I’d been wondering why on earth John McCain floated the idea of a pro-choice running mate such as Tom Ridge or Joe Lieberman. There’s no way he’s actually going to do that, so what was gained? Surely he can’t think that some pro-choice soccer mom is going to think, “well, he’s pro-life but if he’s willing to consider a pro-choice person he must be reasonable”?
David Nammo, the executive director of Family Research Council Action, explained it to me. “Rove did this for Bush all the time.” The campaign floats some horrifying possibility so that when they “actually give us the vice presidential candidate [who is pro-life] we’re so relieved that it’s not one of those [pro-choice] guys that we say, ‘oh, at least it’s not Ridge.'” So, they accept the real choice without any complaint.