I may find out if Pawlenty is the running mate today...

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

As someone who is probably as neutral as one can get in an argument between Phil and Soulty and doesn't think either Ridge or Pawlenty will get picked (Romney, sorry)...I have to say Phil won this one. Big time.

Is anyone seriously going to consider the high school athletic level of the running mate as a serious factor in who they vote for? LOL.

And I'll just also add that even I didn't know Pawlenty was an ex-Catholic until after 2006. It was never an issue here. Clearly Minnesota Catholics don't care. Of course I don't think Pawlenty is a good pick either (even thinking from a Republican perspective), but John Ford's arguments are much more as to why.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

I will definitely give credit where it's due. Phil owned the argument in this thread.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

I will definitely give credit where it's due. Phil owned the argument in this thread.

I know you would say that anyway, but how exactly?  I offered about 15 good reasons to put Ridge on the ticket (ing shut up about the high school comment, for the 50th time I only said it to illustrate a point), and all Phil has said is "Pawlenty doesn't piss off the base."  Well, so what?  Anyone who doesn't vote for us because Ridge is nominally pro-choice can be made up with the people who will vote for us, because we dont look like the Bob Jones Party, anymore.  And when Pawlenty was in Minnesoata, that was a small deal.  But huge-uber-Catholic organization will skip into action if you put Pawlenty on the ticket... Christ, I am bashing Catholics, BRTD, you should be eating this sh**t up.

You think I'm going to defend Pawlenty? Ha. I'm just saying your arguments against him are quite shallow and your arguments for Ridge are based on large leaps of logic. I don't see why Catholics in Minnesota wouldn't care, or why a significant number would care if Phil of all people doesn't. Maybe if he was pro-choice I could see it being an issue, but are conservative Catholics seriously going to vote for a pro-choice Protestant and pro-choice Catholic over a pro-life Protestant and pro-life ex-Catholic Protestant? Like I said, if Phil of all people doesn't care...

If that were to happen though, it'd actually make me like Pawlenty somewhat, and that really just shouldn't ever happen.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

And the little ladies you do Rosary and Alter, and vote 100% of the time will care, once groups like Catholic Answers put that information out there.  Will it be a tidal wave, no, but it could hurt us with a group we need to get.

So they're going to vote for the pro-choice Democratic ticket instead?

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Yeah honestly, you guys are debating over nothing. This whole brou-ha-ha was kicked up just to
(1) make McCain seem open-minded to moderate voters by willing to consider a pro-choice veep
(2) remind pro-life voters that McCain himself is, as he said, completely pro-life

So in other words, you think there's close to 0% chance Ridge is picked? (Of which I generally agree by the way.)

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Hey, if Wisconsin returns to normalcy as a skin tight state, do not forget that the La Crosse area of Wisconsin is in the Twin Cities media market. Breaking news - Pawlenty might carry the cheese heads for McCain! 

What state lies to the south of Wisconsin?

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Hey, if Wisconsin returns to normalcy as a skin tight state, do not forget that the La Crosse area of Wisconsin is in the Twin Cities media market. Breaking news - Pawlenty might carry the cheese heads for McCain! 

What state lies to the south of Wisconsin?

Eau Claire/La Crosse has its own media market. It is not part of the Minneapolis media market. Some counties in Wisconsin are, but not that many.

That too obviously. Of course I don't think Torie's comment was all that serious.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Ridge's proximity to Ohio is about as relevant as Pawlenty's to Wisconsin.

The main problem with the neighboring state advantage: Even if people know who someone is, that doesn't mean they have a strong opinion of them. My parents know who Pawlenty is (thanks mostly to WCCO talk radio when they're visiting down here), but that doesn't mean they can tell you anything about him other than that he's the governor of Minnesota or have an opinion strong enough of him to influence their vote either way.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Plus how many of votes for Romney were just malicious Democrats crossing over?

The question is: How many in Michigan are planning on voting for Obama now, but love Romney so much they'll change their votes solely due to him on the ticket?

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

LOL, this was funny. Especially with the whole idea that Palin would destroy both of them in the quality department.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

This would've been even more amusing if Ridge was picked, but I highly doubt McCain ever gave him serious consideration (or Lieberman for that matter.)