Off the Ridge? (Over) Examining McCain’s Vice Presidential Prospects
EmailABC News’ Bret Hovell Reports: Has Sen. John McCain scratched a top contender from his vice presidential short list?
McCain, R-Ariz., was asked Monday what he’d do in his first 90-days in the White House — a seemingly straightforward question that could be easily knocked down with a boilerplate response.
But the presumptive Republican nominee said he would "call Tom Ridge to Washington from whatever vacation he is taking and get him down there, and get him to work."
McCain and his wife Cindy dined with former Gov. Ridge, who also served as President George W. Bush’s first Homeland Security Secretary, on Sunday, fueling speculation that Ridge could be the Arizona’s vice presidential pick.
The line was, of course, meant to illicit applause from Ridge’s home-state crowd as the Republican pair toured a GE Transportation train plant in Erie, Penn.
But in these dog days of August as Veepstakes fever overtakes the national political press, could it be that McCain was saying something more?
It’s true in the silly season between a candidate’s nomination victory and crowning convention, every casual comment is scrutinized and handshake monitored — pundits looking for any sign of just who might take the second spot on the ticket.
But whether their events across the Keystone state were a sneak preview of a permanent McCain-Ridge roadshow or just a tease is open to interpretation.
"It’s always nice to bring a friend who will be the next president back home," Ridge told the crowd in his hometown of Erie. McCain smiled and returned the compliment but didn’t make any job offers — at least not yet.
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Well lets see if mccain picks ridge and he wins will we go back to those stupid color coded security things will ridge help mccain with his lies and fear mongering like he did bush???
Posted by: angie | August 11, 2008, 3:00 pm 3:00 pm
Tom Ridge would have been a better VP choice in 2000 for George Bush. He was a sitting governor and very popular in the state. Had George Bush picked Tom Ridge it might have been just enough to swing the state to the Bush column and negated the whole recount battle. This time around Tom Ridge has been out of the public eye for several years and his last post was in the now deeply unpopular Bush administration. It’s less likely Ridge could help Sen. McCain carry Pennsylvania so it might be better to pursue him for a cabinet position. Ridge is a good guy, and I hope he’ll be back in public service at the national level soon.
Posted by: Jill | August 11, 2008, 3:10 pm 3:10 pm
mccain also known as bomb bomb iran—exxon john the oil man–and now mccain the medium—he is a man of many names—but good at telling lies.
Posted by: rodney | August 11, 2008, 3:33 pm 3:33 pm
Atom – go read McCain’s statement from this morning and the Wikipedia article on Georgia. Its really pretty clear he did plagiarize from Wikipedia.
Posted by: Paul | August 11, 2008, 3:35 pm 3:35 pm
mccain tours plant in pa.—–is he planning to send it to columbia,his next nafta endever.i sure do not trust him.
Posted by: rodney | August 11, 2008, 3:36 pm 3:36 pm
And Atom, that’s not really a Mao quote, is it? I don’t remember hearing that before (not that I’m an expert on Mao quotes).
Is that real, or did you just make it up?
Posted by: Paul | August 11, 2008, 3:39 pm 3:39 pm
i wonder if nafta john asked anyone where the pa garment industry has gone.—he sure would not want to talk to me.many thousands of jobs lost to nafta.
Posted by: rodney | August 11, 2008, 3:48 pm 3:48 pm
MaCain has issued a statement calling for all our allies, including Czechoslovakia, to condemn the Soviet Union for its invasion of Georgia along the South Narnia – Pakistan border.
McCain told the PM of Georgia to call him anytime for advice since he knows how to win wars and that you win them by “winning”.
In other news:
MEMO TO TAIWAN:
Sorry of China decides to follow Russia’s lead in taking over a US ally. You see, our military is kinda busy in Iraq and Afghanistan, our budget is kinda busted, our Secretary of State is too busy buying shoes, our CIA is too busy listening to our own phone calls and our Commander in Chief is too distracted watching the Olympics. Sorry!
Posted by: beck | August 11, 2008, 3:48 pm 3:48 pm
Maybe McCain can ask Wikipedia to offer an even simpler, comic book version for his campaign.
You know, one in which the good guys are always good; the bad guys are always bad; the world can safely be viewed in such simplistic terms (and one with lots of cool pictures and not many words).
Posted by: Paul | August 11, 2008, 3:59 pm 3:59 pm
Paul
how do you know mccain used the computer maybe one of his aides did!!!
Posted by: angie | August 11, 2008, 4:01 pm 4:01 pm
Paul, Trust me. I used to memorize all his quotes from that red book back when I was 6 years old.
Posted by: Atom | August 11, 2008, 4:03 pm 4:03 pm
Angie – good point.
Atom – sorry, but I’ll need to see it to believe it. No offense Atom, but I’ve already reached the point of not being able to take anything a McCain supporter says for granted.
