Republican National Convention discussion thread!

The Republican National Convention is underway in full force in St. Paul. If you can't make it to Minnesota, then share your thoughts about John McCain and Sarah Palin right here!

Republican presidential candidate, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., and his vice presidential running mate, Alaska Gov., Sarah Palin, acknowledge the cheers of supporters during a campaign rally in O'Fallon, Mo., Sunday Aug. 31, 2008. (AP Photo/Stephan Savoia)

Comments

[Franky]

How fitting that this thread is empty, just like the Republican morals.

[mmga]

I am not happy with John McCain's decision to select Gov Palin, finding it glibly considered, arrogant, myopic, selfish and insulting...and he almost had my vote, so I am his target moderate, otherwise independent woman voter. I am now officially off the fence...and pushed into the Obama camp by this inept decision. Thank you, I was uncharacteristically undecided and it feels good to be grounded. There is nothing at this point McCain can do to right this wrong...he has displayed his judgment and motivation and that was my surprise, more than the choice of Palin.

Aside from all that....No matter how Sara turns out in our viewfinders ultimately, I would like to launch a discussion I have not heard from anyone yet.

So join me.....If we can all separate ourselves from the candidates, the parties, our likes and dislikes in the personalities for a moment, the most frightening issue within this situation is that it is possible for one man to foist his choice and the potential next president upon a nation by keeping his "own best counsel"...himself. THAT SHOULD NOT BE POSSIBLE. The fact that a presumptive nominee reveals the choice kept under wraps until the last possible minute leaves no time for protest or vetting by delegates and the collective better judgment...and his party is forced to support and buoy up the decision with any possible tactic available...or lose the election. There is simply too much to lose to disagree.

I propose a reform of the election process that requires the selection of the VP to be a consideration by the delegates at the convention, that by the end of the convention the VP is decided through the convention process. It is not a party for the party. After a panel of top qualified nominees is presented, the Presidential candidate would negotiate and decide and finally announce his/her decision....but from a pool of prequalified individuals. The VP position should not be an appointed one. It would make for a more interesting convention....

The petition starts now.

[Jeff Reding]

I tried real hard to watch the Convention coverage last night but got really sick of the lies and distortions really fast. I'm sick of the Republicans claiming that Obama's policies will cause massive deficits (the current record budget deficits were caused by an out-of-control Republican congress that rubber stamped everything the Bush administration put in their path), out-of-control taxes (the Republicans are guilty of the largest tax cuts ever, dwarfing Ronald Reagan's budget-busting cuts in the 80s) and the over-the-top praise of McCain's POW experience. I'm sorry, but the reason he even WAS a POW in Viet Nam is because he participated in the bombing of villages and innocent people, including women and children. I am in no way denigrating his courage and honour while he was a POW, but I'm sorry, his experiences in Viet Nam in no way qualify him to be president, particularly in light of the distortions and denigrations that John Kerry suffered at the hands of the Swift Boat crowd after his exemplary war record where his heroism was never in question. And then there was the Bush speech. Here's a guy who, along with the attack dog in chief, Karl Rove, participated in the Republican trait of politics of destruction when he faced McCain in 2000 is suddenly praising him? Please. And how can McCain even get into bed with Rove now after his rancourous past? And yet the public seems to be swallowing this swill lock, stock and barrel. And then there's the Palin pick. On one hand I like her - she's intelligent and she gives a great speech (just like Obama), but a great speech doesn't make her qualified any more than the Republicans say Obama is qualified. And every day something new comes out about her past (or present) - husband's DUI convictions, husband's participation in an organisation that advocated seceding from the Union, pregnant teen daughter when Palin advocates abstinence-only sex education, Palin's admission of using marijuana (the Republicans trashed Clinton for that), the controversy over her apparent firing of government officials in what seems to have been a politically motivated move, her being for massive earmarks before she was against them, her being for the infamous 'bridge-to-nowhere' before she was against it .... how much more are we going to learn about her before this is all over? If the Democrats had nominated someone whose kids are named Track, Trig (Van Palin after Van Halen!!!), Bristol, Willow and Piper, the Republicans would have had a field day with that. This election cycle is plagued with the most hypocritical doublespeak I have ever seen in a political election.

