Republican VP nominee?

[RogueBeaver]

Unless by some fluke Palin is nominated, in which case we have '72 Redux VP-wise, who do you think it will be?

My prediction: it will be Bobby Jindal.

Requirements:

- Interfactional unity
- Conservative beloved by base
- Personality
- Experience
- (Romney): healthcare
- reform record


Jindal has all of these, plus a charming, self-deprecating and fiery personality that will do him well on the trail. He's hardly been coy about his ambitions, almost openly flirting with the idea in various interviews while making crystal-clear that Romney is his candidate.

All those named such as Rubio, Martinez, Sandoval, Ayotte are 20-monthers, and lest we forget, Sarah Palin had been governor for that exact period of time when she was picked. While they're more substantial figures than Palin, they're far too inexperienced and apart from Rubio, none of them have given even a hint of national ambitions.

So let's discuss.

[RogueBeaver]

He rejected McCain (who was quite enthusiastic for him) for very specific reasons.

1) Inexperience: he had been governor for all of 5 months in 2008.
2) ID politics: without the experience, it would have been painted as an ID politics pick and debased both his and McCain's political currency.
3) Age: he is literally half McCain's age. Republicans often pick a VP a generation younger than the running mate (Bush, Palin) but given McCain's health issues...
4) "Train wreck" was his understated but accurate description of the McCain campaign.

Today none of those things apply. Have you heard any of his interviews recently? "I won't comment on a job that hasn't been offered to me" is hardly a Shermanesque statement.

As for Rubio et al, the ID politics and inexperience points from 2008 apply to them as well. He isn't a tea partier, but a conservative affiliated with the TP. A Teeper would be someone like Angle, Miller or Rand Paul. Rubio is a career legislator and was a Jeb Bush protege in Tallahasee.


BTW, I predicted Palin in July, hopefully I'm twice lucky on the Veep pool.

If anyone has any other suggestions, please discuss.

[RogueBeaver]

Sanity?

[RogueBeaver]

First of all, Palin is not going to settle for the VP slot after having been on it once. This is presuming that she runs when, again, there is absolutely no indication that she is. Secondly: Romney would not even consider her. There are plenty of other people who can rally the base.


As a side note: today Rubio categorically ruled out the VP slot, and I'm quite certain that like Jindal in '08 (but for different reasons) he'll refuse a vetting, but the nominee's camp will name-drop him to sate the media's appetite.

[RogueBeaver]

It won't happen, not just because DeMint is far too controversial and said controversy would detract from the Romney campaign, but also because DeMint wants to focus on being the conservative conscience in the Senate for his final term.