Rush blasts Ridge; Suggests Santorum

[Brittain33]

However, I won't deny that the guy has appeal.

You have to admit that you can't be anywhere near objective on the subject of Santorum's appeal.

Even among the base, there seem to be loads of people who resent him for saving Specter's ass.

[Lincoln Republican]

Personally, I like both Ridge and Santorum, however, both Ridge and Santorum are impractical choices for McCain for different reasons.

Ridge would not be acceptable to the Republican base, although, I am convinced, most would come home by the election and still vote for McCain anyway.

Santorum is too controversial to be of any use to McCain and his election efforts.  I do not believe McCain would want to have one of the most prominent and one of the most controversial losers from 2006 on his ticket.  Bad optics among other things.

[12th Doctor]

However, I won't deny that the guy has appeal.

You have to admit that you can't be anywhere near objective on the subject of Santorum's appeal.

Even among the base, there seem to be loads of people who resent him for saving Specter's ass.

That alone made it hard for people to get energized about supporting him in 06.  Just fixing that problem probably cost us a month... then I almost got him killed when I was driving him to the airport.

[Keystone Phil]

The difference is, Romney was running against McCain at the time. Then he made up. If people ran ads showing Romney's past criticism of McCain, it wouldn't resonate so much because they've already addressed the issue and people know that former rivals will join forces in situations like this.

Yeah, I understand that he was running against McCain. That's my point. It was even nastier. Whose to say that McCain and Santorum didn't "make up?"

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Nothing in his favor? He isn't widely supported among the base? He doesn't give the ticket a more youthful look? If you don't think that he's a good pick, fine. Don't say he has nothing in hs favor though.

However, I won't deny that the guy has appeal.

You have to admit that you can't be anywhere near objective on the subject of Santorum's appeal.

Even among the base, there seem to be loads of people who resent him for saving Specter's ass.

The Specter thing is mainly a PA thing. I won't say that those feelings have disappeared. I still don't like that he did it either. However, that isn't much of an issue anymore.

[Keystone Phil]

Just fixing that problem probably cost us a month... then I almost got him killed when I was driving him to the airport.

If that's really that much of a problem with some people then we aren't winning them back anyway. The thing is that those people aren't numerous enough to cause a problem.

[Brittain33]

Fair enough. I just don't think he's the disaster everyone makes him out to be. If it was McCain-Santorum and they lost, I strongly doubt that Santorum would be the main reason why they lost.

I would say that any choice who keeps McCain from being a safe default choice for moderates unhappy with Obama is a problem. A culture warrior like this would be a problem. Someone who is pro-life but who is primarily known for other things, even if he is solidly anti-abortion, does not pose this problem.

McCain does very well among people who think he's pro-choice, even though he isn't, at least not in the policies he's committed to. (I can believe he doesn't care much about this issue, but in effect, he'd be no different from a George W. Bush on it.) A stridently anti-abortion running mate costs him that advantage.

[12th Doctor]

Just fixing that problem probably cost us a month... then I almost got him killed when I was driving him to the airport.

If that's really that much of a problem with some people then we aren't winning them back anyway. The thing is that those people aren't numerous enough to cause a problem.

I was just about to ad, I think that the Saddleback forum is going to be remembered as a major turning point in this campaign.  If McCain didn't quell the evangelicals there, it won't happen.  His performance was brilliant.

[WalterMitty]

phil i dont understand you.

i know you love santorum.  that is fine.  but you have to know somewhere deep inside of you that santorum would be an absolutely horrible choice.

[Keystone Phil]

phil i dont understand you.

i know you love santorum.  that is fine.  but you have to know somewhere deep inside of you that santorum would be an absolutely horrible choice.

It would probably get mostly negative coverage but it ultimately wouldn't make that much of a difference.

[Associate Justice PiT]

phil i dont understand you.

i know you love santorum.  that is fine.  but you have to know somewhere deep inside of you that santorum would be an absolutely horrible choice.

It would probably get mostly negative coverage but it ultimately wouldn't make that much of a difference.

     I agree with this. As long as McCain doesn't pick Cheney or Rumsfeld, the VP simply won't matter that much. Santorum might actually be good to drive GOTV among reactionaries in places like CO, FL, ND, VA, etc.

[12th Doctor]

phil i dont understand you.

i know you love santorum.  that is fine.  but you have to know somewhere deep inside of you that santorum would be an absolutely horrible choice.

