Jindal: “I’m not going to be the vice president”
posted at 2:33 pm on July 21, 2008 by Allahpundit
Pretty insistent, if not quite a Sherman statement. Watching this, it occurred to me that I haven’t seen any stories claiming that he is, in fact, being vetted or even that he’s at the top of the shortlist. In fact, the Politico story from a few weeks ago that named Mitt as the frontrunner specifically said “McCain insiders” made no mention of Jindal.
Then again, Tim Pawlenty also claims he’s not being vetted while GOP sources say otherwise. Exit question, per the unofficial Hot Air policy of at least one post a day on Romney’s VP chances: Does Mitt indeed “tank the ticket”?
Blowback
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I like Jindal, but he is too young – he is not much more qualified than Obama.
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Answer: No, Mitt does not tank it – he is one of the few who can help McCain, by bringing out conservatives in November.
Think_b4_speaking on July 21, 2008 at 2:38 PM
mitt gets added ONLY if they feel he helps them in Michigan and Ohio, and IF they feel the need his help in those two states.
DrW on July 21, 2008 at 2:38 PM
Also Jindal did not handle that pay raise very well and his support for creationism or intelligent design is not all that pleasing.
Hilts on July 21, 2008 at 2:41 PM
Jindal bombed recently–at least to the point of “let him prove his capability.” So I am sure he won’t be the pick.
Romney tanking the ticket? Ha. Who else, bar Palin, would be better? I.E. more attractive to people? Huckabee would really tank the ticket, who knows anything about Pawlenty, and Crist just won’t make anyone eager to vote for McCain.
McCain’s problem is no one really cares about him. This election is about Obama–either he’s the Messiah, or he’s Stalin reborn. There doesn’t seem to be much else out there.
Vanceone on July 21, 2008 at 2:48 PM
Unless those conservatives are the Huckbots with an irrational antipathy for Mormons.
Lehosh on July 21, 2008 at 2:48 PM
No McCain tanks the ticket. Romney would probably help.
duff65 on July 21, 2008 at 2:50 PM
Bingo, Lehosh. But those types of “conservatives” probably aren’t going to vote for Obama and the great Black Liberation Communism either.
At best they’ll conclude the end times are here (as those eeeeeevil Mormons or the Jeremiah Wrights will be elected, one or the other) and promptly provide the emergency industry with a shot in the arm.
Vanceone on July 21, 2008 at 2:53 PM
I thought that was such an odd argument about Mitt. He doesn’t hurt the ticket’s chances with fiscal conservatives, Catholics, or evangelicals at all. The whole Mormon bias thing is a media meme, in my experience.
warrenmr on July 21, 2008 at 2:53 PM
So a person within the McCain campaign says Romney will “tank the ticket”. Interesting. Sounds like a negotiation tactic to me. Or perhaps Mitt said no??
Zetterson on July 21, 2008 at 2:55 PM
It’s hard for me to hear Romney making TV appearances and so fluently articulating the argument for McCain and believe that he would tank the ticket. Especially with a Michigan draw, and especially with his ease at economic talk.
I won’t argue with polling, though. If the South is turned off by Romney then I can’t deny that. But the article says fiscal conservatives are turned off by Mitt? Really? I’m doubtful of that point.
TheNolan on July 21, 2008 at 2:55 PM
Adding Mitt to the ticket makes it slightly easier to choke down the idea of a McCain presidency. Very slightly.
innominatus on July 21, 2008 at 2:56 PM
That’s quite a shame. Jindal seems like a great campaigner and is obviously quite competent. His age and lack of experience (not relative to Obamamessiah’s non-existent experience, but to the normal standards American voters apply to candidates for the highest office in the land) would probably be an issue.
Just say no to the mullet man!
If by “tank the ticket” you mean bringing much needed economic experience to the table, attracting the millions of conservatives who backed him in the primaries and are iffy about McCain, and helping grab the key swing states of Michigan (father), Nevada (look at his primary numbers…plus there are a lot of Mormons, a group Mitt does well with for obvious reasons, in NV), and Colorado (see Nevada), then yes, Mitt totally tanks the ticket.
malan89 on July 21, 2008 at 2:56 PM
Can anybody still get MSNBC? i live in Boston, and use Comcast, and I think i lost it last week for some reason.
