McCain's Role Model: Richard Nixon?

To see what kind of President McCain will be, it might be helpful to compare his decision of selecting a running mate. Unlike what many Democrats have said, Sarah Palin is not the person with the least experience ever....Forty years ago this year, Richard Nixon picked Spiro Agnew as his running mate. The similarities are amazing:

Family
S. Agnew: Married, 4 children: 3 girls and a boy.
S. Palin: Married, 5 children: 3 girls and 2 boys. Unless Trig really is her grandson.

First political job
S. Agnew: Baltimore county zoning board
S. Palin: Wasliia City Council

First executive job
S. Agnew: Baltimore County executive, 4 years
S. Palin: Wasliia Mayor, 6 years

Election to governor
S. Agnew: 1968, by a margin of 49.5% to 40.6%. Ran on platform of reform and taking on the establishment. Served less than two years.
S. Palin: 2008, by a margin of 48.3% to 40.9%. Ran on platform of reform and taking on the establishment. Served less than two years, so far.

Selection as VP candidate:
S. Agnew: Surprise. Nixon, a moderate, picked him to keep conservatives happy and be energetic attack dog; he was clearly not part of the Washington elite and someone willing to "play second fiddle."
S. Palin: Surprise. McCain, a moderate, picked her to keep conservatives happy and be energetic attack dog; she was clearly a Washington outsider and someone who "knows her place."

Primary alternatives to their selection:
S. Agnew: Nixon preferred John Connaly, a Democrat who later became a Republican. Party base favored George Romney (Mitt's dad), who ran unsuccessfully in the primaries.
S. Palin: McCain preferred Joe Lieberman, a Democrat who likely will become a Republican. Party base favored Mitt Romney (George's son), who ran unsuccessfully in the primaries.

Prior meetings with the presidential candidate:
S. Agnew: Nixon met him twice before the convention: "You look a man in the eye and you know he's got it."
S. Palin: McCain met her once and talked to her on the phone once before the decision. Knew instantly she was "his soulmate and partner."

Legacy:
S. Agnew: Elected twice. Due to his lack of legislative experience he was ineffective in his role in the Senate, due to Nixon's lack of trust he was never a key player in the White House, making him one of the least effective VPs in US history. In 1973 he became the only VP to resign due to scandal-- he admitted to taking bribes, tax evasion, and money laundering while governor of Maryland. And for anyone who says a VP is meaningless--had this scandal come public only a year later, he would already have been President because Nixon had resigned in 1974 as a result of Watergate.
S. Palin: Undetermined. Allegations of scandal while governor of Alaska have not been resolved.