Sen. Barack Obama's planned speech in Berlin is expected to lead the political news on Thursday, but there are some indications Sen. John McCain's campaign might be planning a surprise announcement.
First, he cancels his press availability on Wednesday.
Then, he cancels a previously unannounced trip to an off-shore oil rig in Louisiana.
And now he abruptly changes his schedule to appear in Columbus, Ohio on Thursday. The press wasn't told until the campaign plane was on the tarmac.
Will McCain pick his running mate on Thursday?
Could it be former Rep. Rob Portman (R-OH)? Or perhaps it's former Rep. John Kasich (R-OH)?
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Comments
Yes, the day after Gingrich pleads for him not to pick another generic white male he picks the most generic white male possible (either of the Ohioans.) And if he chooses to do so on the day of Obama's Berlin speech, it will smack of desperation. Why is McCain so afraid of a foreign trip 3 1/2 months before the election?
Posted by: danconley
| July 23, 2008 9:43 PM
As CNN is reporting it in their "ticker", McCain was already scheduled to participate in a town hall in Columbus Thurs evening on cancer. It would make sense that his trip to Louisiana having been cancelled, he would just spend the day there.
Posted by: thesleepthief
| July 24, 2008 12:27 AM
Or, could it maybe, just MAYBE be that McCain is so desparate to get into the news that he's willing to lead on the media and tip off the local media in every state that their guy might be picked?
Posted by: BillyPolitik
| July 24, 2008 12:44 AM
Of the two, I'd be shocked if it were anyone else but Rob Portman since that is the more familiar name of the two.
But I do hope McCain annouces his VP today because even his VP annoucement will not be able to trump Obama's moment in Germany if it turns out as great as expected.
If McCain were smart, he'd do it the day after Obama is done with his trip so instead of everyone doing a week-long recap and talking about the effects the oversea trip will have on the presidential race, the media will be forced to focus on McCain.
Posted by: KISSman16
| July 24, 2008 4:31 AM
The VP pick is the single biggest "news arrow" McCain has in his quiver -- if he chooses to fire it now, more than amonth before the GOP Convention, merely to one-up Obama's Berlin speech...that will smack of desperation.
And if he doesn't, all this fumbling around and dropping hints and abruptly cancelling appearances makes the campaign look incompetent and rudderless.
Posted by: helzapoppn
| July 24, 2008 9:10 AM
NPR reported that the Louisiana cancellation was due to a small chance of bad weather when he wanted to visit an oil rig, and also due to an oil spill in the Mississippi that would mess up his photo-op, especially if he was going to talk about off-shore drilling. I also heard that La. Governor Bobby Jindal is not interested in being McCain's running mate.
Posted by: Mary Kitt-Neel
| July 24, 2008 9:58 AM
There's no way it would be Kasich. The man is gay. Ask around Columbus.
Posted by: JonSM99
| July 24, 2008 1:00 PM
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