[Ben Adams]

According to the poet, philosopher, educator, Sharon Esther Lampert, http://www.philosopherqueen.com, the only winner is Osama bin Laden, and I quote:

Osama Bin Laden: Your Own Power is His Greatest Weapon

Osama has only one goal in mine, to destroy the economic power of the U.S.A. For him, the World Trade Center represented the epicenter of economic power in the U.S.A.

Osama bin Laden's main weapon is using your own power against you.
He used your own airplanes to destroy the World Trade Center, and punch a hole in the Pentagon.

In September 11th, 2001, there were 3000 dead Americans (mere collateral damage).

In 2008, there are 7000 dead Americans and 30,000 wounded Americans (more collateral damage).

Chorus:
Osama bin Laden is alive and well. He is sitting in his cave and laughing.
One-trillion-dollar deficit, two-trillion-dollar deficit... three-trillion-dollar deficit... He wants to destroy the economic power of the U.S.A.

Osama bin Laden uses your own power against you: Bush and McCain.

Osama bin Laden doesn't count dead Americans, because all they represent to him is collateral damage.

Paradoxically, America thinks she is safer because in the past seven years, there have been no terrorist threats on her soil. Raping a woman is not really about the sex, it is about dominance and control. Terrorism is not really about more dead Americans, it is about destroying America's economic power.

Paradoxically, Osama bin Laden has no interest in terrorist activity unless it furthers his goal of destroying America's economic power.

Chorus:
Osama bin Laden is alive and well. He is sitting in his cave and laughing.
One-trillion-dollar deficit, two-trillion-dollar deficit... three-trillion-dollar deficit... He wants to destroy the economic power of the U.S.A., and he is winning his war on America by using your own power against you.

Osama bin Laden counts dollars, the trillion-dollar deficit, and not dead Americans; and the fact that new superpowers are emerging, aka China, because they are prospering from America's economic demise. America has to suck on the breast of China's mother's milk to stay afloat to pay for Arab oil. America built her superpower status on the bloody backs of the European world wars.

The Republicans McCain and Palin are going to push the U.S.A. further back into the dark ages: Iraq War, Abortion Rights, and Black-Market Science.

Bush, McCain and Palin, Obama and Biden and all of the presidents advisors are clueless.

Osama bin Laden brought America to her economic knees. He won.

[Uncle_Vito]

I open the LA Times this morning and the entire paper is jabs against the Republicans, McCain and Palin.

The Republicans must really have the liberal media running scared. The minute Palin was selected as a VP candidate, the media fell all over themselves trying to dig up dirt on her.

One thing the media does not understand, especially here in California, is that the election will be determined by voting in the flyover states. The red states that can easily see the unfairness of the media. Just as media wonks such as Michael Moore helped defeat John Kerry, the liberal media are going to help defeat Obama.

I am going to enjoy this election.

Vito

[Clark]

What worries me most about McCain/Palin ticket is their environmental policy (especially regarding drilling in the ANWR). I think it is evermore important for us, as consumers to support ‘green businesses’ that benefit the environment. For example, http://www.simplestop.net stops your postal junk mail and benefits the environment.

[Nan]

I am sick and tired of McCain bashing the media for their response to
Sarah Palin. Maybe he should learn how to use a computer and read
his blogs. The American people are concerned about his judgement and rightfully so. He is placing the country in jeopardy by having someone so inexperienced a heartbeat away from the presidency. Can you imagine what they would be saying if the Dems had done that? This woman has no foreign policy experience. She has no thorough knowledge of the law (a journalism major). She has poor judgment (putting her baby's life at risk while taking an eight hour flight in labor if that is true). If that isn't true and it is her daughter's baby, she is a fraud. Now they have to tutor her before she gives her speech.
Barack and Joe Biden need no tutoring.
It is a joke that they put the country first when they can jeaporidize it by putting someone like that in office.

