October 23, 2008
SCHWARZENEGGER STRAYS FROM THE SCRIPT.... Yesterday, John McCain chatted with Don Imus, and expressed frustration about Republicans who've questioned Sarah Palin's credentials. "What's their problem?" McCain asked.
"I think she is the most qualified of any that has run recently for vice president," McCain added. "I'm amazed. I'm amazed."
McCain's amazement notwithstanding, he's right about one thing -- a lot of Republicans are very concerned about the idea of putting Palin one 72-year-old heartbeat from the presidency. Apparently, even California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) still needs some convincing.
The McCain campaign convinced Schwarzenegger to hit the campaign trail, making appearances on McCain's behalf in battleground states like Ohio. He sat down with CNN's Campbell Brown yesterday, and unfortunately for the campaign, strayed from the script.
Brown asked Schwarzenegger if he believes Palin is, in the event of an emergency, qualified to be president. He replied, "I think that she will get to be qualified."
Brown, noticing Schwarzenegger's hesitation and sheepish response, pressed on, asking, "She will get there? What do you mean? She's not ready yet?" Schwarzenegger, looking a little embarrassed, said, "By the time that she is sworn in I think she will be ready."
In other words, as far as Schwarzenegger is concerned, Palin isn't ready now, but hopefully things will come together between now and January.
Maybe McCain should have talked to Schwarzenegger about this before calling on him to give the campaign a boost.
—Steve Benen 10:10 AM
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Or perhaps when he says "by the time she's sworn in" as president?
Posted by: Mustang Bobby on October 23, 2008 at 10:12 AM | PERMALINK
Defending your running-mate's qualifications is not where you want to be 1 1/2 weeks before the election.
Posted by: Black Jack Kennedy on October 23, 2008 at 10:15 AM | PERMALINK
Mustang, that was my thought too, in which case Schwarz meant "probably never."
Posted by: Trevor J on October 23, 2008 at 10:21 AM | PERMALINK
how qualified does one need to be to dismantle 250 years of democracy? she is the rightwing wet dream. Like Bush, she is a true wingnut: dumb- like a fox.
Posted by: alouisis on October 23, 2008 at 10:28 AM | PERMALINK
Defending your running-mate's qualifications is not where you want to be 1 1/2 weeks before the election. - Black Jack Kennedy
Or defending her wasteful spending, abuse of power, or outrageous rhetoric. And yet I have Republican friends who think McCain's problem is that he is running a terrible campaign. I guess somehow he would make better decisions if only he were elected.
Posted by: Danp on October 23, 2008 at 10:28 AM | PERMALINK
So apparently 2 whole months is the difference between being ready, among a myriad of other issues, to solve a looming economic crisis, and fix the mess Iraq & Afghanistan, and not.
Posted by: MLE on October 23, 2008 at 10:28 AM | PERMALINK
Of course, by January 20, she'll be so qualified that the people who'd test Obama wouldn't even dream of testing her.
Live long, John. Live long.
Posted by: duBois on October 23, 2008 at 10:32 AM | PERMALINK
OMG! Has anyone watched that Think Different 2009 spot!
Is that a spoof or is that for real? Are the McCain supporters now trying to tell us that crazy people make the best leaders?
More on this please.
Posted by: Jim on October 23, 2008 at 10:36 AM | PERMALINK
Palin has shattered McCain's credibility. Is she going to shatter the entire floor of what remain's of the GOP's credibility?
Posted by: lou on October 23, 2008 at 10:39 AM | PERMALINK
Nevermind about the Think Different Ad. I see they made one for both parties. the Dem one makes sense, the Repub one is LOL if it wasn't so damned scary.
Posted by: Jim on October 23, 2008 at 10:40 AM | PERMALINK
Arnold the Bodybuilder turned Actor!
McCain's a real man of the people.
Posted by: grinning cat on October 23, 2008 at 10:44 AM | PERMALINK
I give Arnie credit. He is like any other relatively intellegent person, who would have trouble defending her with a straight face ala McCain or Rick Davis. Even McCains heart doesn't seem to be in it.
Posted by: John R on October 23, 2008 at 11:09 AM | PERMALINK
"By the time she's sworn in"?
And since McCain isn't going to be elected, she'll never be sworn in.
Does this mean she'll never be ready?
Posted by: Carl Nyberg on October 23, 2008 at 11:14 AM | PERMALINK
I'm no Schwarzenegger fan, but he's become more centrist by necessity and doesn't toe the strict party line any more. There was a time when the GOP wanted to change the Constitution for this guy. I haven't heard any talk of that lately....
Posted by: sheesh on October 23, 2008 at 11:14 AM | PERMALINK
I think the bottom line is that Schwarzenegger has seen the same polls we have, and he can postulate all he wants on her preparedness, because he knows it ain't gonna happen.
