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Mark Schmitt on McCain-Lieberman
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This is interesting. Seven hours before I posted my piece on Marshall Wittman as the midwife of a McCain-Lieberman tie-up, Mark Schmitt had something similar up at Tapped.
I suggest that McCain will win the Republican primary and bring Lieberman into the dance. Schmitt, on the other hand, sees McCain losing the Republican primary race and then "pulling a Lieberman" by running independently of both parties -- and with Lieberman on the ticket, running as faux centrists.
Mark Schmitt says this won't be a centrist party but will instead be a true neocon party. Interesting. Not sure I see it the same way, but serious strategists should pay attention to these possible maneuvers.
-- Steve Clemons
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Well o.k....the let's do a Hagel- Edwards independent ticket while we are mixing up the game...foreign policy and domestic policy.
Steve:
In your previous piece, you wrote "McCain and Lieberman would be a formidable challenge for any Democratic opponent because even though both are now self-described neoconservatives..."
Do you have a source of Lieberman "self-describing" himself as a neo-con?
Because I, and those on the left would love to beat him over the head with it.
Nick
"serious strategists"? Come on. The Republican base would revolt if anything other than a genuine Republican were on the ticket.
But there's more: If McCain were to magically (and it would take magic) win the GOP nomination, he would absolutely have to have a theocon or hard-right econ Repub as his running mate. Going the opposite way would be suicidal; the religious right would stay home. They are a *huge* piece of the GOP base.
The Republican party on the whole doesn't think it needs to move to the center to win again. They think they need to move to the *right*. Only beltway/NE moderates think like you this, Steve, and they are a small minority of the GOP base.
"Schmitt, on the other hand, sees McCain losing the Republican primary race and then "pulling a Lieberman" by running independently of both parties"
McCain had an opportunity to do that in 2000 and had good reason, considering the way the Bush campaign attacked him and his family. He proved himself a loyal Republican then and in his efforts to elect Republicans since. If he loses the primary, he'll support the nominee.
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