John McCain is having a Republican VP Pick Dog and Pony Show this weekend at his Sedona, Arizona ranch where three potential candidates will vie for the second slot on the Republican ticket in the upcoming November presidential election.
According to the New York Times, McCain has at least 20 candidates to look over before he settles on his "second-in-command". This Memorial Day weekend three politicians and their mates are invited for "social context" which is also the dreaded "dog and pony show".
The Setting: McCain's Sedona, Arizona Ranch
Sedonna, Arizona is a land of red sandstone cliffs and formations against the background of crystal clear blue skies and the Oak Creek Canyon. The air is dry and crisp, at night, the sky full of a million stars. A beautiful place to also pick a future running mate and potentially the next Vice President of the United States.
The McCain's call their ranch near Sedona, Hidden Valley. They built their first house on their little bit of western heaven 24 years ago. Oak Creek wends its way through the property where the McCains like to rustle up the standard western fare of barbeque to their guests.
The VP candidates will relax in the McCain's ranch style home replete with leather sofas, Navaho rugs and a painting of the Grand Canyon.
Dog and Pony Show
The term originated in the late 19th century to describe circuses which featured dog and pony acts that toured towns and cities across the United States but also refers to people who are thrust into social interactions such as cocktail parties, conventions, or McCain's Sedona VP Pick Retreat, where candidates are judged on their ability to interact socially.
It may seem simple, casual, and relaxed but the three candidates at McCain's Sedona ranch know every action, every remark, every faux pax will be carefully weighed by McCain and his advisers as to who will eventually fill the other half of McCain's Republican ticket. Not only will the candidates be on a 24 hour watch but so will their wives. The old adage, loose lips sink ships should be embroidered on the guest pillow shams as well as Miss Manners on the bedside table.
Every drink, every joke, every lapse of judgment goes into the hopper for later dissection. The candidates and their wives are on "parade", a dog and pony show where the winner takes the VP slot on the McCain ticket. The candidates must have the ability to balance charm, thoughtfulness, and intelligence with social graces.
A Careless Fart
By the end of Memorial Day weekend one of the three men invited to the McCain's Sedona retreat may have passed the Dog and Pony Show muster and emerge as the candidate to fill the other half of the Republican ticket.
A careless fart, excessive sweating, or a lack of humor may be frowned upon as well as needless chatter. So does a wooden personality, but then again back in 1992 Al Gore and his wife Tipper made the ticket as Bill Clinton's number two man where the Dog and Pony Show must have had a "slightly" different standard.
By LBG
Image - Dog and Pony Show
Source - New York Times - McCain Looks To Fill Ticket, and 3 Hopefuls Step up
Source - Visit Sedona
Image - Sedona
Source - CNN - No News, Just Ribs at McCain barbeque
Image - Fart
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