Posted by: Paul on October 23, 2008 at 11:21 AM | PERMALINK
Schwarzenegger seemed very uncomfortable. Its like the establishment Republicans want to stay as far away from this mess as they can. The only Republicans really going all out in public support are the lunatic fringe (Bachmann, Marcia Stirman....) Look at what is turning up at McCain/Palin appearnaces: the bottom feeders. On November 5th the Republican Party willhave to look at a grim future with a base thais is toxic. there will be a real war for the soul of that party, and I think that's why so much of the Republican establishment is all but in hiding. None of them want the stink of this campaign on them the day after.
Well they made a deal with the Devil years ago and now they'll have a real fight on their hands trying to get out of it, but its clear, the rabid right wing conservative christian/bigots they used to great effect in the past is no longer quite so golden.
Posted by: Saint Zak on October 23, 2008 at 11:32 AM | PERMALINK
Oy. That was the line Hillary used about Obama... when she was running AGAINST him.
Posted by: north_aufzoo on October 23, 2008 at 11:35 AM | PERMALINK
By then she'll have read all of John Jakes' Kent Family Chronicles.
Posted by: pbg on October 23, 2008 at 11:36 AM | PERMALINK
"I think she is the most qualified of any that has run recently for vice president," McCain added. "I'm amazed. I'm amazed."
My jaw dropped open. Does anyone else squirm with embarrassment when McCain does this? He's delusional! She's not ready for office? HE'S not ready for office
Posted by: Amazed on October 23, 2008 at 12:05 PM | PERMALINK
Prove positive that, when the camera's rolling, Arnold can't act to save his life.
Weird thing is, overall I've been pretty impressed with Arnold's performance as governor. Overall. And this little bobble shows that, unlike a typical republican politician, he has a conscience. He's as worried as we are about Palin.
Posted by: chrenson on October 23, 2008 at 12:18 PM | PERMALINK
"ready by the time, she is sworn in"
Takes that long to order a Mr Coffee maker? Or to master it's useage?
With the monetary problems of the Double Talk campaign, perhsps, they have had to put it on layaway.
Posted by: berttheclock on October 23, 2008 at 12:32 PM | PERMALINK
"I did not want that to end last night ... I didn’t want the night to end. I didn’t want Rudy to stop. What a night! Folks, we have a future beyond November here. Regardless what happens.... The convention has been unified on the basis of conservatism. Properly executed, beautifully articulated.
Believe me, Barack Obama has a lot to fear today and he knows it ... the drive-bys are in panic, the Democrat Party is in panic, the liberal left is in panic ... they do not know who hit them, they do not know how to respond to this.
This lady has turned it all around ... from now on, on this program John McCain will be known as John McBrilliant."
Rush Limbaugh after the Republican Convention, speaking about Sarah Palin.
Posted by: Chess Mom on October 23, 2008 at 12:32 PM | PERMALINK
Arnold never was a very good actor.
Posted by: matt on October 23, 2008 at 12:54 PM | PERMALINK
New course on how to be president offered here.
Posted by: Bob Griendling on October 23, 2008 at 1:37 PM | PERMALINK
First, just how unprepared does someone have to be for Arnold Schwarzenegger to consider them to be a little light in their background????
Second, given that recent Republican presidential and vice presidential candidates have included Dan Quayle, Ronald Reagan, and G.W. Bush, I can understand how McCain might be surprised by the public's current resistance to Sarah Palin. It would have been useful for the electorate to have had standards many elections ago, but better late than never.
Posted by: N.Wells on October 23, 2008 at 2:09 PM | PERMALINK
Since the Governator spewed forth an accidental truth, do we call it a "gaffe"?
Could Bob Barr work a little harder at getting endorsements from people like him?
Senator John Warner endorsed an independent when gunrunner and radio entertainer Oliver North ran fr Senator as the Republican nominee.
Posted by: toowearyforoutrage on October 23, 2008 at 2:27 PM | PERMALINK
I would suspect that, just like Carly Fiorina, Arnie would get purged as well.
Posted by: Ravi J on October 23, 2008 at 2:50 PM | PERMALINK
Cam-Bell cum wit me if yoo want to live! ( spoken in pure arny/terminator venacular)>I can't handle much more from this campaign.It's too funny.Tusla sniper fire,Get smart cone of silence,moose burgers,joe the unlicensed plumber,Tina fey and now the governator? On Nov.4th I may be wheeled to the polls in a hospital bed. :)
Posted by: Ray on October 23, 2008 at 5:21 PM | PERMALINK
As Julius Caesar said when he was stabbed to death: "Et tu, Brute?" Poooor Joe Lieberman, shunned or betrayed by Democrats, Republicans and McCain alike. See this great cartoon at the Word Face-Off blog!
Posted by: fdeblauwe on October 24, 2008 at 2:02 AM | PERMALINK
Do you know the real reason that Maria Shriver married Schwarzenegger?
They're trying to breed a bullet-proof Kennedy.
Posted by: John in Nashville on October 24, 2008 at 2:23 AM | PERMALINK