
 |
|
February 10, 2012
Lisa M. Krieger: Man with defibrillator demands access to his own heart's information
David G. Savage: Why activists may not be in a hurry to have High Court rule on alternative marriage
February 9, 2012
Laura McMullen: 10 Least Expensive Public Schools for Out-of-State Students
Kimberly Palmer: How to actually enjoy -- relaxing, financially -- your vacation
February 8, 2012
Warren Richey: Why momentous Prop. 8 ruling might not satisfy gay-rights groups
Menachem Wecker: Though Controversial, LL.M.'s Can Lead to Specialized Legal Jobs
The Kosher Gourmet byDana Velden: Going to the bother of making soup? You know it better be good. This CREAM OF TOMATO SOUP certainly is! And it's a cinch to make, too (Includes techinques and serving secrets)
February 7, 2012
Frank J. Gaffney, Jr.: Caught off-guard? President's Super Bowl interview with Matt Lauer gives those who need a reason not to vote for him, a darn good one
Suzanne Bohan: Leaping lizards! Tiny reptiles advancing robot design
February 6, 2012
Jonathan Tobin: Iran Threatens Israel With Destruction, But the New York Times Doesn't Hear It
Jeffrey Fleishman: In newly democratic Egypt, tens of democracy activists jailed, to stand trial; their groups are 'threatening the stability of the homeland'
Julie Deardorff : Researchers say antioxidants may not be that effective and could do more harm than good
Mark Clayton: How did Anonymous hackers eavesdrop on FBI and Scotland Yard?
February 3, 2012
Edmund Sanders : Israeli official says Iran is creating missile that could reach East Coast of US
Victoria Kim: Immigrant-smuggling ring used black drivers to avoid racial profiling
February 2, 2012
Jim Carney: Wrong number call may have saved her life
Reza Kahlili : Ex-CIA spy in Iran's Revolutionary Guard: What Obama doesn't grasp about striking deals with Tehran
Tina Susman: For woodchuck rescuer, every day is Groundhog Day
February 1, 2012
Brian Bennett: US officials see increasing threat of domestic attack from Iran
Emily Brandon: How to Take Advantage of New 401(k) Fee Disclosures
January 31, 2012
January 30, 2012
Paul Richter and Ramin Mostaghim: Misreading Teheran's limits -- deadly and economically devastating as they may be -- is a risk administration, Europe seem willing to take
Suzanne Bohan: Warning: Nap-deprived tots missing more than sleep, study finds
Meg Handley: Banks Revamping Rewards Programs to Woo Customers
January 27, 2012
Caroline B. Glick: Obama: Of course I intend to prevent a nuclear holocaust . . . in a few months
Yochonon Donn: In liberal New York City, fervently-Orthodox Jews may soon be getting a district to call their own
Jeannine Stein: An inflated ego and thinking you're 'all that' doesn't just make others sick of you, it can make you ill
Katy Hopkins: New budget rules may affect how much money you get for college
January 26, 2012
Ed Koch: To the New York Times, calling for the murder of Jews by those capable of having their incitement taken seriously isn't news
Jeannine Stein: Mental illness struck one in five U.S. adults in 2010: Report
January 25, 2012
Richard Simon: House passes two bills endorsing the use of religious symbols at military memorials
Fred Weir: Putin: Multiethnic Russia cannot survive as a US-style 'melting pot'; must find its own way
Susan Johnston: 5 Sneaky Coupon Strategies Consumers Should Watch Out For
January 24, 2012
Carol Clark: The price of your soul: How your brain decides whether to 'sell out'
Caroline B. Glick: America lost most in 'Arab Spring'. Sadly, many voters still don't grasp the extent
Warren Richey: Drug criminal scores win in GPS ruling from conservative-leaning high court
Erika Bolstad: Black conservatives gather to talk about gaining strength
January 23, 2012
Melissa Dribben: Jewish voters to play a key role in Florida's Republican primary
Jordan Rau: In quest to grow, Catholic hospital system will announce this morning its break from church
Ali Safi: U.S. envoy gives Taliban terms for peace talks
January 19, 2012
January 18, 2012
January 17, 2012
Frank J. Gaffney Jr.: No-kidding red lines: U.S. response to an Iranian nuke may be bluster, but Israel's won't be
David G. Savage: They sued their principals after slandering them online --- now the cases are headed to the Supreme Court
David Francis: Where to Invest in 2012: With stocks expected to rebound, opportunity abounds for investors
January 13, 2012
