Romney's Running Mate

[Vosem]

Who do you think Romney is likely to choose from?

I think the list includes Lamar Alexander, Marco Rubio, Jim DeMint, Saxby Chambliss, Richard Burr, Jeff Sessions,  John Cornyn, Lindsey Graham and Haley Barbour. John Thune would be perfect if he were from the South, but since he is not I think he is out of the equation (Same goes for Mitch Daniels since Romney almost surely needs a southerner). Rick Perry, Newt Gingrich and Rand Paul (Ron Paul's son) are long-shots.

These are the dozen that I think are most likely. What do you think?

I also believe that choosing DeMint would probably be most effective at appeasing disgruntled southerners, social conservatives and Tea Partiers alike. Plus, if Romney guaranteed DeMint the VP slot in return for an endorsement prior to the South Carolina primary, that would probably be sufficient to end the presidential race in South Carolina. Hard to see Romney's victory in New Hampshire followed by a DeMint endorsement in South Carolina not leading to a win in South Carolina and therefore the nomination shortly thereafter.

The Romney/DeMint ticket provides ideological harmony, geographical balance, and the ticket has a nice ring to it. The candidates look like a natural fit when they stand side-by-side. By all accounts, they are good friends who also have an exceptional professional relationship (DeMint endorsed Romney in 2008, and actually convinced Romney to run back in 2007). Furthermore, DeMint is more than capable of holding his own against Biden in a debate. For these reasons, I think Romney/DeMint is probably the best choice for victory in 2012.

If he should choose an unabashed right-winger, then he loses almost all advantage that he has over Rick Perry in the swing states of the North and near-North.  Except in freak years like 2010, such right-wingers don't win  in Northern states. One good question: could any of the candidates be elected in Ohio?

Most by double-digits. You do have a point when saying some would only be elected by single digits in an average year.

They may have avoided controversy so far that keep them from being troublesome in a Presidential election... but the Democrats will be looking for payback.

Here's my crazy pick: Charlie Crist.

Lol

[milhouse24]

I think Crist should run for Senate against Nelson, he can't lose twice can he?  or just run for governor again.

He'll never be a national candidate, too many skeletons in the closet, and witnesses/lovers too.  He's got the Lindsay Graham problem. 

[MyRescueKittehRocks]

I don't think Romney will be the nominee. If he is it would take the right vp (and I think he won't pick a conservative further brewing the split I see coming) for me not to vote third party.

[redcommander]

I'll continue what I've been saying for months and say that Jim Demint would be the best choice, for all the reasons listed above. Yeah, it'd be nice to have a minority on the ticket, and it sucks that Demint isn't from a swing state, but the two of them together should present Obama a pretty formidable challenge.

DeMint adds nothing to the ticket. If anything he is a drag on it, and might alienate voters in New England and out West who would otherwise be open to voting for Romney.

[Psychic Octopus]

I think McDonnell would be an excellent pick. A Governor-Governor ticket creates a Washington "outsider" look, and McDonnell adds Virgina to the Republican column. He's southern, but not overly so, and would not turn off voters in the Northeast and Midwest. The only major problem might be the whole "Confederate History Month" thing, but I suspect that people who care about that aren't voting GOP anyway.

[President von Cat]

In all seriousness, what about Herman Cain?

It creates a ticket that the Tea Party folks can rally around, it also has "business competency" at its core which will appear to the more establishment Republicans.

I've seen Romney give Cain props on the debate stage a couple of times now. It seems like the two gents have a good rapport built up.

The only downside is that Cain would upstage Romney or could potentially say more inappropriate things about Muslim Americans. But he's a known quantity now, unlike Sarah Palin in the heat of the 2008 election, which should mitigate any weirdness with the electorate next fall.

NiK, I think McDonnell would be a great pick for someone like Perry, who would already have the full support of the southern GOP base and Tea Party and needed a moderate to win over indies and centrist Republicans. Romney will need to assuage the base a bit, which is why he'd need someone a bit more tea-flavored than McDonnell.

[Politico]

Here's my crazy pick: Charlie Crist.

That would have been like John Kerry picking Jim McGreevey in 2004.. Not a good idea, if you catch my drift.