John McCain: I Didn’t Pick Romney Because ‘Sarah Palin Was The Better Candidate’
Source: TPM
Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) defended Mitt Romney from Democratic speculation that he passed on him as a 2008 running mate after reviewing his tax returns, saying Sarah Palin was simply the better choice at the time.
McCain called the tax claims outrageous and disgraceful in an interview with Politico Tuesday. He said he chose Palin 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, McCain said. Why didnt I? Because we had a better candidate, the same way with all the others.
Come on, why? Thats a stupid question.
Former McCain adviser Steve Schmidt told the Huffington Post this week that the campaign was primarily concerned Romneys vast wealth would make the ticket difficult to sell to average Americans, but didnt believe Romneys taxes were a liability.
-snip-
Read more: http://2012.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/07/john-mccain-sarah-palin-romney-vp.php
Much as Romney must have wanted McCain to say his tax returns wouldn't have been a liability, he CAN'T be happy about Sarah Palin being described as a "better candidate."
Re what Steve Schmidt told the Huffington Post -- Schmidt himself never saw the tax returns.
Link to that HuffPo article:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/16/mitt-romney-tax-returns-n_n_1677556.html
NoGOPZone
(2,971 posts)savalez
(3,517 posts)cindyperry2010
(846 posts)very well
progressivebydesign
(19,458 posts)what does that say about Romney?? Palin was pretty much laughed on the political stage, and he's saying she's BETTER than Romney?
Oh... they keep delivering for the Democrats every time they open their mouths.
KurtNYC
(14,549 posts)Wow.
TBF
(32,111 posts)and should be played over & over.
maddezmom
(135,060 posts)dixiegrrrrl
(60,010 posts)the tone deafness is astounding.
global1
(25,285 posts)hmmmmmm.......
maddezmom
(135,060 posts)Arkansas Granny
(31,535 posts)to be a better candidate.They certainly didn't raise the bar very high.
ProudToBeBlueInRhody
(16,399 posts)LOL.
Happyhippychick
(8,379 posts)[link:|
AsahinaKimi
(20,776 posts)If according to McCain, that Palin was the "better Candidate", then why is Palin not running for President?
Easy Answer could be:
1. McCain is lying.
2. McCain is incompetent.
3. All the above ?
The Velveteen Ocelot
(115,900 posts)Mittens isn't going to like that: They didn't reject him in favor of Palin because there was something dodgy in his tax returns; they just felt Palin was the better candidate. I suppose ol' John was trying, in a thoroughly inept way, to defend Mittens by saying they didn't find anything bad in his tax returns - but it sure didn't come out very well.
Roland99
(53,342 posts)McCain is insane in the membrane!
truebrit71
(20,805 posts)...bah-dom-bom...
nolabear
(41,996 posts)sinkingfeeling
(51,482 posts)Hugabear
(10,340 posts)"Romney: Even McCain thinks he's worse than Palin."
graywarrior
(59,440 posts)Ikonoklast
(23,973 posts)Did McCain actually think that saying Mooselini was a better candidate than Mitt...IS A GOOD THING???
And this might actually HELP MITT?????!!!!?!
HAHAHAHAHAHAAAAA!!!!!
louis-t
(23,309 posts)"Don't help me, boy."
struggle4progress
(118,379 posts)Stop it, John! You're killin me
ismnotwasm
(42,020 posts)I'd accuse McCain of subtlety, but I really don't think that's the case
Deep13
(39,154 posts)Just to be clear, that brain-dead, lying, self-promoting, quitter is BETTER than Romney.
judesedit
(4,443 posts)indie_voter
(1,999 posts)CanonRay
(14,121 posts)Lex
(34,108 posts)I don't think that word means what they think it means.
magical thyme
(14,881 posts)Happy to know that you considered Sarah Palin a better candidate than Mitt Romney for VEEP.
In what universe does a failure to qualify even to run for a supporting role suggest one is qualified for the leading role?
If Mittens didn't make the cut for candidate VEEP in 2008 -- on the cusp of the financial collapse, no less -- then why in the world should we consider him for a higher office now?