Ben Lynfield: Israeli lawmakers move to annex Jewish Judea, one museum at a time
Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz: Thriving through touch: Gentle massage helps older people with low mobility improve in mind and body
January 12, 2012
Warren Richey: Landmark Supreme Court ruling a 'resounding win' for religious groups
Warren Richey: Supreme Court says no to new rule on eyewitness testimony
John Fauber : Statins found to raise diabetes risk in postmenopausal women
Katy Hopkins : Consider This Before You Pay for an Online Degree
The Kosher Gourmet by Joseph Erdos: This mushroom and barley soup has an intense -- almost nutty -- flavor that mixes robust with Middle East. It has creaminess without cream
January 11, 2012
Shari Roan: Millions of atrial fibrillation sufferers at risk for devastating, but preventable, stroke
Tom Hussain: Pakistan -- recipient of more than $21 billion in civilian and military aid -- speeds pursuit of Iranian pipeline, defying US
David G. Savage: High court signals it won't be loosening TV's 'indecency' rules
Stephen Ceasar: Oklahoma's Islamic law amendment can't go into effect, court rules
January 10, 2012
Reza Kahlili: From an ex-CIA spy: US must exploit new split in Iran's Revolutionary Guard
Karen Kaplan: Study: Nicotine replacement products ineffective when used in real-life situations
January 9, 2012
Michael Doyle: Put through legal hell over dream home, couple fought back hard --- all the way to Supreme Court
|
| |
Jewish World Review
May 21, 2008
/ 16 Iyar 5768
The perfect veep who'd never be president
By
Jack Kelly
| >
|
|
|
|
http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
Imagine the election this fall as a gigantic Democratic primary in which
independents and Republicans can cross over. I suspect this is how John McCain is
looking at it.
Sen. McCain is running for president de facto as an independent. This gives
conservatives heartburn, but considering the parlous state of the Republican brand
these days, it's probably wise.
The three biggest obstacles between Sen. McCain and the White House are:
(1) President Bush. He's the most unpopular president in the history of polling, a
drag on GOP candidates everywhere.
(2) The Republican label. In a poll taken for NBC and the Wall Street Journal in
March, voters preferred a generic Democrat over a generic Republican by 13
percentage points.
(3) His age. Sen. McCain will be 72 in August. If elected, he'd be the oldest
first term president in history (Ronald Reagan was 69).
The more swing voters view Sen. McCain as independent, the more likely they are to
choose between him and Sen. Obama on the basis of the major differences between
them on issues, or on their characters, or on their experience, all of which work
to Sen. McCain's advantage.
And by stressing his independence, Sen. McCain undermines one of Sen. Obama's
campaign themes. Sen. Obama has presented himself as a reformer who would reach
across party lines. But he's never actually done it. Sen. McCain has. In a
"where's the beef?" contest, Sen. Obama is tofu.
The downside is that conservatives unhappy with Sen. McCain will grow more
disenchanted. He could lose on the right as many votes as he gains in the center.
To walk this tightrope successfully will require a diplomacy Sen. McCain has yet to
exhibit, and a wisdom and maturity conservatives have yet to display.
Sen. McCain needs to recognize that he cannot win the election without the support
of conservatives, so he ought not gratuitously to insult them.
Conservatives need to recognize Sen. McCain is greatly preferable to Sen. Obama on
most of the issues dear to our hearts, and worse on none of them.
Conservatives also should understand that to win in the poisonous atmosphere this
year, Sen. McCain needs the votes of many people who are not fond of Republicans.
We must give him a little latitude in seeking them.
Since I think man-made global warming is a hoax, I'm not pleased that Sen. McCain
has embraced it. But according to a focus group conducted by HCD Research and the
Muhlenberg College Institute of Public Opinion, the ad that Sen. McCain made to
explain his position has a profound effect on Democrats. Before being shown the ad,
47 percent of Democrats thought Barack Obama had the best plan on global warming.
After viewing the ad, only 37 percent thought so.
Sen. McCain's "cap and trade" plan would be unnecessarily burdensome to our economy.
