When did Christie Todd Whitman become an editor at Conde Nast?

Conde Nast's Matt Cooper has three female GOP politicians who have been looked over for vice president because those silly conservatives consider them ideologically impure.  His train wreck of an article is worth a read, but his cheerleading for Sen. Olympia Snowe was my favorite part (emphasis mine):

The senior senator from Maine has been in the Senate for 14 years and served in the House before that. She's married to a former Republican governor of Maine. She has close ties to the Bush family, which, of course, has kept a residence in Kennebunkport. She sits on the Armed Services Committee and knows defense policy intricately. She's been overlooked because she's a moderate, pro-choice, and had the temerity to vote against the impeachment of President Bill Clinton.

But while her nomination would surely annoy conservatives, I think the gain with centrists would be offset. She didn't support the Clinton tax hikes, although she didn't back the George W. Bush tax cuts, a position once held by McCain himself. Unless she's for raising taxes now, and she isn't, I don't see why she couldn't pass muster with the fiscal conservatives. Like McCain, she's a spending hawk. On choice, she just has to note that she's supported all of the conservative nominees that McCain has and that she will continue to support them, and while she's personally pro-choice, McCain is president and that's that. It'll be a ruckus, but McCain could stand some ruckus right now.

Even if Snowe did pick up enough centrists to offset the ensuing conservative revolt, it would still cause a McCain loss.  This is because centrists and independents will vote, but that's about all they'll do. 

Independents don't donate.

Independents don't care about get-out-the-vote efforts. 

Independents are independent because they don't really have any deeply held philosophy of government, and therefore are not willing to fight to prevent an Obama presidenct.  After all, Sen. Snowe won't be solidly against that outcome.  Obama is against the Bush tax cuts and for abortion, just like she is.  The independents she would attract would feel the same way. 

Posted by: It's Vintage, Duh at 12:46 PM | Comments (5) | Add Comment
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