What additional experience or knowledge launches him over Sarah and into your own role?
bemildred
(90,061 posts)I guess anything is better than talking about how the tax system reallly works.
Spider Jerusalem
(21,786 posts)Palin wasn't in any real or meaningful sense "the better candidate"; the reasons for her selection over Romney or anyone else had to do with a) throwing red meat to the nutcase right-wing GOP base and b) a pathetic attempt to neutralise the historic nature of Obama as the first black candidate nominated to the Presidency by a major party by having Palin be the second woman nominated by a major party (part of the harebrained calculus involved probably included the idea that Palin on the ticket might get some women voters who had been Clinton supporters in the primary, which is just...ridiculous really). Palin was only "the better candidate" in terms of calculated appeal to the base and as a balance to the perceived moderate McCain (let's not forget that if McCain himself had had his way Joe Lieberman would have been his running mate).
Rose Siding
(32,623 posts)Romney wasn't ready for the nationals.
Blue Meany
(1,947 posts)RC
(25,592 posts)And it ain't complementary.
GliderGuider
(21,088 posts)Jessy169
(602 posts)If McCain were to tell the truth, it would sound like this: "Look, we were desparate heading into the convention. Polling showed that there was no way in hell I could win without the T-Party vote, and my fuddy-duddy persona and my willingness to compromise with the Democrats was a major turnoff to the T-Party voters. I needed someone for VP who would energize that group of insane nitwits -- I mean, patriotic Americans. Clearly, Sarah Palin was just the crazy bitch, uh, fine candidate who could do that."
valerief
(53,235 posts)samsingh
(17,602 posts)Iliyah
(25,111 posts)So basically what McCain is saying that Mittens is less qualified cause we already know that Palin wasn't and still is not too bright - LOL
GliderGuider
(21,088 posts)Renew Deal
(81,883 posts)RDANGELO
(3,435 posts)Either McCain just threw Romney under the bus, or he is going senile
nichomachus
(12,754 posts)musiclawyer
(2,335 posts)Ad: will show verbatim transcript and pic of smiling McCain
Ending will be: " Even Staunch Republican ohn McCain think Sarah Palin is more qualified to be POTUS than Mitt Romney"
Pic of POTUS in the situation room: " I'm Barrack Obama and I approve of this message. "
SacoMaine61
(114 posts)magical thyme
(14,881 posts)Now I REALLY want to see Mittens 23 years of tax returns. All of them. All 5 million or however many pages.
Whatever is buried in there must be a DUzy.
Lucky Luciano
(11,264 posts)RobertEarl
(13,685 posts)First, McCain was the worst candidate ever. And why is he still alive?
Two, Sarah and Williard are equal, except that Sarah is a woman.
And third: We are gonna need a bigger bank account.
maddezmom
(135,060 posts)Zyzafyx
(124 posts)Romney=Fucked
DefenseLawyer
(11,101 posts)So that lukewarm endorsement carries a lot of weight.
bongbong
(5,436 posts)They'll be walking back McWrinkley's comment "Palin was better than R-money" as fast as A Boy Named Sue-Nu-Nu had to walk his back.
"What I meant to say is that I didn't want to have a VEEP who was richer than I was. Oh, wait, that doesn't help much, does it?"
nichomachus
(12,754 posts)bongbong
(5,436 posts)Believe it or not, snowmobile Snooki created more jobs in her state than R-money did in his.
Proof? Wasilla was number one in meth labs when she was mayor.
Response to highplainsdem (Original post)
Writely Wrong This message was self-deleted by its author.
barbtries
(28,815 posts)made me laugh out loud.
if it wasn't for the pathetic corporate media in this country the republicans would already be written off to history. i mean if palin OR romney can be considered "good" candidates for anything at all.
GeorgeGist
(25,324 posts)PSPS
(13,621 posts)Palin was the price McCain had to pay to get the thumper endorsement. It had nothing to do with Romney's tax returns.
mountain grammy
(26,659 posts)nothing left to say.. laughing too hard.