VP chosen in a fit of pique?

[Mme. Defarge]

Is it possible that McCain simply threw it back in their faces when he couldn't have Lieberman?

[TwilightZone]

1. Yes. That's one of the theories, in fact.

It's been suggested that the Palin pick was a shot straight at Rove and an attempt to separate McCain from the Rove/Bush cabal.

Who knows?

[Mme. Defarge]

9. So, no wonder Pawlenty is pissed,

realizing McCain never seriously considered him, or anyone else other than Lieberman.

[TwilightZone]

10. I'm not sure how much I believe the Lieberman claim.

There have been a ton of stories about it, of course, but it would have infuriated the Republican base. I just never saw it happening. I saw it as the Chuck Hagel of the other side. Attention-getting, but never going to happen.

I could certainly be wrong.

[saltpoint]

2. He may have.

He does sometimes seem like a guy who holds grudges and misconceptions way too long.

The vetting may have been done after all, and in examining the evidence, McCain may have said, "I'll show those arm-twisting sons-a-bitches in the Party -- call Palin and offer her the job."

[WeDidIt]

3. "Fine, my friends, have your little chippy!"

"I'll announce and I'll announce her good. Then, my friends, you'll ahve to do the bidding and spin her problems into control. I had ONE SHOT at this thing, my friends, and you ahve blown it for me. Now, my friends, you can just blow me.

And, my frinends, the pregnanat teenage unwed daughter ain't nothing. When the press catches win that she wants Alaska to secede, my friends, your entire god damned party is crashing down in flames with me, my firends."

[opihimoimoi]

7. If John still wants to be a HERO, cause right now...he is a ZERO...he would CONCEDE

in the interest of NATIONAL UNITY

JOIN OBAMA.....

He would go down in History as the REAL MAVERICK

[RichGirl]

8. You forgot....

"For 5 1/2 years, while a POW, I was not allowed to make decisions...."

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

4. This morning on MSNBC

Michael Crowley of the New Republic said that McCain exercised snap judgement in choosing Palin that he acquired from his years as a fighter pilot and because of his heavy gambling addiction. John McCain does have a gambling addiction. But it was my understanding that John McCain never flew fighter jets, never trained at a top gun school, and flew bombers where the target is already assigned and the pilot merely delivers the payload. Was John McCain a fighter pilot? Wasn't she shot down while flying a bomber?

[HooptieWagon]

5. Carrier-based ground attack aircraft.

Small-bombs, missles, machine guns, etc. Probably don't have a pre-assigned target, but go after targets of opportunity.

[deadmessengers]

6. He flew the A-4 Skyhawk

It was a light bomber, with some air-to-air armament. John McCain was shot down on a bombing mission.