December 15, 2008

The Cynicism of John McCain’s VP Choice, Illustrated by John McCain

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When you choose a person as your partner on a presidential ticket, what are you saying about that person? If you’re acting honestly and in the best interest of the American people, you’re saying that he or she is the second most qualified person in the country, after you, to be president. (Or, to bow somewhat to political realities, you are saying he or she is the second most qualified person who also happens share your ideological leanings.)

That’s why it is completely absurd that on Sunday, John McCain wouldn’t tell an interviewer that he would support Sarah Palin if she chose to run for president in 2012, saying “I can’t say something like that. We’ve got some great other young governors.” McCain cited Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota and Jon Huntsman of Utah. Why, then, wasn’t Pawlenty or Huntsman his choice for VP?

Let’s get real. In 2012, McCain is going to endorse someone for the Republican nomination who is hawkish on foreign affairs but socially and environmentally moderate. He’ll endorse from the point of view of 2000 John McCain instead of 2008 presidential election John McCain. He most certainly will not chose someone who is a rabid right-wing fundamentalist Christian.

Meaning he won’t endorse the person he wanted to install in the White House just a few short months ago.

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WE CAME UP SHORT.

We just wrapped up a shorter-than-normal, urgent-as-ever fundraising drive and we came up about $45,000 short of our $300,000 goal.

That means we're going to have upwards of $350,000, maybe more, to raise in online donations between now and June 30, when our fiscal year ends and we have to get to break-even. And even though there's zero cushion to miss the mark, we won't be all that in your face about our fundraising again until June.

So we urgently need this specific ask, what you're reading right now, to start bringing in more donations than it ever has. The reality, for these next few months and next few years, is that we have to start finding ways to grow our online supporter base in a big way—and we're optimistic we can keep making real headway by being real with you about this.

Because the bottom line: Corporations and powerful people with deep pockets will never sustain the type of journalism Mother Jones exists to do. The only investors who won’t let independent, investigative journalism down are the people who actually care about its future—you.

And we hope you might consider pitching in before moving on to whatever it is you're about to do next. We really need to see if we'll be able to raise more with this real estate on a daily basis than we have been, so we're hoping to see a promising start.

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