Did McCain use good judgment in picking Palin?

Question

Obama had said he had three criteria for his VP pick: he had to be ready to be president on day one, he had to be someone Barack could get along with, and he had to be willing to challenge Barack on issues. Obama had a committee that spent months checking the background of every possible candidate.

What did McCain consider? Did he put the interests of the country first or was he simply trying to steal Obama's thunder the day after his historic speech? Apparently Palin wasn't even vetted:

http://strategy08.wordpress.com/2008/09/01/john-mccain-ready-to-vet-on-day-three/

Answer 1

McCain said that Obama would be willing to sell out his country and lose a war in order to become President.

Then McCain chose to pass over several highly qualified people and risk putting the nation's future in the hands of someone he'd only met once, someone who has only 20 months of experience in state government, no experience in federal government, and no experience in foreign relations. He mocked 45 year old Obama's age, then chooses someone 5 years younger. He mocked Obama's experience, then chooses someone with far less experience.

Who's selling out the country in order to become President now?

Answer 2

Why do you say Palin wasn't vetted?

Is it because her candidacy threatens Obama's liberal socialist agenda big time?

McCain showed shrewd judgement in packing Palin.

Obama picked a guy who agrees with everything Obama wants to do and who will never challenge Obama. Neither Obama nor Biden, a continual loser, is qualified to be President.

Answer 3

I find it ironic that you get Change from the party you claim is afraid of change.  Then you get the return to the socialist agenda by picking a life long liberal to appeal to the die hard democratic base.  I also find it funny that people are so afraid of this woman.  It's humorous that the second her name came out people started to attack somebody they said they knew nothing about, yet nobody knew anything about Obama either and you all elected him to be your candidate.  Make sure you don't do something they don't agree with as he may have Ayers toss a bomb at you next.  

Answer 4

no he thinks we are a stupid as his wife.

Answer 5

The majority of Alaskans don't think he did.  No offense to this lady but she knows being picked was primarily based on her being a female, next to influence the radical right.  She holds no candle to Hillary, and even though Hillary's supporters are disappointed most won't be swayed to McCain's side.  

Answer 6

well it appears you're asking a biased question.  you obviously aren't a big fan of mccain.  palin was an excellent choice.  she has the ability to meet in the middle in all issues.  for example, she wants to preserve the union of marriage as being between one man and one woman only, she understands that the g*y community should share the same domestic benefits.  also, she was not born into wealth or come from a privileged family.  she worked her way up and is highly respected in alaska.  of course, there may have been some political reasons for mccain choosing her but obama did the same thing with biden.  palin will appeal to the hillary supporters and, also, we all know how bad mccain wants to drill.  since alaska is so rich with energy resources, picking palin as VP will enable him to have a stronger foothold with drilling in alaska.  overall, she is an outstanding pick for mccain.  GO REPUBLICANS!!!  

Answer 7

I believe that Sen McCain has other duties lined up for the Governor of the State of Alaska.  The lady is a looker.  The Senator is a looking.  And Bill is wondering why he picked Al Gore.

Answer 8

It is my belief that McCain chose Palin because she 1:  shares beliefs with him on many subjects, and 2:  is a woman - in the modern atmosphere of rhetoric about diversity and politically correct BS, a female VP is simply superior to a male VP

Answer 9

McCain has made a politics first, country last decision, pure and simple.

Answer 10

Heck no. This was just another liberal politically correct stunt by lib rino McCain.

Vote Bob Barr.

Answer 11

When you vote for president, you are also supporting the VP as the potential president in case of emergency.  It seems the Republican party is more concerned about abortion and legislating morality than the defense of our country.

Answer 12

I think he used his p***s

Answer 13

nope, he just went for the beauty queen, old habits die hard

Answer 14

Yes, he did.

Answer 15

They are just awful.

He did not use ANY type of judgement.

Answer 16

No way, he barely knows who she is.  This undermines all his "country first" rethoric. McCain is willing to risk having that unqualified lady become commander in chief in these troubled times just to win a few votes. Can anyone seriously argue she'll be ready on day one if that should be necessary?

Is that country first? Risking the future of America's children to pick up some female voters? What an insult to the intelligence of the good American people

Palin was forced on McCain.

The Palin selection demonstrates once again the dirty secret of American politics: that semi-fascistic forces exercise near-veto power over the Republican Party. The New York Times reported Sunday, based on interviews with several top McCain aides, that McCain had all but decided to select Senator Joseph Lieberman, who was the Democratic vice-presidential candidate in 2000, to run with him on a cross-party ticket based on all-out support for the war in Iraq.

Top aides told him—reportedly relaying warnings from several influential state party chairmen—that there would be protests on the floor of the convention if he selected a running mate who supports abortion rights, like Lieberman or former Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge (a Republican).

McCain made the decision after his Democratic opponent, Barack Obama, chose Senator Joseph Biden of Delaware as his running mate August 23, passing over Hillary Clinton. The next day, McCain called Palin and invited her to meet at his Arizona estate on Thursday, where he offered her the second spot on the Republican ticket.

There is a strong element of recklessness and irresponsibility in McCain’s selection. He selected not only someone without any significant national or international experience, but someone whom he does not himself know and who is virtually unknown to the American public.

McCain had precisely one discussion with Palin this year, for 15 minutes at a conference in Washington last February, before calling her last week. His encounter with her Thursday, when he offered her the second highest position in the American government, amounted to two hours. Press accounts noted that their initial campaign bus trip—a six-hour swing from Dayton through Columbus to the outskirts of Pittsburgh—more than doubled the total time they had spent together.

With barely a year and a half in office as the governor of the country’s least populous state, Palin had been generally ruled out as a potential nominee. She herself told the Washington Post earlier this year that her selection was an “impossibility.”

The prospect of Palin, who has no experience and no known views on any foreign policy issues—or, for that matter, on most domestic ones—taking the helm as president may give pause to significant layers within the ruling establishment itself

Answer 17

You are right on all of the above, as a matter of fact it took his own party and campain manager by surprise, I think after seeing the crowd on day 4 of Obama's convention he simply panicked. McCain actually only met her once and spoke with her one other time before choosing her. I think it was an unwise choice on McCain's part.