Or, in American terms, a Sister Souljah moment? That's to say, the moment when a politician deliberately picks a fight with the more extreme wing of his party in order to demonstrate his independence?
It's thought that the person McCain would really like to pick is Joe Lieberman - the Democrat turned independent pictured above, who's been campaigning for McCain. The two get on very well, and Lieberman would make it harder for the Democrats to portray a McCain administration as more of the same. Lieberman is also solid on national security and would hold his own against Biden in the VP debate. But Lieberman is pro-choice, and the pro-life Republicans are threatening a fight at the GOP convention next week if he's picked.
McCain hates being told what to do. I bet he's itching to take on the more extreme pro-lifers, but has so far been restrained from jumping into a fight with them by his more level-headed advisers. They may conclude, however, that a bit of a fight isn't a bad idea. It could reinforce the perception amongst the public at large that McCain is his own man, and no ordinary Republican.
Bill Kristol, the NYT columnist, is a Republican well-connected with the McCain campaign. He suggests McCain is seriously considering Lieberman. It's risky, but maybe McCain thinks he needs some calculated risks at this stage. If the Democrat convention goes really well this week, the chance of a Lieberman pick will be even higher.
Lieberman vs Biden? No contest. Biden, easy.
Posted by: paul canning | August 25, 2008 at 09:35 PM