But it would be less harmful than what Sen. Obama plans to do. And if it's what it
takes to win the war on terror, keep activist judges from subverting democracy, and
prevent a massive income tax hike, it's a price I'm willing to pay.
Running as an independent doesn't help Sen. McCain with his age, but what he can do
about his age problem can reinforce his independent credentials.
There are down sides to stating explicitly he intends only to serve a single term.
But Sen. McCain should make this strongly implicit.
Imagine you're a Hillary Clinton supporter (or Hillary herself). You'd still like
to see Hillary in the White House. You know that isn't going to happen this year,
and that it isn't going to happen in 2016. Hillary's only chance to win is in 2012,
and that's only if Sen. Obama loses this year. If Sen. McCain signals he only plans
to serve one term, that could be a reason for Hillary supporters to stay home, or to
cross over, on election day.
Sen. McCain could burnish his independent credentials by selecting Sen. Joe
Lieberman as his running mate.
If he were to select either former Massachussetts Gov. Mitt Romney or former
Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, he'd annoy supporters of the other, because they see
each others as rivals should Sen. McCain lose this year, or choose not to seek
re-election, and they don't want their rival to have the leg up the vice
presidential nomination would provide.
Sen. Lieberman poses no such problem, because as a Democrat, he knows the GOP
wouldn't ever nominate him for president. The field would be clear for both parties
in 2012. Making that clear could provide Sen. McCain the boost he needs to be
elected president in 2008.
Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes what many in the media and Washington consider "must-reading". Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here.
JWR contributor Jack Kelly, a former Marine and Green Beret, was a
deputy assistant secretary of the Air Force in the Reagan
administration. Comment by clicking here.
Jack Kelly Archives
© 2008, Jack Kelly
|
|

Arnold Ahlert
Mitch Albom
Jay Ambrose
Michael Barone
Barrywood
Tony Blankley
Lori Borgman
Stratfor Briefing
Mona Charen
Linda Chavez
Richard Z. Chesnoff
Ann Coulter
Greg Crosby
Alan Douglas
Larry Elder
Suzanne Fields
Frank J. Gaffney
Bernie Goldberg
Jonah Goldberg
Julia Gorin
Jonathan Gurwitz
Paul Greenberg
Argus Hamilton
Victor Davis Hanson
Betsy Hart
Ron Hart
Nat Hentoff
Marybeth Hicks
David Horowitz
Jeff Jacoby
Renee James
Paul Johnson
Jack Kelly
Ed Koch
Ch. Krauthammer
Michael Ledeen
John Leo
David Limbaugh
Kathryn Lopez
Rich Lowry
Michelle Malkin
Jackie Mason
Ann McFeatters
Dale McFeatters
Dana Milbank
Jeanne Moos
Dick Morris
Jim Mullen
Deroy Murdock
Judge A. Napolitano
Bill O'Reilly
Kathleen Parker
Star Parker
Dennis Prager
Wesley Pruden
Tom Purcell
Sharon Randall
Robert Robb
Cokie & Steve Roberts
Heather Robinson
Pat Sajak
Debra J. Saunders
Martin Schram
Culture Shlock
David Shribman
Roger Simon
Michael Smerconish
Thomas Sowell
Ben Stein
Mark Steyn
John Stossel
Cal Thomas
Dan Thomasson
Bob Tyrrell
Ben Wattenberg
Diana West
Dave Weinbaum
George Will
Walter Williams
Byron York
ZeitGeist
Mort Zuckerman

Robert Arial
Chuck Asay
Baloo
Chip Bok
Dry Bones
Lisa Benson
John Branch
John Cole
J. D. Crowe
John Deering
Brian Duffy
Everything's Relative
Mallard Fillmore
Glenn Foden
Jake Fuller
Bob Gorrel
Joe Heller
David Hitch
Jerry Holbert
Lee Judge
Steve Kelley
Jeff Koterba
Dick Locher
Jimmy Margulies
Rick McKee
Michael Ramirez
Kevin Siers
Jeff Stahler
Ed Stein
Danna Summers
John Trever
Gary Varvel
Kirk Walters

Mr. Know-It-All
Dr. Peter Gott
GET A JOB! by Marty Nemko
Richard Lederer
Frugal Living
Tech Maven
On Nutrition
Bookmark These
Bruce Williams
|