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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
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Jewish World Review
May 27, 2008
/ 22 Iyar 5768
Let the Veepstakes Begin
By
David Broder
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http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
With perfect timing, John McCain has signaled the opening of the vice presidential speculation season, just as the last dregs of suspense are being drained from the marathon presidential contest.
By inviting three of the hot prospects for his running mate to his Sedona, Ariz., ranch for a weekend barbecue-cum-audition, the Republican standard-bearer has given official sanction for journalists and politicians to start calculating who will occupy the second lines on all the ballots come November.
Conventional wisdom is that the objects of this guessing game hold only the briefest of interest to voters. Until the night of the traditional vice presidential debate, they receive almost no coverage in the campaign. Except for Lyndon Johnson in 1960 bringing comfort to Dixie, vice presidential candidates have almost no impact on the election.
So why bother?
In part, it's because everything else at this stage of the race seems so scripted. And it's also that in an era of remarkably close presidential contests, there is always a chance that an inspired or disastrous choice by the nominee will tip the balance.
I am permanently disqualified from attempting to guess the running mates. The only time I have ever been right was Spiro Agnew, and no one wants to risk a repetition of that calamity.
It was in an interview during the Oregon primary in 1968 that Richard Nixon floated the Maryland governor's name in a typically heavy-handed way, solely to nudge Agnew into an endorsement. Nixon then reminded other reporters at the GOP convention that he had made me the recipient of that leak.
Despite that sordid history, I am as addicted to the speculation as anyone. So, when the McCain campaign announced last week that he would be entertaining former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, Florida Gov. Charlie Crist and Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, my imagination cranked into overdrive.
These are three attractive politicians, young enough to balance McCain in age and geographically distant from his home state of Arizona. Romney earned his credentials by giving McCain his toughest challenge for the presidential nomination. Crist delivered a vital and timely endorsement. And Jindal, the youthful son of Indian immigrants, could be the Republican answer to Barack Obama.
But there are others. Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty and former Ohio congressman and Bush administration budget director Rob Portman have their backers. Still, given the low state of the Republican Party, McCain might want to take a bolder leap, bidding for independent votes with someone such as New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg or another business executive who could reinforce his reformer credentials.
What he probably cannot do is choose someone who would antagonize the conservative core of the party. His choice almost automatically has the inside track on the next nomination.
The guessing on Obama's No. 2 is really all over the lot, with the threshold question being whether the job must be offered to Hillary Clinton in order to keep peace at the convention. That looks like an unlikely partnership, but it would make sense for him to consider one of her prominent supporters, such as Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland or Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell.
Beyond that, many Democrats hope Obama will shore up his fragile national security credentials by picking someone who has worked prominently in that arena a defense maven and veteran such as Sen. Jack Reed of Rhode Island, or even a general.
Fortunately for Obama, the talent bank in the Democratic Party is at least as deep as on the Republican side, so he ought to be able to strengthen himself.
The real reason to focus on the vice presidential choices is what they tell us about the men at the top of the ticket. The clues are important, even if the winner is not.
As surprising as the McCain and Obama victories were in this year's nomination battles, they are no more so than Jimmy Carter's win in 1976. The distance that he traveled from Plains, Ga., to the White House was so vast as to look unimaginable. But Hamilton Jordan, his young political aide, imagined it and sketched the scenario that took him there. Jordan, who died last week, teamed with his buddy Jody Powell in an enterprise that was a political marvel, if not a governmental success. He left many good memories behind.
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.
To comment, please click here.
Previously:
05/19/08: The mental exercise of placing Obama in the Oval Office requires more imagination than did moving Reagan from the silver screen to Pennsylvania Ave.
05/15/08: For Obama, a Lost Moment
05/12/08: The price of delay
05/08/08: Phoniness and inevitability
05/05/08: Winning by destruction: An insider reveals the Hillary game plan
05/01/08: Candidates' high-mindedness is rooted in religiosity; but Hillary and McCain don't have hater as inspiration
© 2008, by WPWG
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