What Did McCain Leverage From Bush After His Flirt With Kerry?

[David Zephyr]

What did John McCain bargain away from Karl Rove and George Bush after his flirt with Kerry? Anything at all? Nothing whatsoever?

Did McCain leverage his flirting with Kerry to secure:

1.) The Number Two spot on Bush's ticket in November with Cheney declining to go a second time around?

2.) The Secretary of Defense Cabinet position replacing Rumsfeld?

3.) Nothing, McCain is campaigning for Bush as planned all along and extracted nothing from Karl Rove and Bush?

4.) Something else?

What are your thoughts?

[jpgray]

1. Nothing--I think it's easy to read too much into this

Kerry knew McCain was a Bush guy (McCain only said so every time he was asked), and he just wanted moderates and independents to give him a second look he might not otherwise have received. That's my take--somehow I doubt Kerry seriously thought one who pledged his undying support to Bush would join the ticket of his opponent. This without mentioning the ideological divide that would seem insurmountable between the two.

[lancdem]

2. I think you nailed it

[salinen]

3. McCain & Bush

Rummy shaking hands with Saddam.

[NMDemDist2]

4. nah, McC won't give up senior senator and chairmanships

to be second banana to the chimp :evilgrin:

[xchrom]

5. his life!

and his family's.

[PurityOfEssence]

6. You SO beat me to that

These guys'd do things that'd make a made man quiver.

[Lefty Pragmatist]

7. He wasn't flirting with Kerry.

Kerry was flirting with him, which was silly.

Above everything else, the Bushes value blind loyalty, and McCain will always be persona non grata to Bush because of the primary challenge. Also, the right wing responds tepidly to wildy ideologically split tickets (Dole/Kemp). And the Kemp example shpws that when you put a better man as the veep, if you lose then he's dead politically.

Finally, McCain would speak his mind too much as SoD, so that aint happenin'.

[WyLoochka]

8. McCain was not "flirting" with Kerry

Kerry and many Dems made an asses out themselves trying to "flirt" with McCain. Our veep will now be known as second choice because of this.

This really pisses me off. It was a very stupid, totally unnecessary mistake on the part of the Kerry campaign. Kerry just looks like a fool - he certainly didn't gain anything.

[Ronin1]

9. My thoughts...

You're Number 1.)is more like it.

I think Kerry was stupid to think he'd get McCain on the ticket. The media likes to trump up the fighting between Bush and John McCain, it's not that wide of a rift.

[David Zephyr]

11. Welcome to the DU.

:hi:

[lgardengate]

10. I think maby #1 and i think McCain

wants to get back "in" good with the RW.They got mad at him in 2000 when he critized one of them.