Chudi on July 21, 2008 at 2:57 PM
American Spectator has an agenda, it’s anti-Romney. When the facts don’t support your agenda, make them up or “anonymous source” them.
eaglesdontflock on July 21, 2008 at 3:00 PM
Comcast removed MSNBC from its regular line-up.
amerpundit on July 21, 2008 at 3:03 PM
I still haven’t heard a better suggestion than Sarah Palin. Can anybody tell me what her downside would be?
Beo on July 21, 2008 at 3:05 PM
I’ve got it from a very reliable source that McCain has decided to pick Obama for VP.
Halley on July 21, 2008 at 3:06 PM
Comcast removed MSNBC from its regular line-up.
Thank goodness for small favors.
duff65 on July 21, 2008 at 3:06 PM
Ha! Exactly what I was thinking. McCain’s suckishness does much more to take votes from a McCain/Romney ticket than Mitt’s “Mormon issue” with a certain few (you know who you are) Evangelical voters in the South. I’m not particularly concerned about the South outside of Georgia, which I still think probably will go to McCain. Some say Mississippi and other deep south states (places that might contain some of these certain few Evangelicals) might be swing states this year due to Obama’s popularity with black voters, but I’m not buying it. Blacks have been voting for Democrats for a long time and it hasn’t made Mississippi, Alabama, or any other southern states with high black populations turn blue yet. Like I said before, Georgia may be a problem, but not because of Mitt. McCain *MAY* lose GA because of the combination of possible high black turnout for Obama and possible BobBarrMania (the ridiculousness of this is for another post) grabbing 10% or more in his home state. But I’d still put $$$ on McCain winning GA.
malan89 on July 21, 2008 at 3:07 PM
LEAVE
BOBBY
ALONE
spmat on July 21, 2008 at 3:08 PM
Har! Sorry, Olby!
This is a little OT, but who actually has Comcast by choice? I hear they suck. I haven’t had to deal with them for the past 10 years or so but I remember how bad they were across the board. People say they’ve gotten worse.
malan89 on July 21, 2008 at 3:09 PM
This country can accept a lot of things…a mormon ain’t one of them. That is the weird world we live in.
tomas on July 21, 2008 at 3:10 PM
Say it ain’t so, Bobby.
Hatchet face Mika seems to like the news.
RobCon on July 21, 2008 at 3:12 PM
I still haven’t heard a better suggestion than Sarah Palin.
I agree with you. Sarah is young, smart and reasonable. Which probably puts her off of the short list. If McCain would just take Romney or Palin he might just win. If I had to bet though he will pick someone who won’t help the ticket.
duff65 on July 21, 2008 at 3:14 PM
Only 2 years as Gov of Alaska, yet that is still more experience that St. Barack. There is some recent controversy regarding the firing of a public safety commissioner. Otherwise, here are Palin’s positions.
–Pro-life; recently had a baby that was diagnosed with Down’s Syndrome
–Pro-Iraq; son serving in the military (like McCain)
–Pro-2nd amendment; lifelong NRA member
–Pro-drilling; suing the federal government over listing of polar bears on the endangered species list
From Draft Sarah Palin for VP website,
Dr.Cwac.Cwac on July 21, 2008 at 3:25 PM
I agree Palin would be a good VP pick, but why do you have to quote that much stuff? It wasn’t needed to make your point.
malan89 on July 21, 2008 at 3:26 PM
We need to keep Jindal in Louisiana right now, definitely a rising star though.
We need an attractive, perky conservative female on the ticket such as Carly Fiorina or Gov. Palin.
We need Mitt to run for Teddy’s seat in Mass. Even moderate conservatives are against the right to choose abortion, Mitt’s nuance on the issue will hurt him and (and the R-word) in red states.
myamphibian on July 21, 2008 at 3:27 PM
I find it very hard to describe Ms. Fiorina as a “conservative”. I find it IMPOSSIBLE to describe her as “attractive”.
malan89 on July 21, 2008 at 3:33 PM
I like the idea of Mitt in the Senate. He would be more useful there giving good policy speeches on the floor of the Senate. Maybe that plan is in the works? God bless him, but Teddy really does not have much time left. Mitt should be laying the groundwork now.
Dr.Cwac.Cwac on July 21, 2008 at 3:34 PM
Name recognition?
BallisticBob on July 21, 2008 at 3:36 PM
We need Mitt to run for Teddy’s seat in Mass.
That would be a good idea if workable. However, there is no way that anyone but Teddy could win (except his wife). Mass still believes in the “right of kings”.
duff65 on July 21, 2008 at 3:37 PM
Has this term ever been applied to men? Why not just say we need a woman on the ticket? It would be less patronizing and more convincing.
