AP: McCain rejects Kerry's VP "offer"

[Sk]

Ha ha! Kerry's gettin' desperate!

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040611/ap_on_el_pr/kerry_mccain

    "WASHINGTON - Republican Sen. John McCain has personally rejected John Kerry's overtures to join the Democratic presidential ticket and forge a bipartisan alliance against President Bush, The Associated Press has learned.
    Kerry has asked McCain as recently as late last month to consider becoming his running mate, but the Arizona senator said he's not interested, said a Democratic official who spoke on condition of anonymity because Kerry has insisted that his deliberations be kept private. A second official familiar with the conversations confirmed the account, and said the Arizona senator made it clear he won't change his mind."

[The Vorlon]

McCain had what I did think was a very funny (if somewhat dark) answer about being a VP Candidate..

<<paraphrase>>

"I was a POW for 6 years where they kept me in the dark all the time and fed me scraps.... Why would I want to go back to that...?"

[zachman]

McCain had what I did think was a very funny (if somewhat dark) answer about being a VP Candidate..

<<paraphrase>>

"I was a POW for 6 years where they kept me in the dark all the time and fed me scraps.... Why would I want to go back to that...?"

He said that on Late Night With Conan O'Brien. He is very good at getting a new comedic schtick on the VP question every time he is interviewed.

[12th Doctor]

Holy sh**t.  I can't believe he acctually asked.  I don't know why, I just can't believe it.

[Trilobyte]

You left out the next two paragraphs though, which makes all the difference:

"Both officials said Kerry stopped short of offering McCain the job, sparing himself an outright rejection that would make his eventual running mate look like a second choice.

'Senator McCain categorically states that he has not been offered the vice presidency by any one,' said McCain's chief of staff, Mark Salter, who would not confirm the officials' account."


In other words, this is nothing new. The speculation has been going on for months and this isn't even an official "offer", just an "overture." It's not like this is the first time we heard McCain say no to the idea.

[Sk]

That's true but that's why I said "offer" in the title (overture would have been more confusing I think). Even though Kerry didn't offer the VP spot, he did hint that that's what he wanted and attempted to subtly persuade McCain. In short, he did everything but come right out and ask him to actually be his VP. This is more than same old- same old because now Kerry is in on the whole process rather than simply the media.

[Josh/Devilman88]

McCain is a Republican??? What was Kerry thinking? No one wants to be his running mate but the ones who ran for Presdient. And this is because they want to became presdient after kerry gets out of office if he wins...

[zorkpolitics]

I think this is an excellent political move by Kerry to make him more acceptable to independents and moderate republicans.  Sort of  page from Clinton's play book (a Sister Souljah moment)  it "shows" he is independent and doesn't have to pander to the various Democratic interest groups.  Yet, since McCain says no, it has no impact on his democratic base.

[Blue Rectangle]

Well, Clark is still a possibility, but if he turns down the offer too then Kerry may be forced to choose a Democrat as his running mate...

Is it just me, or did this whole thing have a certain soap opera feel to it?  It all seems a little silly, or at very least a huge waste of time and media attention that has done nothing to improve Kerry's chances this November.

[Mort from NewYawk]

For McCain, this was a way to keep his name out there as a maverick and possible independent.

Kerry, I think, probably bent over backwards to get McCain to agree - there's no doubt it would have made the biggest splash possible as a VP announcement.

This whole thing started with Joe Lieberman on the campaign trail hinting at McCain as a running mate.

Kerry and McCain may be friends as a result of their service in Vietnam and having worked together in the recognition of that country and identification of MIAs, but Lieberman and McCain are true colleagues who have sponsored many bills together, and see eye to eye on a number of national security and foreign policy issues.

Maybe McCain would have given more serious consideration to running with Lieberman.