today in paranoia... or is it???

[sab]

Okay, so the reason Giuliani has repeatedly not run for president is because there are some skeletons and corruption in his closet that would be dug up upon any serious presidential vetting, right?

From where he stands as a former mayor and now right-wing cheerleader, he can basically say whatever he wants and his loyalists (and Republican-spun-9/11 blindsided fanboys and girls) will take him at his word and cheer him as a hero.

He stepped up to spin the debate just this week in place of Sarah Palin, because even the GOP realized that Palin is in-credible and doesn't have the savvy or influence for serious political spin. In other words, Palin's the pretty face but Giuliani is the real spinning right-hand man for McCain.

Pundits on both sides of the aisle have begun clamoring for Palin to step down from the ticket; Republicans think she's hurting the party platform -- which of course she is -- and Democrats, well, we could really care less at this point and are busily having fun soundly mocking her and watching independents swing over to our side.

But here's the thing. We've got, what, like 35 days till the election. If Palin steps down, there is time to sneak Giuliani onto the ticket at the eleventh hour, avoid any serious vetting process, bring in all his paranoid conservative warmongering fans, and lock up the election in another demonstration of democratic hijacking and dirty pool.

We on the left know we really can't survive another hijacked election with our sanity intact, and that we're that much closer to a civil war each time the right pins us as bad sports when they're the ones playing sleight of hand. So this is just some conspiracy theorizing on my part, because after being burned over the last eight years I can't help but look out for how they might burn us this time.

Is there legislation in place that forbids swapping out Palin for Giuliani at the last minute? Is there legislation for vetting a non-candidate? Do we have a smoking gun? Will it matter?

And now let's put a pin in this and just see what happens a month from now. But, you know, fool me once, fool me twice, fool me three times and I'm moving to Sweden and taking the entertainment industry, the news media, the arts, the Ivy League, good education, clean energy and health care with me. You guys can stay here with your guns and border fences. Have a nice life.

Comments

[cidercupcakes.livejournal.com]

...






D:

[ropo.livejournal.com]

Yeeks, that's a totally scary thought. It's like, Palin sucks and they should dump her ASAP (except, yes, she rocks for the Democrats, but I've heard it said that it's really us and the press who make fun of her and that Republicans are just fine with her, which is SO SO SCARY). But yeah, something like this could happen and I hope ... not.

[wurwilf.livejournal.com]

They're not going to drop Sarah Palin. I'd put money on it. She still brings the crowds to the rallies, and replacing her would be admitting that they made an enormous mistake, and cast even more doubt, publicly and obviously, on John McCain's already questionable decision-making skills. That would sink them. They may lose with her but without her they would lose hard.

And how many fans does Giuliani actually have, anyway? Even with the whole "America's Mayor" thing to campaign on he failed miserably in the primaries. Ron Paul did better than him, and the only people who like Ron Paul are internet nerds.

[yahtzee63.livejournal.com]

ITA. Besides your good points, sending Palin away would seriously injure McCain with the evangelical crowd he's relying on showing up. That crowd couldn't care less about Guiliani.

[infinitemonkeys.livejournal.com]

Isn't it terribly damaging to McCain's credibility if Palin takes the long walk off the short pier? And wouldn't the Republican base who hate Giuliani and think Palin is the best thing since sliced bread be up in arms?

I am really hoping that this time the forces of good prevail. Surely it's their turn

[dominar-action.livejournal.com]

They can't dump Palin for a variety of reasons:

1. It would be an admission that McCain's original decision was misguided, and he's already exposed on that front, what with the whole "suspended campaign" thing.

2. Palin would have to go along with it, and her admitting that she can't hack it (which she can't) would end whatever political career she thinks she has after this.

3. Some states have already started early voting. I don't think they can just take votes for Palin and substitute [x] in its place.

4. Guiliani would be nuts to jump onboard a sinking ship.

Yet, despite all of these sound reasons, the McCain camp has shown a remarkable tendency towards irrational behavior. So, I put nothing past them, but I do give the US people enough credit to see it as the gimmick it would be.

[dominar-action.livejournal.com]

Oh, yeah, and

5. The right wing conservatives would revolt en masse!

[hobsonphile.livejournal.com]

No, I'm sorry, I have to speak up here: Kathleen Parker does not represent the majority conservative opinion. Rank-and-file Republicans are carving Palin's image in cornfields, for G*d's sake - and still showing up by the thousands for her rallies. Your claim that people on "both sides of the aisle" are questioning the choice is terribly misleading. The only people on the Republican side who are doing so are a few East Coast elites pissed that a West Coast small town "hick" who sounds like she came right out of the cast of Fargo (yes, I'm not afraid to admit that) got picked instead of their own favorites (Mitt, Giuliani, etc.).

Also, even if a vice presidential candidate were changed midstream (which I have good reason to doubt will ever happen given that the McCain campaign continues to defend her), it's clearly not illegal, nor is it "democratic hijacking", seeing as George McGovern did the same in 1972. Please, for my sanity and yours, dial it back.

[wurwilf.livejournal.com]

True; and it was very, very damaging to McGovern--possibly the reason he lost. McCain won't do it.

[thevaliumsofalj.livejournal.com]

If Palin steps down, there is time to sneak Giuliani onto the ticket at the eleventh hour

that's what's being said about Biden/H.Clinton as well...