It would probably get mostly negative coverage but it ultimately wouldn't make that much of a difference.

     I agree with this. As long as McCain doesn't pick Cheney or Rumsfeld, the VP simply won't matter that much. Santorum might actually be good to drive GOTV among reactionaries in places like CO, FL, ND, VA, etc.

Awesome word.

[elcorazon]

phil i dont understand you.

i know you love santorum.  that is fine.  but you have to know somewhere deep inside of you that santorum would be an absolutely horrible choice.

Walter, I don't understand you.  When a couple of teenagers make a few posts about Obama having a shot in Kansas, you begin a running "joke" that you use multiple times a day for months annoying half the board.  When Phil pushes the idea that a loser like Santorum actually be picked as the republican vice presidential candidate, you keep your cool.

You have to know somewhere deep down inside that this is deserving of regular ridicule up through and possibly beyond election day.

[Keystone Phil]

When Phil pushes the idea that a loser like Santorum actually be picked as the republican vice presidential candidate, you keep your cool.

[CPT MikeyMike]

A McCain/Santorum ticket would definitely sway me to vote for Barr, or even Obama, in November.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Everyone is missing the real story here which is that Rush feels compelled to urge McCain not to pick Ridge... which means that McCain is probably planning on picking Ridge.

Because of course McCain is vetting his possible running mates with the Dittomeister. 

I keep worrying that it will be Sanford.  I hope I'm reading way too much in the naming of SC Attorney General (and former State party chair) Henry McMaster as the convention's Chief Sergeant at Arms.  It's a ceremonial post that would be well suited to play a role in the formal nomination of Sanford for VP, if Sanford is the running mate.

[JSojourner]

I completely understand Rush Limpbaugh's discomfort with Tom Ridge.  Rush managed to avoide military service for about six years because of a boil on his ass.  He comes from the Bush-Cheney-Kristol school of Chickenhawkery.  Of course he doesn't like Tom Ridge.  Or John McCain.  They actually have balls. Rush doesn't and he never did.

[HappyWarrior]

if one 2006 loser should be considered for veep it is bob ehrlich.

I officially love you now Walter.

[Nym90]

Rush was a major political force back a decade ago, and I credit him for his part in having revived the Republican Party... he is just a shell of that now, though.  He has become almost totally irrelevant.

Well, he's relevant enough to get a new contract paying him 50 million dollars per year.....

[??????????]

They actually have balls. Rush doesn't and he never did.

Tell me about Obamas military service.

[Kaine for Senate '18]

They actually have balls. Rush doesn't and he never did.

Tell me about Obamas military service.

He was born in 1961; when would he have gone to war?

[Keystone Phil]

They actually have balls. Rush doesn't and he never did.

Tell me about Obamas military service.

He was born in 1961; when would he have gone to war?

Serving in the military doesn't necessarily mean serving in a war, for the record.

[War on Want]

They actually have balls. Rush doesn't and he never did.

Tell me about Obamas military service.

He was born in 1961; when would he have gone to war?

Also since 1979 it hasn't been very attractive to go into the military anyways. Please don't say he didn't care or was "unpatriotic" because he did try to do a lot of good based on volunteering. Obiously being in the military was not a good career choice for him anyways.

[Kaine for Senate '18]

They actually have balls. Rush doesn't and he never did.

Tell me about Obamas military service.

He was born in 1961; when would he have gone to war?

Serving in the military doesn't necessarily mean serving in a war, for the record.

True.  Not every person can go into the military, though.

[Nym90]

They actually have balls. Rush doesn't and he never did.

Tell me about Obamas military service.

He was born in 1961; when would he have gone to war?

Well, he could've fought in the first Iraq war, but the military wasn't exactly lacking for service members at the time.

The point was that people who favor war without knowing anything of the horrors of it from having experienced it themselves should be greeted with at least skepticism if not suspicion in their views, not that active service is a requirement for the Presidency.

[Keystone Phil]

They actually have balls. Rush doesn't and he never did.

Tell me about Obamas military service.

He was born in 1961; when would he have gone to war?

Serving in the military doesn't necessarily mean serving in a war, for the record.

True.  Not every person can go into the military, though.

I'm not arguing any point here. Just wanted to make you aware that military service doesn't always mean war experience.