Archive for the 'Democratic convention' Category
August 29th, 2008, 2:17 pm by Dena Bunis, Washington Bureau Chief
 Rep. John Campbell thought John McCain might just pull a surprise when it came to his vice presidential pick.
Campbell, R-Irvine, said in speeches he’s given this summer he has been asked about who McCain would pick as his running mate. After he went through the usual suspects he would say: “Let’s remember John McCain likes to surprise people. He likes to go where people don’t like him to go. That’s part of his maverick brand. I wouldn’t be surprised if he picked somebody not on any of our radar screens.”
And Sarah Palin was not on Campbell’s radar screen.
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Posted in: Democratic convention • McCain • Presidential election • Republican convention • John Campbell | 1 Comment »
August 29th, 2008, 1:17 pm by Dena Bunis, Washington Bureau Chief
 Rep. Ed Royce isn’t sure he can take the credit for John McCain picking Sarah Palin for his running mate. But he sure has been urging the Arizona senator’s campaign advisors to.
“I’ve been pushing this,’’ Royce, R-Fullerton, said in a call today. “We need proven reformers in government and I’m very relieved by this decision.’’
Royce, who at one time co-chaired the Pork Busters Coalition with McCain, is especially thrilled with the way as governor, Palin went after the so-called “bridge to nowhere” in Alaska and that she stood up to the powerful Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens to keep it from being built in her state.
“She’s someone who wasn’t afraid to blow the whistle on violations and conflicts of interest,’’ said Royce.
Royce said he checked his calendar today when he heard the news and noted that he met with McCain campaign people on July 23. And after that every time a group of House members got together with the campaign he raised her name.
Royce said he knows that McCain has admired her and believes he decided to “pick someone who he admires and not the individual who could bring in the most money or deliver a certain state. I think he wanted a kindred reformer.’’
Posted in: Democratic convention • McCain • Presidential election • Republican convention • Ed Royce | 1 Comment »
August 29th, 2008, 12:28 pm by mschroeder
Newport Beach’s Mike Schroeder, former chairman of the California Republican Party, is a guest blogger at the Democratic convention.
I am old enough to remember a man named George Plimpton. Plimpton had a reality show before there were reality shows. The premise of the show was that he got to be some other profession for a short time, whether is was pitching at an All Star Game against the National league or sparring a few rounds against Sugar Ray Robinson to performing high-wire circus acts.
For the last five days, I have been George Plimpton, working as a full time reporter immersed in an intense partisan Democratic environment, attending what is likely to be the most historic Democratic Presidential nomination convention in our life time, both for the first time. What a relief since according to Mickapedia (all things Frank Mickadeit) “His real job, representing chiropractors or something like that, is much less interesting … .”
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Posted in: Democratic convention • Democrats • McCain • Abortion • Mike Schroeder | 1 Comment »
August 29th, 2008, 12:05 pm by Dena Bunis, Washington Bureau Chief
 Just got a statement from Rep. Dana Rohrabacher on the Sarah Palin selection:
“Obama picked the quintessential inside the beltway liberal, whereas, Senator McCain chose an outside the beltway conservative maverick.
“Gov. Sarah Palin’s addition to the ticket will increase the comfort level of conservatives in their support for John McCain.
“This was not only a good choice for Senator McCain, but for the Republican Party.”
Posted in: Democratic convention • McCain • Palin • Presidential election • Republican convention • Dana Rohrabacher | 4 Comments »
August 29th, 2008, 11:01 am by Dena Bunis, Washington Bureau Chief
 “I think she’s a great pick,’’ said Rep. Ken Calvert, who said he was totally surprised.
“Certainly she’s going to satisfy a big portion of our party on the conservative side. She’s definitely a social conservative and she’s a strong reformer. In today’s political environment, I think that’s important.”
Calvert, R-Corona, said he has never met Sarah Palin but that people he knows who know her say she’s “a very impressive individual.’’
Calvert said he doesn’t view this as just an effort to check a gender box.