[sdk]

Yeah, the primary process is broken, too, when of the two top candidates it produces, neither has much elective experience. In fact, one was only elected to one office in her life, the other elected to national office less than two years before starting a run for president. We probably ought to debate the benefits of going back to the smoke filled rooms.

[D Malone]

WAS OBAMA VETTED????

[alessandro biglioli]

What we foreigners don't really understand is how in the world you americans chose a president touting his "everyman" qualities or, let's be realistic, "mediocrity" as a virtue, Bush in 04 run on "who would you have a beer with?". The Us presidency is a job that needs higly qualified people not everyday men, needs people that have education and grades and experience at the top level, because simply this is the way it is in the rest of the world, only the best of the best become head of state (except in monarchies and ereditarian dictatorships) and with globalization there will be a lot of meetings and in those meetings the everyday man will basically be eaten alive or treated like an "idiot savant", a dumb guy with a big stick, because this is what the Us presidency looks like from abroad now.
Would you chose your neurosurgeon, your CEO, even your contractor on how pleasant he is or on qualifications?
your president simply has too much power to be an "average person" the issues today are simply too complex for an "average person", you need someone that has gone to the best schools and excelled there, not someone with a bachelor degree from the middle of nowhere that had average grades, otherwise you will get average results, which in today's world simply don't cut. So you either diminish the power of the president (like in many democratic countries) or chose highly qualified people. I think the ideal would be someone who made it to the top but starting from the bottom, embodying the american dream, I won't take sides but you can by yourself see which candidate fits the mold.

[John]

The left wing bias in the mass media continues. US Magazine had Obama on their cover two issues ago, with the story about why he loves his dear wife so much. Now, they dedicate their cover to the "scandal" of a teenage pregnancy in the Palin family. The American public, in an effort to make up their own minds, will need to dig deeper than the tired liberal rhetoric would normally allow. This very newpaper has adorned their front page with a romantasized paint portrait of Barack Omama, but no such flattering visage of John McCain. Some things never change.

[Pete]

Once again, just like almost every single day, the GOP, party of phoney morals and harsh judgment, gets a tast of reality.

Again, they shoot the messanger.

[Francisco Rodriguez]

Has there ever been a greater turncoat opportunist in American politics that Joe Lieberman?

[MB]

Gee thanks MMGA. One can only wonder how you were put upon this Earth so long after the founding fathers developed the constitution of our repuclic, and how we managed to exist so long wtihout your input.

VP choosen at the convention....how did Thomas Jefferson miss that one.

I like Palin for one main reason....she sounds like Sallie Fields...I always liked her. Not as much as Mary Tyler Moore mind you.....but still...very cute.

[Wendy]

As a Republican I have questions myself. I don't want to see this woman read a canned speech. I want to see her face the press and the public and answer some hard questions. How she responds and handles herself in that situation will go a long way in my deciding whether or not to vote for McCain.

[Oscar Amaro]

When the GOP complains about the so-called "liberal media", what they are referring to is anyone in the news business who questions, disagrees with, or rebukes a Republican.

[chris]

if you truly want what is best for our children, our troops and America, then there is no other choice but to vote for Senator Clinton on November 4th (WriteHillaryIn.com)

[chris]

this thread is almost as empty as the obama lemmings' so-called intelligence......they chose a surefire loser over an internationally respected and nationally experienced leader who was fighting for the best interests of families since before obama was born!

[Dr. Rude]

Hypocracy at its ultimate level is what the Republican Party stands for. Had Bristol been one of the Democrat's kid, they would be having a field day with the story and the Evangelicals would be having 24 hour prayer meeting to rid the country of such immorality. I guess that goes to tell us that we can stand the smell of our own S..., but not others.

