When McCain Drops Out

[liberal N proud]

I have been speculating this for weeks, the real possibility that McSame isn't the candidate:

Huffintong Post:

When the Republicans choose their candidate on September 4th, there is a very real chance that they could throw the election into an unexpected chaos as they pull a genuine September Surprise.

I think there is every reason to believe John McCain won't be the nominee. Ok, let me say that again. McCain will not be the Republican candidate in November.


Here's how it could happen:

At some point in mid August, John McCain will announce that he has decided that he can not accept his party's nomination for president. The reason will be health-related, and that may turn out to be the truth. Anyone who's seen him on stage these days knows he looks like he's about to keel over. And anyone who's been on a presidential campaign knows the physical demands are grueling and can be a challenge for a young man.

<snip>

Here's a list of names. Some you know, some you don't. But each of them knows their name is in play. Among them --

Condoleezza Rice (Secretary of State)
Colin Powell (fmr Sec. of State)
Marilyn Musgrave (Colorado Congresswoman)
Mitt Romney (fmr Massachusetts Governor)
Mike Huckabee (fmr Governor of Arkansas)
Charlie Crist (Florida Governor)
Tim Pawlenty (Minnesota Governor)
Bobby Jindal (Louisiana Governor)
Mark Sanford: (Governor of South Carolina)
John Thune (Senator from South Dakota)
Dick Lugar (Senator from Indiana)
Chuck Hagel (Senator from Nebraska)
MIchael Bloomberg (NYC Mayor)

[Tesla]

1. Goin' Condo !!

Please let her run, the only way we could lose is ..... oh yeah, we'd just get "2000nd" again.

[Zachstar]

23. whopps...

[Boz]

33. It would have to be Romney, That late in the game its name recognition only

It won be Colin Powell, hes stated a middle affinity to a possible Obama vote. It wont be Hagel, Bloomberg is out again middle of the road not right enough for this kind of jackpot, they would have no time to "fix" attitudes in the party that late in the game.

That leaves pure name recognition and pre set attitude, that leaves 2 people in the party Romney and Gingrich and I dont believe Gingrich can over come the Knowns, I think Romneys unknowns let him slide against his knowns.

And one late one into the thought Cheney with Powell as VP, that would be a hard hit ticket to mobilize the repubs

[davidpdx]

2. The funny thing about that is

it would be easy to come up with an ad for that one. The theme: bait and switch

[zbdent]

8. how about, they couldn't stand the man their voters elected?

"Listening to the people, yeah ... right ..."

[KittyWampus]

17. if you're looking at certain defeat at the polls, it'd make sense to replace the candidate and then

blame the loss on that rather than your own failed agenda.

[davidpdx]

37. That's true

But I was thinking along the lines of a commercial of a person wanted to buy a car in an ad, then they come in and find out that they don't have that car?

Either that or a magic type theme with a card that has the picture of McCain put into a hat and then they pull out a card with someone else's face (whomever is running).

[Bonn1997]

3. They don't have to pick the candidate with the 2nd most primary delegates?

[Crabby Appleton]

9. No. nt

[saltpoint]

4. Dick Lugar? I'm not sure he can stay awake long enough to even hear

his name announced.

This is a kind of dramatic theory, and I don't have hard evidence to prove it wrong, but it just seems far-fetched and implausible.

I'm not seeing Republican delegates in Minneapolis nominating an anti-Iraq War candidate like Hagel.

[nuxvomica]

5. I doubt it

McCain is perfect as the weak candidate because they will lose no matter what and they don't want the loss to be blamed on Bush's legacy.

[lisa58]

6. I think Powell and Hagel are already voting for Obama

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

7. Could Bloomberg be on both tickets?

Bloomberg has been suggested as the bottom of an Obama/Bloomberg ticket.

Could he also run as the top of a Bloomberg/Romney ticket?

Is he REP or DEM, or some kind of chameleon?

[lisa58]

10. He's a dem - that went rep - that went indie

[endarkenment]

21. New York Jew: not a likely rethuglican candidate

plus the fact that he is actually a New York Liberal - who ran as a Republican because he couldn't buy the Democratic slot. He is like kryptonite to the bible-smacked party base.

[nxylas]

11. It won't be Huckabee

Whilst the GOP often talks about "bringing the constitution in line with the Bible" in order to appease their Southern Evangelical base, the last thing the moneyed GOP elite wants is a nominee who actually means it, especially one who throws economic populism into the mix.

[saltpoint]

16. Agree. The old guard Puke operatives are highly suspicious of

Huckabee and his dog-torturing younguns.

He doesn't play by the "rules" understood to be the rules Puke noms are supposed to play by, and he does have one of the loosest lips ever seen in American politics.

[NorthCarolina]

12. I also have thought that this could be a real possibility

The McCain screw ups are just too many for him to be a credible candidate so he is either

(1) A sacrificial lamb during an election year they knew they would never win so why put their best and brightest out there, or
(2) he is a temporary stand-in until the real nominee is named at the convention.

