McCain's veep announcement rally on Friday.....

[Mr. Morden]

.....will apparently be held at noon (Eastern time):

http://www.nuttercenter.com/

(You'd think they could have found a venue with a better name.)

To recap, McCain is holding this rally on Friday in Dayton.  The Politico reported that McCain intends to announce his running mate at this event, but the McCain campaign hasn't confirmed that on the record.  (Neither did the Obama campaign confirm that they were introducing Obama's running mate at the event in Springfield until Saturday morning.)  Hadn't seen the start time of the rally reported anywhere else, so I figured I'd post it here, as I know you'll all be counting down the hours. 

No idea whether McCain's running mate would actually appear with him at the rally (in which case, chances are good we'd get a leak on who it was the night before, as happened with Biden), or if he'll pull a Kerry and keep his shortlisters away in an attempt to keep the choice secret until the last minute.

I'm wondering if it might be smart for McCain to leak his choice to the media at about the second that Obama finishes his speech on Thursday night.  The postgame analysis on the news networks would then be forced into double duty.

[Swing low, sweet chariot. Comin' for to carry me home.]

if it's Palin, and she has to come from Alaska and be in Ohio at noon Friday, word will definately leak out the (Thursday) night Obama is making his speech...and that's exactly how I would script it.

[WalterMitty]

no doubt this will be handled better than the obama announcement fiasco.

[Aizen]

if it's Palin, and she has to come from Alaska and be in Ohio at noon Friday, word will definately leak out the (Thursday) night Obama is making his speech...and that's exactly how I would script it.

palin has no chance

[Swing low, sweet chariot. Comin' for to carry me home.]

if it's Palin, and she has to come from Alaska and be in Ohio at noon Friday, word will definitely leak out the (Thursday) night Obama is making his speech...and that's exactly how I would script it.

palin has no chance

thanks for your deep explanation

[MODU]

if it's Palin, and she has to come from Alaska and be in Ohio at noon Friday, word will definitely leak out the (Thursday) night Obama is making his speech...and that's exactly how I would script it.

palin has no chance

thanks for your deep explanation

Ok, how about this.  I doubt it will be Palin.  She doesn't bring much to the ticket and isn't a big name in Republican circles.

[perdedor]

if it's Palin, and she has to come from Alaska and be in Ohio at noon Friday, word will definitely leak out the (Thursday) night Obama is making his speech...and that's exactly how I would script it.

palin has no chance

thanks for your deep explanation

Ok, how about this.  I doubt it will be Palin.  She doesn't bring much to the ticket and isn't a big name in Republican circles.

Plus she is too moderate to help McCain with the demographic in which he really struggles: conservatives.

[JSojourner]

if it's Palin, and she has to come from Alaska and be in Ohio at noon Friday, word will definitely leak out the (Thursday) night Obama is making his speech...and that's exactly how I would script it.

palin has no chance

thanks for your deep explanation

Ok, how about this.  I doubt it will be Palin.  She doesn't bring much to the ticket and isn't a big name in Republican circles.

Plus she is too moderate to help McCain with the demographic in which he really struggles: conservatives.

Palin is a solid conservative on abortion rights.  She'd be well to the right of McCain on that one.

[Torie]

Palin is less qualified to be president than Jindal is. I think that's a wrap. It's time to move on.

[Daniel Adams]

if it's Palin, and she has to come from Alaska and be in Ohio at noon Friday, word will definitely leak out the (Thursday) night Obama is making his speech...and that's exactly how I would script it.

palin has no chance

thanks for your deep explanation

Ok, how about this.  I doubt it will be Palin.  She doesn't bring much to the ticket and isn't a big name in Republican circles.

Plus she is too moderate to help McCain with the demographic in which he really struggles: conservatives.

Palin's more conservative than McCain himself. What makes you think she's a moderate?

[Reluctant Republican]

I agree that the name will be leaked just before Obama speech. It won’t be confirmed by McCain until the next day though.

I’d love it to be Palin as well, she’s probably my dream pick, but she has some pretty significant weaknesses. Still, if McCain wants a women running mate, I really think she’s the best one. Young and has a reformer image. But yeah, she's very very dark horse at this point, and the choice of Biden likely killed any tiny hope she had.

[Josh/Devilman88]

If McCain is smart it will pick Paw-boy, Romney would be a bad pick.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

if it's Palin, and she has to come from Alaska and be in Ohio at noon Friday, word will definitely leak out the (Thursday) night Obama is making his speech...and that's exactly how I would script it.

palin has no chance

thanks for your deep explanation

How is McCain going to argue Obama is too inexperienced when his running mate is even less so?

[Swing low, sweet chariot. Comin' for to carry me home.]

I’d love it to be Palin as well, she’s probably my dream pick, but she has some pretty significant weaknesses.

somone is going to have to expand on what, exactly, these "weaknesses" are; for aside from lack of experience, which is NOT a big deal at the VP slot (see example of 1988), this chick could very well be worth 3-5% of the popular vote.  

Palin's execute experience: 8.0 years (6 years as Mayor, 2 years of Govenor)
McCain's execute experience: 0.0 years
Obama's execute experience: 0.0 years
Biden's execute experience: 0.0 years

She is the picture perfect Feminist: 100% comfortable being a woman and 100% comfortable leading men.  She's a modern day Debra.

[Mr. Morden]

Today, Rendell had this to say:

link

You must be logged in to read this quote.

