McCain lost much of my respect when he picked a running mate who, by his own frequently stated criteria, would not be qualified to be President.

He chose a person who he thought would win an election for him, rather than someone he thought would be best for his country.

Shame on John McCain.

He claims that Obama does not have the experience to lead our nation, and then he pics a potential president who has half Obama's time in office, and who has governed a state with a smaller population than most large cities. Shame on John McCain.

He does this after making very negative claims that Obama would lose a war to win an election?

The first reason Obama gave for picking Senator Biden was that he wanted, above all else, a V.P. who would do an excellent job as President if necessary. Shame on John McCain for not doing the same.

Especially shame on McCain for not picking a very well-qualified candidate, given McCain's age of 72 and his extensive history of medical problems. At least George H.W. Bush was younger and healthier when he chose Dan Quayle.

And lastly, shame on John McCain for selfishly impairing the Republican party's ability to put up a strong Presidential candidate in either 2012 or 2016. V.P.'s run for President 4 out of 5 times. McCain, if elected, would eventually leave poised for the job this Palin person. While I wouldn't necessarily want the Republicans to win, I think the nation is best served when both parties put up superior candidates.

In doing this, McCain has revealed himself to be more of a political opportunists and less of an idealist and patriot than I had thought. This conduct has caused me to revisit his career and wonder about other aspects, such as whether his involvement with Keating and a member of "the Keating five" was naiveté, and whether his public crusade against political corruption wasn't purely contrived to free himself of such taint.

As Andrew Sullivan succinctly puts it. McCain: "Put. Country. Last.

As Andrew Sullivan succinctly puts it: "Put. It. Inmybutthole".

no, i jest. didn't mean that. anyhoo, McCain put country first more in 6 years than Sully, BarryO!, and Joey Hairplugs can hope to ever in their lives. combined.

so, there's that.

Brought the black lovers to their knees as women haters...

But it should be good for the Mooslum lovers to put the women behind in a line... huh?

Let the real prejudices begin... yes/no?

As many veterans (I'm one) will tell you if they are speaking frankly, and indeed as a review of our nation's history will show you, being a POW doesn't make one competent, honest, or even selfless.

I find it rather disgusting when people wrap unpatriotic behavior in the American flag in order to get other to swallow it without complaint.

McCain's time as a POW does absolutely nothing to mitigate his selfish, unpatriotic selection of running mate. You implying that it does is a gross logical fallacy.

well, as a veteran myself, i can tell you that The Messiah and Joey Hairplugs are the most anti-american douchenozzles this side of Ho Chi Minh. and i find that rather disgusting.

McCain's pick for veep was brilliant. it was a homerun. game over. i know you're frightened, but you'll eventually get over it. there's always Canada!

The reason Obama chose Joe Biden, wasn't because he wanted someone who would be a good President when/if he dies. He chose someone who had experience so that McCain couldn't attack him on that level anymore. That is the main reason he chose Joe Biden. I mean if the whole democratic party thought that Joe Biden was such a good canidate for presidency shouldn't it have been him and Obama at the end for the primaries?

"I mean, you got the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy, I mean, that's a storybook, man."

That's not someone who could run the country well in my opinion. Are we forgetting Martin Luther King Jr.?

opening. Shame on Dean and Brazile for playing king maker and destroying a good woman and politician. Shame on all you Obama supporters for 18 months of vicious attacks on Clinton and her supporters. You all gave McCain an opening and, surprise! He's taken it. YOU lost the election.

"The reason" supposes a single reason. There were, of course, multiple reasons for choosing Biden. Certainly you're correct that a primary reason was Biden's experience in light of McCain's attacks on Obama's lack thereof. We only disagree on how much weight Obama put on the competence criterion.