[getting old]

The "liberal media" didn't get Bristol pregnant. She did that with her boyfriend. Sarah Palin and John McCain made a calculated decision not to release that information when announcing her as the VP pick. Now it's the "liberal media's" fault that information that can have an effect on a voter and that person's choice has been made available to the public. If they are chanting "tell the truth" at the RNC then stop the blame and take some responsiblity. It would be a nice change.

[Carol Meyer]

Are the Republicans kidding? First, they choose a person that is totally questionable in their record, decision making and experience. Then, when the debate goes into the media/blogs, they complain that it's being debated.

Then, today they go for a photo op with the poor guy that's being forced to marry the daughter. Again, want it both ways.

Wow, they really must be nervous and hopefully, they should be.

Barack "n roll
Carol

[Peter Cavanaugh]

Vice-Pretender Palin?

John McCain hasn't chosen a successor.

He's wearing an accessory.

[scott]

I think the liberal media has been had. The selection of Palin was such a surprise that all outlets made a dash to dig up something controversial. The most they could come up with was some issue with a state trooper and that her daughter is pregnant. Oh, the discussion of "experience" is quite amusing given the Democrat's nominee. CNN, MSNBC, et. al. spent most of Saturday thru Tuesday bashing the woman and her family interrupted only by Gustav coverage. Even then, the media had problems looking for controversy with Gustav so they turned back to Palin. An here is how you have been "punked". You over did yourself. Everyone now knows the "dark secret" of the daughter's pregnancy as if that really matters. If Palin was a democrat, you'd be wondering why the mother didn't force an abortion. There is a backlash that comes with such attacks and that will be a Mcain presidency.

[John Quick]

Given that the McCain campaign lied about the "FBI background check" on Palin [the FBI isn't in the business of giving partisan help, and has confirmed that it hasn't been involved here], why should we believe anything that the campaign says about the vetting procedure?

And if they're being so mendacious on this one subject - is there any reason to believe what they say on any subject?

[Cathy O'Dell]

Consider this: Sarah Palin does not exercise good judgment in her own life. She got pregnant at an advanced childbearing age, which resulted in the predictable outcome of a Down's Syndrome baby. Then, due to poor parenting skills, her 17-year-old daughter participates in risky sexual behavior and ends up pregnant. And this woman is what the Republicans want as a Vice President? I cannot envision her in the White House. No way!

[Jazz]

I find it hilarious how quickly the religious right wing/Rublican conservative crowd have embraced Sarah Palin and her daughter's pregnancy. What would Rush Limbaugh et al have said about Hillary Clinton or Obama if it had been their 17 year old unwed daughter that was pregnant? What do you think he/they would have to say if it was Hillary that had a developmentally disabled infant at home while she was running for national office? I agree the family is off limits, but they darn sure wouldn't be if these issues affected a Democratic candidate.

What is relevant is that McCain's poorly qualified and vetted VP candidate reflect instability in the his decision making process. Palin's actions as Governor - supporting abstineance only programs, cutting funding to help equip at risk teen moms to handle their parenting responsibilities, potential misuse of authority and misrepresentation of her background as a "reformer," as well a level of experience less than that of the average urban county commissioner, all point to someone not appropriate to step into the Presidency on a moment's notice.

There's no question that there are far more qualified Repulican women, even among the religious, Pro-Life rightwing. What can we say was McCain's criteria? He picked cute. Thank God we never had to find out what kind of President Dan Quayle would have made, but we've had 8 years of someone whose primary qualification was a nice public personality. What a nightmare we do not need to repeat.

[AngryMcCainFan]

I've got no problems with a mother running the country, even one with a baby that has Downs Syndrome. As VP, she would have a crack medical team at her beck and call, and household staff to help with everything from answering correspondence to arranging transportation to school. Being VP would actually make things *easier*.

My concern isn't because she's a woman, but because she's nuts.

In the church video, she claims to have the gift of prophecy, and that she is starting to "see" things changing...

She pulled a Hillary Clinton and started firing people she didn't like...

She pulled a George Bush and slammed her hometown 20 million dollars in the hole...