The Race Card on July 21, 2008 at 3:38 PM
Mitt doesn’t tank the ticket, but he does not bring the kinds of things to it that a female like Palin or a black man like JC Watts or Michael Steele would bring to it. VP has always been about identity and McCain should avoid having another white guy on the ticket this year.
Kafir on July 21, 2008 at 3:39 PM
Exactly. That’s why I do not particularly like Crist as a choice. He looks like an old, rich, tanned white guy. Depending on whom BHO chooses, that might alienate a significant number of potential voters.
Dr.Cwac.Cwac on July 21, 2008 at 3:43 PM
Maybe Republicans just don’t read black people very well. But both of these men have sympathies for Barack Obama which would upset even the most rockgut Republican.
Does being Republican mean being totally tone-deaf?
The Race Card on July 21, 2008 at 3:47 PM
Jindal is not to young he is the real deal.People like him are the hope for the future of this country.If we can survive 4 or 8 years of a Obama or McCain term.You go Bobby Jindal
thmcbb on July 21, 2008 at 3:48 PM
Do not elect a Republican just because they are black. Please leave such limiting considerations to the Democrats.
The Race Card on July 21, 2008 at 3:48 PM
JC Watts isn’t a very good speaker, although Michael Steele would make a good pick. No question that Sarah Palin looks good, but how many people know her? Would she help with any swing states?
He may be a white guy, but what about John Kasich of Ohio?
Steve Z on July 21, 2008 at 3:49 PM
Oh dear.
The Race Card on July 21, 2008 at 3:50 PM
face down
The Race Card on July 21, 2008 at 3:50 PM
Romney would be fine by me, as would Palin or Steele. But Huckabee, Crist, or Graham would be totally unacceptable.
AZCoyote on July 21, 2008 at 3:55 PM
It’s good to see he finally got a decent hair cut. It’s good to be the Gov.
ronsfi on July 21, 2008 at 4:14 PM
WE NEED SARAH!!!!!
ConservativePartyNow on July 21, 2008 at 4:22 PM
Like Jindal, wouldn’t Palin’s biggest negative be experience (years and foreign policy), somewhat neutralizing that critique against Obama? I mean, if the potentially oldest President picks a veep that needs to be ready on day one and said candidate is campaigning on experience and criticizing his opponent’s lack of experience, why pick a veep with the same length of high office as your inexperienced opponent? Kind of undercuts the importance of it, don’t you think?
okonkolo on July 21, 2008 at 4:38 PM
Why would anyone expect that he would? This guy says this as if MA should be the first thing that they would expect from Mitt. Dude – Mass is not going Republican, even if the VP pick for McCain was governor there.
nailinmyeye on July 21, 2008 at 4:54 PM
Yes!
McCain/Palin ’08
Palin/Jindal ’12
I don’t dislike Mitt, but come on. That train has sailed.
Mr. Wednesday Night on July 21, 2008 at 4:56 PM
I think a lot of the Romney-h8n was because many of these guys thought it would increase Huckabee’s chances. Most of the anti-Romney talk will probably go away in the absence of Huck’s chances after the NRA speech.
Sekhmet on July 21, 2008 at 4:58 PM
Palin’s done. She got herself knee deep into a abuse of power situation with an administration firing that no doubt is going to lead to an independent investigation.
lowandslow on July 21, 2008 at 5:46 PM
Get Mitt on the ticket. Then I can vote for McCain. Otherwise, I’m writing in Mitt and voting for Norm Coleman.
cjs1943 on July 21, 2008 at 6:26 PM
We need Bobby as VP cause it will make democrats really scared of losing their majority in Congress in November.
BroncosRock on July 21, 2008 at 8:49 PM
First documented case of Palin Derangement Syndrome!
Mr. Wednesday Night on July 21, 2008 at 8:52 PM
Since when does the media address governors by their first names/nicknames? Would they call Obama “Barack” (or worse, “Barry”?)? I kinda doubt it.
PurpleWombats on July 21, 2008 at 9:37 PM
lowandslow on July 21, 2008 at 5:46 PM
STFU.
Damian G. on July 21, 2008 at 9:50 PM
PALIN
Sir Andrew on July 21, 2008 at 10:02 PM
Yeah right, because I mention that she’s going to be under investigation for abuse of power.
WTF would McCain select a VP that’s under investigation.
lowandslow on July 21, 2008 at 10:03 PM