Let's suppose that McCain really wanted Palin as Veep, and there was

[MUAD_DIB]

no interference by Rove or others in the choice.

If John drops her now for another choice, regardless of the obvious mess that would cause, do you think that any of the other first round choices (Romney, Leiberman, etc.) would still want the slot after being passed over?

[demnan]

1. Yes

because they're all shameless 'ho's'

[liberalmuse]

2. He could pick Bob Barr.

Is he anti-choice?

[az chela]

3. Isnt that called sloppy second???

[Spider Jerusalem]

4. McCain DIDN'T want Palin, though.

NYT has reported that he wanted Ridge or Lieberman. But he had a problem; his advisers were telling him Lieberman was a no-go and would split the party at the convention, and Ridge would bleed support from the whackjob fundamentalist base because of his pro-choice stance on abortion and moderate positions on social issues. Palin was a totally bizarre and random choice; Ridge or Lieberman are far more credible as a Commander-in-Chief in waiting, and one suspects the Palin selection was totally out of the blue--'so, who DO the Bible-humpers like, anyway? Palin? All right then...fuck it. Palin it is.'

[Lucky 13]

5. I heard....

... that Romney and Pawlenty were particularly irked. They felt jerked around. The day before and the day of the announcement McCain USED them as a ploy to distract media attention away from Palin and I think were only told at the last moment that it wasn't them. They were led on and jerked around... and they know it.

I don't know much about Pawlenty (accept that he said he'd stand by Bush if his approval rating was 5%). That would indicate to me he will do whatever his overlords tell him to. And a dude sporting a mullet can't afford to be too discriminating. He wouldn't pass it up.

For Holy Joe, McCain is his very very last chance to ever be a major player anywhere ever again. No other repuke but McCain would ever consider him as VP. And the Democrats are done with him. He'd take being second choice and like it. And it would be his big "fuck you" to the democrats.

Romney is a little harder to call. He and McCain never liked each other anyway. Romney's feeling used and angry. On the one hand I could see him telling McCain to go fuck himself. Romney potentially still has his best political days ahead of him, so why would he want to hitch himself to the McTitanic? On the other hand, these rethungs are POWER HUNGRY. The question is for Romney, which is stronger... his pride or his lust for power? Probably power.