She believes in creationism - how can she discuss diplomacy with people who've been claiming to be fighting over land longer than the Earth has been in existence?

She's absolutely right-wing anti-abortion. I'm not wildly pro-choice, but no way in hell would I force a rape victim to have a baby...you can reduce abortions without resorting to cruelty.

and then it comes out that she was flirting with some tinfoil-hat secessionist party that her husband belonged to.

But worse, it's caused grave doubts about McCain's ability to lead in my mind. The only consolation I'm trying to cling to is that this is his revenge on a party that wouldn't let him take the moderate role - that he's setting the republicans up to failure, and then he and Lieberman will run off and start an independent party.

They have to come right out and tell me that after the election - otherwise I'll never look at McCain again.

Out of all the choices they could have picked...

[Southoc]

Hey, sounds like sauce for the goose. She is fair game.

[Southoc]

Hey, I guess all the abstinence training didn't work.

[Maria]

The first thing that came to mind when I saw McCain's running mate was "he's trying to get the women voters who wanted Hilary in office." Of course I'm not the only one who thinks that way. Why else would he pick such an unqualified and inexperienced candidate as Palin? While I believe her personal life is just that "personal", you can't help discuss it when she is running for one of the highest seats in the nation. Like many have said, if this were in the Democrat's camp, you know the Republicans would be having a field day with it. Sorry, this lady is just not qualified to step up and be Commander in Chief if need be. OBAMA/BIDEN 2008!!!!!!

[ar]

If you vote the McCain/Palin ticket, you get exactly what you deserve, just like the last 8 years of Bush. There's a small part of me that hopes they win, because I do not think you people deserve better.

As for me, I decided not to have children (thank GOD) so I don't have that constant worry about the future and unlike most Americans, I have a comfortable amount of savings and will be fine unless our economy gets so bad that the US Dollar has no value whatsoever...and if that happens, then you all will go down with me!

[Southoc]

I can't stand either party right now.

We need to do something about the economy, Iraq, and unprotected borders. We have the Iranians flirting with the South Americans. Our foreign policy has made us look like idiots. Where are the real leaders of this country?

[Inquirer]

The elderly John McCain and his faltering Campaign hoped to somehow energize its base and pick up votes from women and independents in the appointment of Sarah Palin. The opposite has happened: The Democratic base was energized, many prospective women voters felt insulted and independents came streaming off the fence for Barack Obama.

[George]

So the same group who questioned the paternity of John McCain s adopted child takes the moral high road over Palin's pregnant daughter?

The Repubs made "Family values" the topic and now find themselves on their own playing field. What a shame.

[Anne W.]

I am tired of being called a sexist for supporting Obama. My issue is the war. I supported him over Clinton because she voted for it and never apologized or explained. Obama opposed it. I am horrified by Palin because she isn't qualified. Her record of personal power abuse in Alaska is far from encouraging. And I don't like religious fundamentalists, any religion--especially those that don't respect the US Bill of Rights.

I have voted for many female candidates for various elective offices, including Washington's current governor, Christine Gregoire. As far as I'm concerned, the sexists are the people who expect women to vote on the basis of gender.

[jamie]

The one sided liberal bashing machine, also known as the mainstream media, has crossed the line with the Palin family. These angry leftest nutjobs make Rush look fair and balanced.

[Sabrina]

Ok, so Bristol Palin is 17 and pregnant. So how EXACTLY does that effect national security or impact the environment? People need to be paying attention to the real issues in this election and not all the gossippy stuff. Sarah Palin as far as I'm concerned is NOT a good candidate because of her horrible stance on the environment. She is for oil drilling in Alaska, and she went so far as to try to not have the polar bear listed as an endangered species so that they can drill up there. She's also a rabid gun enthusiast who doesn't think it's wrong to hunt. Those should be your primary worries, not all that other stuff.