Only problem with that: As far as I can tell, McCain is planning on making a campaign stop in Washington, PA on Saturday, while Friday is when he'll be in Dayton.

I'm also at a loss to explain how exactly Rendell would have inside knowledge re: McCain's VP rollout plans.

[HardRCafé]

McCain-Rendell '08!

[riceowl]

it'd be hard for biden to really pull out the debate skills on palin and not look like a jerk, that's for sure.  she has that going for her.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

I’d love it to be Palin as well, she’s probably my dream pick, but she has some pretty significant weaknesses.

somone is going to have to expand on what, exactly, these "weaknesses" are; for aside from lack of experience, which is NOT a big deal at the VP slot (see example of 1988), this chick could very well be worth 3-5% of the popular vote.

LOL.

Palin's execute experience: 8.0 years (6 years as Mayor, 2 years of Govenor)

Mayor of a small town of 5000. The mayor of St. James, Minnesota is just as qualified.

[Reluctant Republican]

I’d love it to be Palin as well, she’s probably my dream pick, but she has some pretty significant weaknesses.

somone is going to have to expand on what, exactly, these "weaknesses" are; for aside from lack of experience, which is NOT a big deal at the VP slot (see example of 1988), this chick could very well be worth 3-5% of the popular vote.  

Palin's execute experience: 8.0 years (6 years as Mayor, 2 years of Govenor)
McCain's execute experience: 0.0 years
Obama's execute experience: 0.0 years
Biden's execute experience: 0.0 years

She is the picture perfect Feminist: 100% comfortable being a woman and 100% comfortable leading men.  She's a modern day Debra.

Well, her lack of experience is in my view her biggest weakness. When your going up a man like Biden, who has 30+ years in the senate, I think anyone whose been governor for less then a term is going to look severally under qualified by comparison. Now yes, most of us are voting for the top of the ticket, but think how it would undermine McCain’s message if Palin is chosen. Obama’s not ready to be president but Palin, hypothetically, is? Now, I do believe McCain’s team could overcome this and still benefit from Palin’s pick, but it’s very very hard, and I suspect We’d get a lot of comparisions between Biden, who almost everyone can admit has the experience to be president, and Palin.

I’m making it sound like I don’t like her, but that’s not true at all. But I just don’t believe she’s the best pick McCain can make at the moment. If it had been Kaine, I’d really think she’d be a good pick. But not compared to Biden.

However, I do agree that McCain needs someone with executive experience. Picking another senator would be a disaster IMHO.

[HardRCafé]

I think it's bad for Palin and bad for Alaska if she's the nominee, but I'd be enthusiastic about her.  Palin and Jindal have more to offer back home than at the national level right now.

[Swing low, sweet chariot. Comin' for to carry me home.]

Palin's execute experience: 8.0 years (6 years as Mayor, 2 years of Governor)

Mayor of a small town of 5000.

and yet she beat the incumbent GOP governor in the primaries and goes on to defeat the former DEM governor in the general.

so underestimating her plays right into her hands.

[Keystone Phil]

Palin's execute experience: 8.0 years (6 years as Mayor, 2 years of Governor)

Mayor of a small town of 5000.

and yet she beat the incumbent GOP governor in the primaries and goes on to defeat the former DEM governor in the general.

so underestimating her plays right into her hands.

Defeating Murkowski didn't take that much skill.

[Beet]

It's a double edged blade once again.

Democrats wouldn't be able after the experience issue-- at all. Nor would they want to-- at all. In fact, if she were picked Democrats should praise the choice. They are running on a outside-D.C. change (albeit tempered, pragmatic change, as the Biden pick emphasized) message, and Palin is an outside-D.C. change pick.

They could however run any clips of John McCain talking about Obama's lack of experience and charge hypocrisy in McCain's message.

[Swing low, sweet chariot. Comin' for to carry me home.]

It's a double edged blade once again.

Democrats wouldn't be able after the experience issue-- at all. Nor would they want to-- at all. In fact, if she were picked Democrats should praise the choice. They are running on a outside-D.C. change (albeit tempered, pragmatic change, as the Biden pick emphasized) message, and Palin is an outside-D.C. change pick.

They could however run any clips of John McCain talking about Obama's lack of experience and charge hypocrisy in McCain's message.

some of you need to review American presidential elections, for though the issue of experience at the VP spot gets a lot of talk, no one votes on it.  While the issue of experience at the top of the ticket is always crucial.

And trust me, a governor, even a 2 year governor, can list more accomplishments than someone who has spent 4, 20, or 36 years in the Senate. 

What's been Biden's accomplishments in the Senate?  2 chairmanships?  I'd hope so after 36 years.

What's been McCain's accomplishments in the Senate?  campaign finance reform?  that's been neither popular or successful.

What's been Obama's  accomplishments in the Senate?  I can't even think of any.

Wake up people: That is why the US last elected a Senator as president 48 years ago!

[Sam Spade]

Today, Rendell had this to say:

link

You must be logged in to read this quote.

Only problem with that: As far as I can tell, McCain is planning on making a campaign stop in Washington, PA on Saturday, while Friday is when he'll be in Dayton.

I'm also at a loss to explain how exactly Rendell would have inside knowledge re: McCain's VP rollout plans.

Considering what he's been saying, who knows who he's working for...    Or maybe he's just friends with Ridge and Ridge has told him.