Posted by: Paul | August 11, 2008, 4:09 pm 4:09 pm
Obama is tied in Florida? I had no idea he had a shot there.
If Obama takes Florida, we could see an electoral landslide.
Posted by: Paul | August 11, 2008, 4:18 pm 4:18 pm
In the new survey, McCain has tripled his lead on the topic of immigration. He now has a 45% to 36% advantage over his Democratic opponent, up from a three-point lead two weeks ago.
Posted by: ObamasNemesis | August 11, 2008, 4:18 pm 4:18 pm
It’s so funny how Obama supporters Slam Bill Clinton. Everyone who supports Obama now were the same people who loved Bill Clinton back then…Barrack Obama is no Bill Clinton. Slam Bill all you want, but all of you wish your life was as good today as it was during those years.
And quit making references to John McCain and George W. Bush! Bush and his people all attacked McCain for being ‘mentally unstable’ and for being too liberal… and most republicans still don’t like him. It’s a tool that Obama uses every chance he gets, and most of you here either follow whatever he says- or are part of his campaign and post here to bolster the stupid.
Posted by: snipper | August 11, 2008, 4:21 pm 4:21 pm
…and still Obama leads by 210-165 in the electoral college.
You’d think with McCain doing so well, he ought to be ahead in a few more states, huh?
What happens when voters start paying attention, and realize as the media now is how the conventional wisdom about McCain was wrong – about his experience and knowledge…
Uh oh. McCain better develop something deeper than a Wikipedia understanding of the issues before those debates.
Posted by: Paul | August 11, 2008, 4:22 pm 4:22 pm
snipper: “Everyone who supports Obama now were the same people who loved Bill Clinton back then…”
And the folks supporting John McCain now are the same ones who were forwarding e-mails about how he was a hot head and mentally unstable eight years ago.
Maybe the Republicans were right about that one…
Posted by: Paul | August 11, 2008, 4:27 pm 4:27 pm
Ridge, the moron who brought us the color coded fear chart.
What were the colors?
How scared were YOU supposed to BE when Ridge said the color was ORANGE< RED, or Yellow?
ANY CLUE?
What a joke!
Posted by: Bruce Becker | August 11, 2008, 6:19 pm 6:19 pm
McCain’s big moment: On Letterman, he lied and said the IRAQI’s were responsible for the ANTHRAX attacks.
WMDs!!! To lie about such matters, to induce us to go to war, is a crime, and McCain is the ONE.
Guilty. You can see the video any time you want to.
Liar McCain, stirring us up to go to war, just like his boss Bush told him to do.
McCain said, I HAVE A SOURCE WHO KNOWS IT WAS THE IRAQI’s. Indeed. Both criminals. It was Americans working in Maryland, actually.
McCain never revealed the all-lying source. Bush will pardon them both soon. Othewise, McCain and his source are headed for 5 years in the Federal Penitentiary for false propaganda leading us to war.
Posted by: Bruce Becker | August 11, 2008, 6:24 pm 6:24 pm
yes, some people are bored with the public policy debate. 40% of registered voters stayed home in 2004. 10′s of millions are not registered and were not registered in 2004. Only 16% of DEMS under 26 yrs old, voted in the Texas primary. 13% of Republicans under 26 voted in the Texas primary.
Bush won in 2004 with 12.5% of the eligible adult population. Half either were not registered or did not bother to vote. Therefore, the fact that half the electorate have already reached their attention span is not news. They did not vote last time either. Few people really get beyond the name calling of liberal and warmonger to learn the details of the plans of the candidates.
I detest McCain’s health care plan because it will make me have to find a new provider at a much higher price, because I have existing conditions which all started a decade after I became a member of my current plan.
I prefer Obama because I am on social security and his tax plan will not require me to pay one cent of federal tax.
McCain’s tax plan provides $500K more to persons making $2.9 million or more than does Obama’s plan. Obama’s plan eliminates all tax on the 10 million people the feds define as under the poverty limit.
If you make under $250K, Obama will save you money on taxes. If you make over $250K McCain will save you a fortune.
Posted by: Bruce Becker | August 11, 2008, 6:35 pm 6:35 pm
It is very important who the VP is on the McCain ticket.
I can hold my nose for John BUT the VP may be a deal breaker.
Obuma can never get my vote, do not care who he picks, as moot as he.
Posted by: HP Boston | August 12, 2008, 10:47 am 10:47 am
The best VP candidate for McCain is Governor Sarah Palin!
McCain/Palin 08!
http://www.palinforamerica.com
Posted by: Paul007ex | August 12, 2008, 7:53 pm 7:53 pm
I voted for Huckabee, and I plan to vote for McCain. Whatever he does with his pick, I think it’s important to remember why they call him:
The Maverick
Dr BLT
words and music by Dr BLT copyright 2008
http://www.drblt.net/music/MaverickDemo2.mp3
Posted by: Bruce | August 21, 2008, 6:01 pm 6:01 pm