[dave]

it is obvious that the traditional republican core majority represented by the legitimate candidate, RON PAUL, would never support the neocon faction headed by mccain, that has hijacked the party and is attempting once more to hijack the government.
but when the delegates declare RON PAUL, who has suspended his campaign, the legitimate winner of the nomination, he can be expected not to decline but to accept the offer, for love of humanity and liberty, for the people, and for his country.

many people who support the legitimate republican candidate's constitutional message, have been following the events at RON PAUL's 'rally for the republic' attended by over 10,000 enthusiastic people.
obviously, the convention is not widely covered by the corporate media, but can be viewed on c-span and alternative media. and while the delegates are still deliberating at the near-empty excel center across the river where RON PAUL has been prohibited to address the dissident neocon faction and the delegates, by the 'heroic' mccain (and the neocons that have not yet deserted him), it seems there can only be one conclusion - which is for them to do as one of yesterday's speakers, dean wead put it, 'come home. come back.'

'today they want you to believe a patriot supports what the government wants - a true patriot supports liberty and the people,' said RON PAUL.

[Puciret]

This farce can't continue much longer. The thousands that marched, whether peacefully or destructively, at the RNC have gotten little if any coverage by the media. This only goes to show how much of MSM is controlled by Big Brother. The separation of Good protesters VS Bad protesters is inane. The fact that these people were UNNECESSARILY pepper sprayed and shot with rubber bullets along with being tear gassed is not only unethical but constitutionally wrong. Peaceful demonstrations took place at the DNC in Denver as expected. In the Twin Cities it seemed it was almost an unforgivable sin for Media coverage to be present and photograph what was obviously an attempt by the local, state and federal agencies to "preempt " any "unauthorized" photos of the demonstrations.
McCain and the RNC are nothing more than an attempt to continue 4 more years of the present administration. Palin is nothing more than an inroad to the Christian right and is obviously not Presidential material but will garner about 3.5 million more McCain votes. If Obama had picked Clinton as his running mate this would have never happened. People beware, if McCain wins this election you'll know that something is amiss and the EC along with Diebold( now Premier) have conspired to ignore the populist and further the aims of the Corporate deities.

[BTN]

Look what the New York Times editorial page said in 1984 about women candidates:

“Where is it written that only senators are qualified to become President?… Or where is it written that mere representatives aren’t qualified, like Geraldine Ferraro of Queens?… Where is it written that governors and mayors, like Dianne Feinstein of San Francisco, are too local, too provincial?… Presidential candidates have always chosen their running mates for reasons of practical demography, not idealized democracy…. What a splendid system, we say to ourselves, that takes little-known men, tests them in high office and permits them to grow into statesmen…. Why shouldn’t a little-known woman have the same opportunity to grow?… [T]he indispensable credential for a Woman Who [sic] is the same as for a Man Who [sic] – one who helps the ticket.”

Wow!!

[Freedom Eagle]

For the "Bridge to Nowhere" before she was against it:
http://www.andrewhalcro.com/the_bridge_to_somewhere

An image worth 1000 words:
http://www.andrewhalcro.com/files/FH000020.jpg

Reformer? Hardly.

Hypocrite? Definitely.

[mmga]

Allesandro hits it squarely and a foreign perspective. Thank you Allesandro for being so clear. We need to protect against the unqualified suddenly being in a position beyond their abilities, someone that needs to be coached to give a speech at the convention at least half as well as Michelle Obama delivered in Denver.

to MB: I am suggesting we revert back to an electoral process for both the VP and Prez but within the parties since the original process under Jefferson failed to recognize the dynamics of a Prez and VP of differing parties....

History of VP Selection Process:
The 1940 election is considered the beginning of the modern era of vice presidential selection, as before the 1940's precedent set by Franklin Delano Roosevelt the vice president was chosen by the party leaders and the presidential nominee was not involved in the decisions.