“In an interesting way I think Hillary (Clinton) shattered the gender issue before Sarah became the prospective nominee for John McCain. I think people today now know that a woman can be a credible choice as president of the United States. I don’t think there’s are any barriers towards women, African Americans or Hispanics to achieve the highest office in the land and that says a lot about the American people.”
Posted in: Democratic convention • McCain • Palin • Presidential election • Republican convention • Ken Calvert | 1 Comment »
August 29th, 2008, 10:40 am by Dena Bunis, Washington Bureau Chief
Jack Pitney, who predicted to me seven months ago that Sarah Palin might get the presidential nod, said the McCain campaign shouldn’t expect a huge bump in the polls because of this.
But it won’t hurt.
“People vote for the president, not vice president,’’ said Pitney, a political science professor at Claremont McKenna and a former GOP Capitol Hill staffer. But he quickly added that the party base will love it.
“The rap against Republicans is that they’re the party of wrinkled white guys. By picking a woman this goes a long way toward breaking that stereotype.’’
Pitney also said that the GOP base “is going to be ecstatic. She’s someone who is not only pro gun but who walked the pro life walk by going ahead with the pregnancy of a child with Down Syndrome.
“They’re going to be fired up next week (at the GOP convention) in a way they wouldn’t have been otherwise.’’
Posted in: Democratic convention • McCain • Presidential election • Republican convention | Post a Comment »
August 29th, 2008, 10:27 am by Dena Bunis, Washington Bureau Chief
 Sen. Barbara Boxer wasted no time in issuing a statement saying Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin is not ready for prime time.
Here’s what she said:
“The Vice President is a heartbeat away from becoming President, so to choose someone with not one hour’s worth of experience on national issues is a dangerous choice.
If John McCain thought that choosing Sarah Palin would attract Hillary Clinton voters, he is badly mistaken.
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Posted in: Democratic convention • McCain • Presidential election • Republican convention • Barbara Boxer | 2 Comments »
August 29th, 2008, 8:18 am by Martin Wisckol, Politics reporter
Gary Hunt, a political strategist and and former Irvine Co. executive, is an Orange County delegate to the GOP convention. Here’s his reaction to the pick of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as John McCain’s running mate:
“This is a out of the ball park grand slam. It’s generational, it invigorates the base without running an ideological campaign because John clearly appeals to the moderate and independent voters and the combination is a great balance. Also, it reaches across to the disenfranchised womens vote who want a qualified woman on a ticket for whom they can vote for regardless of their party affiliation.
“Obama is weakest among women 35 to 50 and she will appeal to that voter block very well . This is a ‘classical McCain’ decision and why this choice is so good. This is bold, fresh, and it clearly indicates that McCain is the agent of change but who also has the experience that Obama does not have. I have long felt that this race is about wisdom, judgment, and leadership. This decision reinforces those themes.”
Posted in: Democratic convention • McCain • Palin • Republican convention | 6 Comments »
August 29th, 2008, 7:49 am by Dena Bunis, Washington Bureau Chief
 John McCain is picking Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin for his vice presidential candidate, the first woman to be on a national ticket since Democrat Geraldine Ferraro of New York ran with Walter Mondale in 1984.
Here’s the urgent from Liz Sidoti at the Associated Press: DENVER John McCain tapped little-known Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin to be his vice presidential running mate, two senior campaign officials told The Associated Press on Friday.
A formal announcement was expected within a few hours at a campaign rally in swing-state Ohio.
Palin, 44, is a self-styled hockey mom and political reformer who has been governor of her state less than two years.
Posted in: Democratic convention • McCain • Presidential election | 15 Comments »
August 29th, 2008, 7:03 am by Dena Bunis, Washington Bureau Chief
If John McCain ends up selecting Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin then we all need to tip our collective political junkey hats to Jack Pitney, professor at Claremont McKenna College.
Pitney just send me an e-mail reminding me that he talked up Palin to me in February. I confess I’d never heard of her and chuckled a bit.
Well the fact that she’s evidently in the final running means Pitney clearly is plugged in.
Still no new word though.
Posted in: Democratic convention • McCain • Presidential election • Republican convention | 1 Comment »
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Rep. John Campbell thought John McCain might just pull a surprise when it came to his vice presidential pick.
