Open Thread - McCain’s Vice President?
By Justin Gardner | Related entries in 2008 Election, McCain
Yes, I definitely want to hear your picks and explanations for why. I’ll start…
If I were to guess, McCain is going to pick somebody younger (not that that’s going to be tough) and with gubernatorial experience. Many have said Tim Pawlenty, and I think he’s a good pick, but is he old enough at 47? Especially if McCain is going to hammer Obama on experience? And let’s not even get into Bobby Jindal, okay?
Mitt Romney is definitely on the radar, but I think he’s too much of a stuffed shirt and doesn’t really bring enough new economic thinking to the Republican party. The venture capital model? Been there, done that.
That leaves guys like Charlie Crist, who looks like he just stepped out of a Coppertone ad. But Crist would nearly solidify Florida for the Republicans, and they know they have to take that if Obama’s going to change up the electoral map and maybe deliver Colorado and Virginia in this election cycle.
Going outside the governor-o-sphere…obviously there’s Joe Lieberman, but he has proven to be a completely uninspiring VP pick before…but the idea of a unity ticket could trump Obama’s unity message, so don’t discount it quite yet.
Wild card? Tom Ridge. He’s an Pennsylvania guy, he has a TON of local and national political experience and he was reportedly Colin Powell’s choice for Secretary of Defense, with Donald Rumsfeld eventually getting the job. Yeah, sure, the terror alert thing was a bust, but Ridge has talked candidly about it after he left the DHS and so he could be one to watch.
Again, consider this an open thread.
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May 7th, 2008 at 10:55 am
I think Hucakbee needs to be on mccain’s list, he’s still pulling in decent numbers in the primaries for a guy who dropped out months ago
May 7th, 2008 at 11:07 am
Giuliani
He’s got “hands on” experience (the primary thing missing from the Bush administration was a grasp of how to handle the details - Iraq and New Orleans for examples), he gives inspiring speeches, he knows how to raise money (a McCain weakness) and he really admires McCain.
May 7th, 2008 at 11:07 am
I’d love to see Charlie Crist as his running mate.
May 7th, 2008 at 11:24 am
What’s the purplest state he can take with a wise VP choice? The answer lies there. I think FL feels like it’s 85% already in the GOP column. So maybek he should pick someone who helps him win a place like Ohio…a top 10 or 15 delegates state that is really up for grabs.
The other thought is to perhaps respond to Obama’s choice. My take is Obama is gonna take Richardson. Just a gut feeling from Richardson’s endorsement speech. That will create both a challenge in the SW and an even bigger dynamism gap. That might make Crist the choice, since I think Richardson could bring FL into play.
May 7th, 2008 at 11:43 am
McCain has weaknesses everywhere. The economy. The religious right. The “old white guy” thing. He can’t shore everything up with one choice. I think the fact that Condi Rice’s name has been mentioned often is evidence that McCain would like to make a dynamic choice to counteract the Democrats putting a minority at the top of the ticket. Unfortunately, Condi is too tied to Bush and has no real campaign experience. The Republican cupboards are pretty bare when it comes to qualified women and minorities. So most likely he’ll have to just go with a young white guy like Crist or Pawlenty. Sarah Palin (Gov. Alaska) is apparently on the list, although, at 44, she’s younger and less experienced than Obama.
May 7th, 2008 at 11:48 am
As Alan says, the cupboard is pretty bare. Perhaps Christine Whitman? Experience as a Governor. Not too tied to Bush, although she served in his cabinet - certainly further from him than Rice.
May 7th, 2008 at 12:16 pm
Whitman would be an interesting choice — in particular she doesn’t cost the Repubs a seat anywhere in what looks to be a very hard next couple of years. The Republicans can hardly afford to give up a sitting governor or senator in what looks to be a very hard next couple of election years. But I wonder if there weren’t hard feelings or, worse, skeletons in the closet around her departure from the cabinet.
Huckabee is only valuable if McCain thinks there’s a chance of Huck voters staying home in November — he doesn’t win anyone from Obama with that choice, so it needs to be twice as many votes.
May 7th, 2008 at 1:41 pm
The Pawlenty choice gives him someone youthful, experienced with difficult matters like the 35W bridge collapse and he’s a red who won in a blue state which shows he has some crossover appeal for independents. I think he makes a logical choice.
May 8th, 2008 at 9:44 am
Actually, I’m a Democrat voting for McCain because Clinton isn’t going to get the nomination. I’d like to see McCain/Lieberman, but I don’t know how strong conservatives would feel about that pairing. I think Independents and weak Democrats would go for it.
May 8th, 2008 at 12:53 pm
I actually love the idea of McCain/Lieberman. Both are wise, experienced good men and political centrists who love this country. It’d appeal to Democrats, Republicans, and Independents. Two middle-of-the-road politicians would gather momentum and would make it more challenging for Obama and his VP to win.
Here’s an article on it:
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2008/04/for_mccain_theres_only_one_per.html
May 9th, 2008 at 12:17 am
rEVOLuton
May 11th, 2008 at 4:52 pm
Okay, here’s the deal. Huckabee is a socialist, who just happens to be “christian” . . . BFD!
There is not one single state that Barrack Hussien Obama will win without Huckabee supporters.
On the other hand Mitt Romney will help deliver CO, NV, MI, NH and possibly MA. Plus he is the only viable candidate who has a proven ability to raise money.
Romney is the GOP’s best chance at picking a VP that will actually make a difference.
RON PAUL backers can’t be reasoned with and Huckabee backers will vote for McCain/Romney over the Black guy/Woman every single time.
McCain / Romney ‘08