Under the original terms of the Constitution, the members of the U.S. Electoral College voted only for office of president rather than for both president and vice president. Each elector was allowed to vote for two people for the top office. The person receiving the greatest number of votes (provided that such a number was a majority of electors) would be president, while the individual who received the next largest number of votes became vice president. If no one received a majority of votes, then the U.S. House of Representatives would choose among the five highest vote-getters, with each state getting one vote. In such a case, the person who received the highest number of votes but was not chosen president would become vice president. If there were a tie for second, then the U.S. Senate would choose the vice president.

The original plan, however, did not foresee the development of political parties and their adversarial role in the government. In the election of 1796, for instance, Federalist John Adams came in first, and Democratic-Republican Thomas Jefferson came second. Thus, the president and vice president were from opposing parties. Predictably, Adams and Jefferson clashed over issues such as states' rights and foreign policy.

A greater problem occurred in the election of 1800, in which the two participating parties each had a secondary candidate they intended to elect as vice president, but the more popular Democratic-Republican party failed to execute that plan with their electoral votes. Under the system in place at the time (Article Two, Section 1, Clause 3), the electors could not differentiate between their two candidates, so the plan had been for one elector to vote for Thomas Jefferson but not for Aaron Burr, thus putting Burr in second place. This plan broke down for reasons that are disputed, and both candidates received the same number of votes. After 35 deadlocked ballots in the U.S. House of Representatives, Jefferson finally won on the 36th ballot and Burr became vice president.

This tumultuous affair led to the adoption of the Twelfth Amendment in 1804, which directed the electors to use separate ballots to vote for the president and vice president. While this solved the problem at hand, it ultimately had the effect of lowering the prestige of the vice presidency, as the office was no longer for the leading challenger for the presidency.

The separate ballots for President and Vice President became something of a moot issue later in the 19th century when it became the norm for popular elections to determine a state's Electoral College delegation. Electors chosen this way are pledged to vote for a particular presidential and vice-presidential candidate (offered by the same political party). So, while the Constitution says that the president and vice president are chosen separately, in practice they are chosen together.

If no vice presidential candidate receives an Electoral College majority, then the Senate selects the Vice President, in accordance with the United States Constitution. This is a curious anomaly since the sitting Vice President is also President of the Senate and would be called upon to break a tie vote, possibly for himself or his successor. The election of 1836 is the only election so far where the office of the Vice President has been decided by the Senate. During the campaign, President Martin Van Buren's running mate Richard Mentor Johnson was accused of having lived with a black woman. Virginia's 23 electors, who were pledged to Van Buren and Johnson, refused to vote for Johnson (but still voted for Van Buren). The election went to the Senate, where Johnson was elected, 33-17.

Residency limitations
The Constitution also prohibits electors from voting for both a presidential and vice presidential candidate from the same state as themselves. In theory, this might deny a vice presidential candidate with the most electoral votes the absolute majority required to secure election, even if the presidential candidate is elected, and place the vice presidential election in the hands of the Senate. In practice, this is rarely an issue, as parties avoid nominating tickets containing two candidates from the same state. In one notable case, former Wyoming congressman Dick Cheney had moved to Texas to serve as CEO of Halliburton Company, but reclaimed residency at his Wyoming home before accepting the 2000 GOP nomination for vice president, alongside presidential nominee and Texas governor George W. Bush.

Nominating process
The vice presidential candidates of the major national political parties are formally selected by each party's quadrennial nominating convention, following the selection of their presidential candidates. The official process is identical to the one by which the presidential candidates are chosen, with delegates placing the names of candidates into nomination, followed by a ballot in which candidates must receive a majority to secure the party's nomination. In practice, the presidential nominee has considerable influence on the decision, and in 20th century it became customary for that person to select a preferred running mate, who is then nominated and accepted by the convention. In recent years, with the presidential nomination usually being a foregone conclusion as the result of the primary process, the selection of a vice presidential candidate is often announced prior to the actual balloting for the presidential candidate, and sometimes before the beginning of the convention itself. Often, the presidential nominee will name a vice presidential candidate who will bring geographic or ideological balance to the ticket or appeal to a particular constituency. The vice presidential candidate might also be chosen on the basis of traits the presidential candidate is perceived to lack, or on the basis of name recognition. Popular runners-up in the presidential nomination process are commonly considered, to foster party unity.