[ellenfl]

if he is the sacrificial lamb, the rnc would be funding him better. eom

[NorthCarolina]

25. Why would you fund a sacrificial lamb?

Waste the money on a sure loser? The answer is you wouldn't.

[ellenfl]

31. i doubt they would want it to look obvious by withholding

funds from the nominee . . . especially if he does not know he is the sacrificial lamb.

ellen fl

[NorthCarolina]

32. Then what's your explanation for a lack of funding?

This McCain is a joke. He's lucky the media is in bed with Republicans so that they refuse to do any kind of in-depth reporting on all of the faux pa's and "misspeaks" he has made AND been publicly corrected on. He is a sacrificial lamb, someone they figured was old and at the end of his political career...give the old guy a sendoff by letting him be a POTUS candidate in an election they are sure to lose. That saves face for the younger Republicans who may, just a slight may, but may have some political future ahead of them.

[ellenfl]

34. i didn't say they were going to fully fund him! eom

[WeDidIt]

13. If anything will make them lose worse than with McCain

it would eb pulling a bait and switch.

No way does this scenario happen.

[tanyev]

14. Whaaat? No "Jeb!" on the list?

:rofl:

[MaineDem]

15. My husband has been saying this since McCain became the "presumptive one"

We're thinking Romney. And that's fine with me, too. I am convinced Obama will beat anyone on their side.

[nxylas]

20. But if they wanted Romney...

...why not just vote for him in the primaries? :shrug:

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

28. "Screen play"

Catch the defense unprepared.

It would be a good tactic, if I thought they actually had the brains to plan it.

I think they are just being surprised by all the negatives coming out about McCain. Including his military background.

[TechBear_Seattle]

18. I doubt VERY MUCH that it will be a woman or a person of color

Given the outright bigotry the GOP flung at both Clinton and Obama, I have absolutely no doubt that a McSame replacement will be a white male. I am almost as certain that it will not be Romney, as the slime machine went into overtime over his being a Mormon rather than a "proper" Christian (read: conservative Protestant.)

[Tuesday Afternoon]

19. I thought Condie had already given her Shermanesque speech ..

and I think Powell would also bow out.

Denials
Dr. Rice has, several times, noted that she has no intention of running for president in 2008. Despite her emphatic denials, the Draft Condi movement continues to grow. Here is a list of dates and statements she has made about the 2008 race.

more at link: http://voterice.wikia.com/wiki/Denials

[saltpoint]

22. They may just be stuck with McCain, which is not the best of news for

Republicans.

There isn't an easy way for the GOP to gussy-up this election cycle, coming as it does after 8 very long years of deceit, corruption, and failure of the Bush administration.

[Zachstar]

24. I have been thinking about this as well.

Even if they got Ron Paul they would have at most a 50 percent shot at the presidentcy.

McCain that number drops to 20 because he cant go a few days without making a serious political mistake.



I highly doubt they will replace him with Paul unless they wanted to do it for shits and giggles because they rejected paul in the primaries.

What I am fearful of is they pick Rudy.... The last thing this country needs is the constant references to that horrible day again. He stands about a 40 percent shot but would delay things because of the damn sabre rattling.


If McCain drops out due to health The "bait and switch ad" wont work.

[no_hypocrisy]

26. I'd add Jebbie and Dick Cheney as dark horses to the list.

I won't add Rudy as he's poisoned the well by saying he'd only campaign if he was paid to do it.

[Captain Hilts]

27. I agree they'll twist his arm to bail on it. nt

[Tippy]

29. I posted my thoughts about this possibility about two weeks ago

Earlier today I read somewhere that Bush has been pushing for Jeb to be McCain's VP....McCain will never make it to the election, he just looks to ill. Not sure who will be his replacement...Not many will want to chance a run under the circumstances as they are right now....One thing I have learned over the years..you can not trust a Republican...I they see an opening they will make their move and do it quickly...

[liberal N proud]

30. Exactly! - you can not trust a Republican

Never, Never, Never

[Bucky]

35. That is so not gonna happen.

Bloomberg? Hagel? Are you kidding me? They've already rejected Lugar, who at least has moments of clarity. Of that list, probably only Romney, Pawlenty, or Sanford would be plausible.

But the truth is, they're gonna nominate Quickdraw McCain and try to ride that wave all the way down to the beach. I predict a wipe out.

[FatherTime1408]

36. Preposterous. McCain is the nominee. He aint dropping out unless he dies

[davidpdx]

38. Has this ever happened

before? I replied up thread a couple of times, but was just thinking about whether or not there is a history of this or if it will be something unprecedented. I'm thinking it hasn't, which will make it even more damming for them.

[Flaxbee]

39. a friend who has worked in government a looooong time

says it could also be Fred Thompson. :shrug: At least he's "played" president on TV and can read a script... kinda like Ronny.

[Overseas]

40. Fascinating idea. Stealth candidate... and there was a little Jeb talk today... K&R

[RNdaSilva]

41. Stretches of Imagination...

The Twilight Zone...