear Leader."  You know, as a person who as a result of birth, finds themself on third base and solemnly believes he has hit a triple - and is entitled to cross home plate due to natural selection!  Oops silly me - (I mean) via 'intelligent' design.

You got that right, tep.  I went from liking the guy to depths of disgust that may (and I never thought this possible) exceed my dislike of Bush.

And if I hear one more person describe Sarah Palin as a "quick study," I will just completely lose what remains of my sanity.  I'm already nigh unto non-verbal with rage.

d - ok, how about describing her as a study quickie? Sorry, still on the glam-librarian thing (bookshelves, card catalog props etc...)

adam - georgia, jerusalem, "united world defeated communism"

I'm hugely disappointed in Palin myself. I was an early Palin adopter in 2007, based on video I'd seen of her and her background in the abstract. (Not in that I'd ever vote for her, but in that she looked like a good VP candidate for Republicans, and better than the usual doddering, corrupt fools the GOP usually puts on their tickets.) No such luck; she's actually quite a bit worse than I ever imagined. Guess I should have stuck to my guns on pushing Cathy McMorris-Rodgers for GOP VP.

Anyway, here's the thing: In the GOP primaries, I was actually quite impressed by Romney and Huckabee. Not that I'd have voted for either, but Romney looked like a George HW Bush-style pragmatist, and I respect that, and Huckabee still strikes me as the most formidable retail politician the Republicans have, as well as a reasonably competent executive. I was rooting against Huckabee because I thought he was the toughest potential opponent, but for the sake of the country I was hoping that he or Romney would win the nomination on the grounds that no matter who Democrats nominate, the Republican might win, and so the best possible Republican should be the nominee. Even if that means that the Republicans field a more formidable opponent.

Only for her husband, tep. Anything else wouldn't be godly.....

Why on earth has Obama not offered to send Biden in his stead to debate Palin in Oxford? "If Senator McCain can't make it, then we should send our seconds..." It wouldn't happen, of course, although it would make for a wonderful soundbite.

You guys are disgusting.  Honestly, librarian dreams.  You sound like the guys in my household.  How did men ever manage to rule the world for all these centuries when they rarely think with their brains?

If McCain wins, I'm convinced it isn't because he is the best candidate, or because of racism or anything else, but because male voters think Palin is hot and want to fantasize about her in the White House the next 4 years.  

Jesse Ventura with lipstick.

All hat, not cattle.

It's not really funny anymore when Sarah Palin can't answer a question.