The ultimate goal of vice presidential candidate selection is to help and not hurt the party's chances of getting elected. An overly dynamic selection can backfire by outshining the presidential candidate. A classic example of this came in 1988, when Democratic candidate Michael Dukakis chose experienced Texas Senator Lloyd Bentsen as his running mate.

The last presidential candidate to not name a vice presidential choice, leaving the matter up to the convention, was Democrat Adlai Stevenson in 1956. The convention chose Tennessee Senator Estes Kefauver over Massachusetts Senator (and later president) John F. Kennedy. At the tumultuous 1972 Democratic convention, presidential nominee George McGovern selected Senator Thomas Eagleton as his running mate, but numerous other candidates were either nominated from the floor or received votes during the balloting. Eagleton nevertheless received a majority of the votes and the nomination.

In cases where the presidential nomination is still in doubt as the convention approaches, the campaigns for the two positions may become intertwined. In 1976, Ronald Reagan, who was trailing President Gerald R. Ford in the presidential delegate count, announced prior to the Republican National Convention that, if nominated, he would select Senator Richard Schweiker as his running mate. This move backfired to a degree, as Schweiker's relatively liberal voting record alienated many of the more conservative delegates who were considering a challenge to party delegate selection rules to improve Reagan's chances.[citation needed] In the end, Ford narrowly won the presidential nomination and Reagan's selection of Schweiker became moot.

Just a little history, the conventions today seem to have lost the backbone to challenge the choice of the Presidential nominee

[tang]

So, the Republicans are going to have a bunch of well read, successful, businesswomen and politicians introduce an unqualified beauty queen for the 2nd highest office in the country?
I guess the irony escapes them ...
Unreal!

[rob]

I just listened to Romney's speeh. Republicans speeches are so hateful. And the chants of "USA" after every hate message is so Nazi like. What a turn off.

[Ian Home]

I just heard Mitt Romney say that John McCain will crush the evil islamic radicals. How barbaric and childish can a person get. How about we actually take a look at the US policies that cause people to hate us and want to fly planes into our buildings in the first place. As long as we elect warmongers things are only going to get worse.

[PNW Trojan]

The PARADE of the party FINGER PUPPETS! You 'got' my finger, fool!

[AngryMcCainFan]

Tell you what. I don't agree with Huckabee's policies either - but seriously, he does give good speeches, and he opened it with something approaching a nod to Barack Obama. And my god a republican telling a barely clapping audience that racism was a horrible thing made me happy.

[El Grande]

Check this out. Comments from a fellow Naval Academy Graduate and Vietnam POW. Good stuff:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_KjsEs46C70&eurl=http://mudflats.wordpress.com/

Also, MySpace photos of Trigs grandma http://grrl.wordpress.com/

And Alaska's newspaper attempt to cover up. Notice Palin's youngest daughter ages dramatically during 2006

http://www.daylife.com/photo/0e3e6f09xJ0PN
http://www.adn.com/photos/v-gallery/story/509850.html?/1521/gallery/509852-a509987-t3.html

[rj]

Trailer trash like Sarah Palin are a living insult to any person with moral integrity, intelligence and polite common sense...I fear for what her thinking and actions can do to the young minds of American youth...I can see (and hear) her rehashed, redneck BS coming a mile away - she speaks just like a card dealer at a Vegas casino reeling in the unsuspecting (and ignorant) customer - I only hope the young of America also see her for what she really is - a total scam in the guise of "tough woman"...she's nothing more than a semi street smart hustler who'll pick you're pocket while selling you everything you think you really "need".......its a frightening time for this country....

[lagirl]

Id like to think that the bigger war is the one we are facing here, in our country. economy, gas prices, food prices, everything going up in cost and yet we have to foot the bill.
as much as Id like to say that the war is important and we can't leave that behind, we got serious problems at home as well.