One of the many sidebars to the recent story of Mitt Romney’s ties to Bain Capital, and the dubious uncertainty over when exactly Romney left Bain (thus deserving, or not, a pass for Bain’s layoffs and factory closings after that time) is the possibility that Romney was passed over in 2008 as a vice presidential candidate to run with John McCain due to the same questions.
Not so, says McCain today and Politico reports:
Mitt Romney’s tax returns had nothing to do with Sen. John McCain’s decision to choose Sarah Palin as his running mate in 2008, according to the Arizona Republican, saying he chose the former Alaska governor because she was a “better candidate.” [Pols emphasis]McCain received more than two decades worth of Romney’s tax returns as the former Massachusetts governor was undergoing the vetting process four years ago, far more than Romney has released publicly in the 2012 campaign. Democrats have questioned whether McCain saw something untoward in those tax returns and decided to choose Palin instead…
Asked why he chose not to go with Romney, McCain said: “Oh come on, because we thought that Sarah Palin was the better candidate. Why did we not take [Tim] Pawlenty, why did we not take any of the other 10 other people. Why didn’t I? Because we had a better candidate, the same way with all the others. … Come on, why? That’s a stupid question.”
On the one hand, what is McCain supposed to say? Yes, Romney’s financial records are pure political poison and that’s why Romney wasn’t chosen to be the vice presidential nominee in 2008? Obviously not, so he’s got to go with a different answer. McCain really has no choice but to maintain that Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin was “a better candidate” than Mitt Romney, or else be prepared to discuss the reasons Romney wasn’t chosen. Even then, he still might have to.
And honestly, either way seems like a bit of a minefield.
Sarah Palin was better for McCain in 2008 and I think most people will agree. McCain faced trouble winning the base, and Palin energized the base. McCain is a great man and a good Senator, but Romney will be the better President. Romney should consider an out of the box choice like Sarah Palin, who would have done fine as VP, especially since Romney is in good health.
Once again, the left’s fear and loathing of Sarah Palin comes to the surface.
you need help.
Jesus christ, what the fuck do you snort up your nose to keep going?
Both are men come from families of privilege; only one actually understands what it means to serve ones country and to lead it. I suppose it’s indicative of the current state of the GOP that ilk like you consider a draft-dodging, war-mongering, coward to be that man.
Sarah Palin.
I for one have found her disturbingly illiterate for a public official. Disengenuous and distracting, yes. I pitied her at times, for the pressure and her complete inability to handle it.
Thank g_d she never became VP of this once great country.
Yes, I know that you and Obama feel this way. Sad.
Except in per capita wealth of the top 1%.
but ArapaGOP and others are working on that.
They don’t think a country’s truly great until most of us are virtually enslaved for the benefit of the wealthiest. But I rest assured that A-BOT can make all of America an antebellum South-like paradise, albeit one without the racist divisions. EVERY race can be equal at the bottom!
Between Nockers decoding our secret Alinsky strategies and you seeing our inner most fears–of Sarah Palin–its hard to imagine what keeps going wrong with your team in CO.
Okay, she’s dumb as a post, but she brought
some excitement to the ticket and rallied the
base. But to say that draft-dodger Romney would have been a better president than war hero McCain is, frankly, an exceptionally stupid comment.
Willard’s gong to be the bestest President ever . . .
And, he should get Palin (or some other Barbie) dusted off and out of the box . . .
Wow, I’m really impressed how convincing you sneaky, coniving, manipulative Borg guys are — laying low for a week and then springing this awesome messaging to devestate the hapless liberals. It’s good to be on the winning team for once — let’s go Willard!
Are you kidding? If McCain had picked a running mate who wasn’t a complete nincompoop who knows how well he would have done? Palin and her entire ready for reality TV family were more than Dems could possibly have asked for, appealing only to a narrow base and completely turning off indies. And McCain just inadvertently called Romney less qualified than the least qualified member of a major party ticket in living memory.
On the plus side for your team, ArapG, no one cares what McCain says about anything anymore. So I’ll grant you it doesn’t do much harm. Not like Romney’s refusal to release as many years of tax returns as most other serious presidential candidates have been doing for decades and then claiming, quite nonsensically, that there is no precedent for releasing more than a year or two. Still no word from you on that and the SEC stuff.
I know. People don’t care about that. They care about jobs. Well, apparently rich people don’t create jobs even when they pay no taxes or jobs wouldn’t have been a problem for over a decade. And if businessmen made the best Presidents, Hoover would be on Mt. Rushmore.
See, businesses aren’t the same as economies and the purpose of government isn’t the same as the purpose of a business either. Cutting jobs, for instance is usually a better way for a businessman like Romney to make money than adding them. Job creating really hasn’t been a goal in his chosen field. At least not good ones in the US. Race to the bottom for profit is more like it.
His returns will only offer endless opportunities to point that out as well as the complete failure of trickle down economics. Also, it’s hard to criticize poor people for wanting free stuff when you’re worth millions, probably nine figures worth, and took a 77 thousand dollar deduction, courtesy of ordinary people who do pay taxes, for the cost of dressage.
Hey, come to think of it , I do agree that Palin was at least no less qualified than Romney and without as much baggage.
GOP plants like A-BOT know how to push buttons. If one has to respond to lies like anyone “hates” or “fears” Palin (something, if ever true, has not been the case for three years now, when she committed political suicide), it’s best to be succinct. No need to waste reason on the unreasonable.
BC was succinct enough for me, personally. That said, I wholeheartedly agree with Ari.
I have a big mouth
That Romney was not good enough to be a veep and is now running to president says something about the Republican vetting process. Or rather what happened to it following the years of playing with its three branches; the neo-con bomb ‘em all to hell, the neo-christianist and the the hell with taxes, government is for commies.
Now there is the scrambling to support a candidate that fits none of the branches. It should be an interesting time until Labor Day, or as Mitt calls it “Payday in Asia”.
Stupid question. Of course he thought Palin was a better candidate at the time. That’s why he picked her.
It means nothing to me when it comes to this election or Romney’s tax returns.