The Case for Meg Whitman

With all of this talk about Mitt Romney being the apparent running-mate in waiting for John McCain, I just wanted to make my case for someone else. It’s not that I wouldn’t supporter Governor Romney if he was the person on the ticket; it’s just that I think there is a better fit for McCain, not to mention the unity of the Republican Party. If I had my way, Senator McCain would pick Meg Whitman to be his running mate. In case you wondered why, I made a bulleted list of pros and cons.

PROS

· She knows the economy: She is the former President and CEO of EBay and one of America’s most successful business leaders. The appeal of Romney’s economic experience is also fulfilled in a Whitman pick. She was his economic advisor, after all.

· Many women would be drawn to vote for the first female Vice President in US history.

· She is not part of the Washington culture. A true outsider for true change would be enticing to people craving change, but still wanting correct judgment and perspective in a leader. Especially now that Senator Obama has gone with Joe Biden (the epitome of a Washington Insider), the argument that a McCain-Whitman ticket is true change would be easy to make.

· By choosing someone other than Huckabee or Romney, both men will feel that they have a strong future in the party (and a potential second shot at the White House later). This way, both groups of supporters can get behind the ticket without any hard feelings.

CONS

· We don’t know her views on abortion. The base of the party has made it clear to Senator McCain that anything but a pro-life running-mate would be met with significant disapproval and could singlehandedly keep him from winning in November.

· We know very little about her private life. According to all the sources I was able to read, she is single. That has been a point of interest for other single females in high office (i.e.: Condoleezza Rice).

· We don’t know if she can fill the role of “attack dog” strongly enough to combat the hurricane that is the wind that cometh from Joe Biden’s mouth.

From where I sit (far away from Washington, D.C. and from the decision makers in the McCain camp), I see the pros as a much stronger list than the cons. I think that choosing Whitman would generate extraordinary interest in McCain and would bring swing voters to his side come Election Day. Imagine the coverage the McCain campaign would get out from the mainstream press if he picked her!

The cons cannot be ignored; but I really do hope that as I write this, the McCain camp is vetting her to determine the unknowns that fill the list. If she passes through that as a viable option, I think Whitman is the right choice for this campaign.

This election season has told us that this country is primed for a change. Now that Obama has failed to deliver that change in his running mate, I say that it’s the perfect time for McCain to do it.

-Andrew Jones

Mitt Romney drops out

Mitt Romney has left the race. He “suspended” his campaign for the presidency today at the CPAC conference. Let’s have a read:

"If this were only about me, I'd go on. But it's never been only about me. I entered this race because I love America, and because I love America, in this time of war I feel I have to now stand aside for our party and for our country."

I must say that I am very surprised by this. I will not lie and say I am even a little bit sad about it, but I am amazed by the timing and humble mood of the governor’s speech. He concluded his campaign with more dignity than he ran it and for that he should be applauded.

Let’s go Mac!

-Andrew Jones

McCain wins Florida!

Well, my friends, I can sleep easier tonight. The far-right loons like Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity do not own, control or dominate the Republican Party! John McCain is the winner of Florida Republican Primary and is the current delegate leader in the race for the nomination.

This primary was a Republican-only affair. For the politically inept, this was an election where only registered Republicans can win. So much for McCain not being able to win an establishment election. It was also a winner take all primary where all 57 delegates go to McCain!

Also, take note that McCain beat Romney among voters who identified the economy as the most important issue facing voters. So much for the big business candidate being the choice for people worried about loosing their jobs and making less money.

If the reports turn out to be true, Rudy Giuliani will be dropping out of the race and endorsing Senator John McCain tomorrow morning. How amazing. A more “establishment candidate” choosing McCain over the country club bred, silver spoon Romney.

I am spectacularly optimistic now that the tide is clearly turning towards a McCain nomination and another term of a Republican President. However, Romney has the ego, the desire and the means to make this a hard and bitter fight. We must remember to never call anything before the rhetorical fat lady sings. We must remember also, that at the end of the day, Romney supporters, and even Willard Romney himself, are on our side in the general election and regardless of which camp get the nod, we must unite to defeat the liberal candidate.

