Comments on: What if George Allen…who’s George Allen? http://www.logipundit.com/2008/02/what-if-george-allenwhos-george-allen.html A Bastion of Reason Fri, 21 Nov 2008 20:40:58 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: jhuber http://www.logipundit.com/2008/02/what-if-george-allenwhos-george-allen.html#comment-4533 jhuber Thu, 14 Feb 2008 17:42:30 +0000 http://www.logipundit.com/2008/02/what-if-george-allenwhos-george-allen.html#comment-4533 Sorry, I didn't check with my red state contacts at the time. Sorry, I didn’t check with my red state contacts at the time.

]]> By: wdporter http://www.logipundit.com/2008/02/what-if-george-allenwhos-george-allen.html#comment-4529 wdporter Thu, 14 Feb 2008 16:15:04 +0000 http://www.logipundit.com/2008/02/what-if-george-allenwhos-george-allen.html#comment-4529 Again...a State where a Republican is unlikely to be a real player in a General Election in which all (or most) of the States are "winner-take-all"... But I see your point. Honestly, George Allen is much better off not being in the Senate if he runs...especially given the fact that McCain needs executive balance as much as he needs regional or topical balance. George is better off appealing to voters based on Gubernatorial experience and forgetting he was ever part of the "Washington Establishment." Again…a State where a Republican is unlikely to be a real player in a General Election in which all (or most) of the States are “winner-take-all”…

But I see your point. Honestly, George Allen is much better off not being in the Senate if he runs…especially given the fact that McCain needs executive balance as much as he needs regional or topical balance. George is better off appealing to voters based on Gubernatorial experience and forgetting he was ever part of the “Washington Establishment.”

]]> By: jhuber http://www.logipundit.com/2008/02/what-if-george-allenwhos-george-allen.html#comment-4527 jhuber Thu, 14 Feb 2008 15:23:06 +0000 http://www.logipundit.com/2008/02/what-if-george-allenwhos-george-allen.html#comment-4527 I know people in NY who had heard about the macaca thing, so the story certainly traveled beyond our borders. I know people in NY who had heard about the macaca thing, so the story certainly traveled beyond our borders.

]]> By: wdporter http://www.logipundit.com/2008/02/what-if-george-allenwhos-george-allen.html#comment-4500 wdporter Wed, 13 Feb 2008 03:48:23 +0000 http://www.logipundit.com/2008/02/what-if-george-allenwhos-george-allen.html#comment-4500 I don't know how national that attention really was...but I will say I'm a little cynical about whether it really matters. The way McCain drops names and parades around his endorsements...I'm not sure his campaign really has caught on to how little that helps him. I'm indeed convinced that McCain definitely needs to stop pretending that he doesn't need help with Southern Conservatives. This is why almost every Southern Republican Governor since Reconstruction is lining up like it's an American Idol competition to be the VP contender. This includes of course George Allen...and I think he'd be a viable candidate and I doubt seriously that his Senate loss would be a factor. I'm actually leaning towards Sanford...but who knows. There is one Governor who has proven some interstate Southern skills, but he might not be the right choice for a variety of reasons. I wish it was 2012, though. I would certainly push for Bobby Jindal. He needs to have a full term or two as Governor, first, though. I don’t know how national that attention really was…but I will say I’m a little cynical about whether it really matters.

The way McCain drops names and parades around his endorsements…I’m not sure his campaign really has caught on to how little that helps him.

I’m indeed convinced that McCain definitely needs to stop pretending that he doesn’t need help with Southern Conservatives. This is why almost every Southern Republican Governor since Reconstruction is lining up like it’s an American Idol competition to be the VP contender. This includes of course George Allen…and I think he’d be a viable candidate and I doubt seriously that his Senate loss would be a factor.

I’m actually leaning towards Sanford…but who knows. There is one Governor who has proven some interstate Southern skills, but he might not be the right choice for a variety of reasons.

I wish it was 2012, though. I would certainly push for Bobby Jindal. He needs to have a full term or two as Governor, first, though.

]]> By: jhuber http://www.logipundit.com/2008/02/what-if-george-allenwhos-george-allen.html#comment-4494 jhuber Wed, 13 Feb 2008 02:31:48 +0000 http://www.logipundit.com/2008/02/what-if-george-allenwhos-george-allen.html#comment-4494 It's not that Allen didn't have a lot to say. He had plenty, but he ran to the left of Webb. And he ran a very negative campaign as though he was trying to bring down an incumbent, rather than running on his own record which is quite good. At the same time, while I don't think that "macaca" alone brought down his candidacy, it did hurt a lot in the sense that that was all the local media talked about and asked him about. He could have showed up to a press conference wearing a dress and high heels and the media still would've been asking about "macaca". Plus this may be a matter of splitting hairs, but from talking to different people involved with the Allen campaign, I didn't detect a sense of entitlement to win, but certainly an expectation to win. Now, having said all that, here's a corollary to the what iffing... what do you think of Allen as a VP running mate for McCain? On the one hand I think he would be very capable to take over as prez, he's got the conservative credentials that will help assuage the GOP base. But on the other hand, does someone who just lost an election provide a boost to a campaign? Especially when George Allen has gotten national attention with the whole macaca thing? It’s not that Allen didn’t have a lot to say. He had plenty, but he ran to the left of Webb. And he ran a very negative campaign as though he was trying to bring down an incumbent, rather than running on his own record which is quite good.

At the same time, while I don’t think that “macaca” alone brought down his candidacy, it did hurt a lot in the sense that that was all the local media talked about and asked him about. He could have showed up to a press conference wearing a dress and high heels and the media still would’ve been asking about “macaca”.

Plus this may be a matter of splitting hairs, but from talking to different people involved with the Allen campaign, I didn’t detect a sense of entitlement to win, but certainly an expectation to win.

Now, having said all that, here’s a corollary to the what iffing… what do you think of Allen as a VP running mate for McCain? On the one hand I think he would be very capable to take over as prez, he’s got the conservative credentials that will help assuage the GOP base. But on the other hand, does someone who just lost an election provide a boost to a campaign? Especially when George Allen has gotten national attention with the whole macaca thing?

]]>