The long shadow of Sarah Palin - expert says Romney won't pick a woman VP

[Liberal_in_LA]

Expert: Romney Won't Pick Woman VP Because of Sarah Palin

Despite hints from Ann Romney, wife of likely Republican nominee Mitt Romney, that her husband is considering at least one woman in his vice presidential search, it's unlikely he'll actually a tap a female for the post.

That's because the long shadow of Sarah Palin still hangs over vice presidential politics, says Jennifer Lawless, director of American University's Women and Politics Institute. John McCain's decision to share the ticket with the former Alaska governor in 2008 was widely panned after a series of missteps by Palin, a relatively inexperienced politician many criticized for not being ready for the national stage.

"Whoever Romney picks, if she's a woman, would have to first demonstrate how much better than Sarah Palin she actually is, and that's not necessarily a good use of the campaign's time," Lawless says. But she adds that it is beneficial for the Romney campaign to float the idea that women are under consideration.

"Given the rhetoric regarding the 'war on women' and the fact that the Republicans are 'out of touch,' I think it's important for both parties to talk about how they actually care about women, women's plight, and think that women can be adequate leaders," Lawless says.

-----------------------

"Mitt Romney is ultimately going to find himself between a rock and a hard place because although it is important to demonstrate that there are qualified women who should be on the short list, the onus is then going to be on him to explain why they weren't his ultimate pick and he's not going to say, 'because I don't want voters to think of Sarah Palin,'" she says. "So he's going to have to navigate a pretty fine line and ensure that if he says that the most qualified person turns out to be a man that indeed that person is more qualified than some of the women's names who are floating around."

http://www.usnews.com/news/blogs/ballot-2012/2012/07/05/expert-romney-wont-pick-woman-vp-because-of-sarah-palin

[kentuck]

1. But he will have to pick someone that does not look stronger than he....

If not a woman, he might pick Bobby Jindal or Tim Pawlenty? They would not steal the thunder of the #1.... It would sort of be like Bush Sr picking Dan Quayle.

[immoderate]

2. It's also a Mormon thing.

No women in positions of authority.


--imm

[russspeakeasy]

4. To be safe, he could pick a hermaphrodite.

[nc4bo]

3. You mean Sarah poisoned the well??

[Liberal_in_LA]

5. yes, she did. Major double standard - Dan Quayle didn't poison the well for men but

a women does for all women.

[nc4bo]

6. Blame it on ole 5-plane

HE picked her. Didn't know a thing about her, leaving the netroots to do the vetting after the fact, by then it was too late.

If the GOP could manage to pick a female based on commonsense and intelligence rather than catering to the bugshit crazy, nonsense spewing grifting idiot loving Xian wing, it could go well for them. Sarah would be forgotten except for a brief fart in the wind of political history.

[Kablooie]

7. Neither Quayle or Palin poisoned it for imbeciles. They are always in high demand.

[snooper2]

8. You should say rich white men...

A large number of teabagging fools who are too much of a slob to even use a towel after baggin' want Obama to fail horribly thinking "Merica" will learn their lesson by putting a black man in office.

[rightwinghunter666]

9. That mental midget

Palin has set conservative women back probably 30 years. Which as far as I'm concerned is a great thing. Even though I highly disagree with conservative's philosophy I'm sure their are plenty of able, intelligent conservative women out there who they could run for VP. Unfortunately for sexist backward wing nuts they surly are not going to put any women up higher office if they are not mildly attractive. You see phenomenon on Fox News. Look at their female anchors, commentators, pundits. Do you see any regular or unattractive women? I suppose it's kind of like Hooters for political News. Maybe the Rubes who watch Fox News propaganda can fell better about himself while looking at some eye-candy while he watches this bunk.

[JI7]

11. how stupid, he could pick someone like Hutchison, Mukowski, Snowe, any number of republican

women and they will be nothing like Palin. now if he picks someone like Jan Brewer it woudl be like palin but not because she is a woman. Rick Perry was like Palin in terms of intelligence.

maybe he can pick Allen West since he is Black and Obama is Black and won in 2008. so if WEst is on the ticket Romney will pick up some minority voters and win ??????????

[Liberal_in_LA]

12. tea baggers would flip out if he picked moderate repubs

[CakeGrrl]

13. If West was on the ticket Romney might THINK he'll get black voters

...kind of like the thinking that Rubio would give him the Latino vote.

That rationale comes from the narrow-minded, bigoted reasoning that minorities will vote for someone of their own race for that reason only, as if it doesn't matter which party and views they represent.

[Liberal_in_LA]

14. why would blacks who want to vote for a black prez switch to vote for a black VP on the other ticket

makes no sense.

[tanyev]

15. Yep, the problem was because she's a woman, not because she's a blithering idiot.

There's the lesson the GOP has chosen to learn.