Kay Bailey Hutchison

Kay Bailey Huchison makes a lot of sense as a running mate for John McCain. What better way to appeal to disaffected Clinton voters, especially older white women? The cynicism of picking a woman may be obvious but the McCain campaign doesn't seem to care about over cynicism, as shown by their ads featuring Hillary Clinton. Hutchison is conservative enough to squelch any revolt on the right but her record on abortion is apparently mixed. From a purely political point of view, this would be ideal. Someone too rigidly pro-life might turn off moderates and pro-Clinton democrats. I don't find Lisa Shiffren's arguments against her very convincing. Her lack of legislative achievement in the Senate and non-maternal image don't seem to me to preclude her from being a good running mate or vp. Shiffren's pro-Hutchison points are more valid as when she writes, "Senator Hutchison looks like the central casting version of a serious female V.P. She is beautiful, dignified, and of a certain age and class." Some may think her too old and a McCain-Hutchison ticket too much of a "grandparents" ticket but Obama's failure to win over older voters make this segment of the population the best bet for headway by the GOP.