Tonight we dance, tomorrow we get back to fighting,

Thank you for reading,
Please continue to support John McCain
God Bless,

Andrew Jones

Michigan, what happened?

As all of us are painfully and extensively aware, former Governor Romney won the Michigan Primary election today. Hats off to him. It’s not in good taste to harp on the fact that it is his true home state, or the fact that it took a very substantial chunk of his own personal fortune to accomplish what should have been a relatively easy feat, so I won’t do that.

What I will do, however, is take note of several interesting things.

First of all, the independents and moderate democrats that make up the dynamic of the general elections in this country stayed home. They didn’t show up to vote for McCain as some thought they would, and they didn’t show up to vote for or against Hillary Clinton. These were conservative Republicans voting. Now, that sounds great to hardliners, like Hugh Hewitt and Rush Limbaugh, but it spells doom for Republicans in November. Rush, you can huff, you can puff, but you won’t be able to blow the general electorate back to the far right after eight years of George W. Bush. I wish you could, but get real.

Secondly, take note that exit polls indicate the overwhelming majority of voters in Michigan found the economy to be the most important issue when they made their decision. Therefore, it would be understandable that voters concerned about the economy would vote for the candidate who has the most experience dealing with it. However, notice two things; A) It is exceedingly wealthy Harvard MBA’s like Romney that outsourced the vast majority of their jobs in the first place and B) Someone with as much education and experience in economics as Romney knows full well that senator McCain is right when he said that some jobs simply won’t be returning. Honestly, it’s downright disingenuous to make any claims otherwise. But, with people wanting to hear it and with Romney desperate for a win, he was willing to sell the people of Michigan a bill of goods in exchange for their vote. This is just one more example of Romney going against common sense and truthfulness. His slick hair now seems to be a mere analogy to his political prowess.

I also want to mention something Fox New’s Carl Cameron reported. The campaign managers for the McCain and Romney campaigns had reached an agreement by phone that Senator McCain would be allowed to make his complete remarks before former Governor Romney gave his victory speech. However, less than a minute into McCain’s speech, Romney began his, causing all major media outlets to switch to cover his speech instead of McCain’s. While this is a sneaky and cunning political maneuver with which I would ordinarily have no problem, his campaign had entered into agreement with another to not do just that. The fact that he made and broke an agreement marks a new low in the total lack of class and decency exhibited by Romney in the more desperate moments of his campaign. Even die-hard Romney supporters should be upset that their candidate made himself look like a back stabber on national television. This cannot help the Republican Party in any way, as the liberal media will make sure to mention it over and over again in their post-primary “analysis”.

My friends, it should be very clear to anyone who has read anything I’ve written lately that I am in no way a supporter of former Governor Romney. I don’t like his attitudes, his campaign tactics, his style or his personality. I don’t think he will be appealing to the general electorate. I don’t think he can beat a Democrat in this election. I don’t think he can solve our economic worries. I don’t think he fully believes in the hardline conservative positions he once rejected and now supports. I don’t think he has any concept of what it takes to act in the realm of foreign policy and I don’t think he has the military understanding to keep us safe from a dynamic and evil threat.

With all those things said, I will support and fight like hell for former Governor Romney if he is the Republican nominee because this election is measured in scales of greys, not black and white. There is no amazing conservative candidate to embrace, and even if there were, the pragmatist would see that there is no way our country would elect him or her. America cannot afford to elect a Democratic President. We cannot allow the ideals of the femi-Nazis and the liberal fascists to hold the weight of the office of Commander in Chief. And we certainly cannot allow the anti-Capitalist policies of any of the Democratic candidates to be implemented. I believe Senator John McCain is the best man to fend off t he threat of these liberals, not to mention the evil Jihadists who would like nothing better than to see a President Obama or another President Clinton.

With Michigan a discouraging sign in the rear-view mirror on the long road to the White House, I, like all McCain supporters, look with hope to South Carolina and Florida, where the message Senator McCain so honestly delivers has more days to shine.

Thank you all for reading,
Please support Senator McCain,
God Bless,

Andrew Jones