Romney VP search: free-floating speculation and wish list thread

[RogueBeaver]

Jindal or Ryan.

[RogueBeaver]

Take a look at past GOP VP picks- the VP is almost (Cheney excepted) always younger and/or of a different generation than the nominee. Plus being from a different wing of the party.

1980: Reagan 69, GHWB 56.
1988: GHWB 64, Quayle 41.
1996: Dole 73, Kemp 61.
2008: McCain 72, Palin 44.

[RogueBeaver]

Oops, my bad.

[RogueBeaver]

Actually, after the media buzz of this primary and the way he was able to turn out Republicans, Walker could actually put the state in play for Romney. The effect of walker in WI would probably be stronger than the effect of Rubio in Florida or Portman in Ohio.

Having Wisconsin in the GOP column would really help Romney.

Personally, I'm not a fan of Walker. But I think he could be a net positive.

If Romney picks a Badger it will be Ryan, not Walker.

[RogueBeaver]

It won't be a 20-monther. IMO either Portman or Ryan. Portman has spent more time with Romney but Ryan has by far the best chemistry, so take from that what you will.

[RogueBeaver]

What's the track record for Sandoval as Governor?

Pro-choice, tax-raiser, failed to prevent a hostile takeover of the state GOP by Paultards.

[RogueBeaver]

My prediction is still Paul Ryan.

[RogueBeaver]

One of the many reasons why Christie can't be VP.

http://www.tmz.com/2012/07/06/chris-christie-governor-jersey-shore-video-boardwalk-fight/

[RogueBeaver]

Alphabetically:

Jindal
Pawlenty
Portman
Ryan

[RogueBeaver]

Yeah, Romney's totally picking an uber-Bushie moderate with no elective experience. Drudge is blowing smoke and/or head faking. The scoop about "coming weeks" sounds more plausible.

[RogueBeaver]

Doesn't it make sense...that Mitt Romney wants to have a surprise VP pick to get some positive/focused news coverage on his campaign?

It obviously isn't Condi Rice, that was done to draw fascination, and now the talks of Pawlenty, I think that's done to draw some speculation, but now I think it won't be him. I remember McCain had his Tom Ridge moment, Tim Pawlenty moment, even Mitt Romney moment.

I think it's going to be a woman...

We're thinking the same way. I think Romney is deliberately false-flagging to different outlets- Pawlenty to NYT/Race42012/Drudge, Jindal to WSJ/WaPo. Portman's buzz has died down a bit, so has Ryan's. It's like musical chairs- whoever's name is last floated won't be picked.

*The fact that Drudge has bannered the NYT article, after the Rice stuff last week and what we know about Drudge coordinating with Boston furthers my suspicion Pawlenty is a false-flag.

[RogueBeaver]

So he's going to end up going with a surprise/safe pick? This is weird. It's also getting kind of exciting. I still hope it'll be Ryan.

I'm quite confident that whoever gets the last round of buzz won't be it.

[RogueBeaver]

I think it's going to be someone like Marsha Blackburn or Cathy McMorris-Rodgers. They won't upstage Romney and the public doesn't know too much about them. As far as I know, they don't have major skeletons in their closet so public fascination onto them shouldn't be damaging...?

No, just no.

On the personality thing: Romney doesn't want a) yes-men (Bob McDonnell) b) people who don't click (Rob Portman) or people who forget who's in charge (Chris Christie). For all we know Blackburn and CMR do have skeletons because they've never had a media spotlight shone on them. That's what happened to Palin. You want someone who's been publicly vetted, which all the shortlisters (Portman/Pawlenty/Ryan IMO) have.

[RogueBeaver]

Would Romney really leak the pick days in advance?

Portman: Doubtful. He's the Bushiest of Bushies not named Bush, plus by most accounts he failed the chem test.

McDonnell: He blew it with his sycophancy/yes-man shtick and publicly campaigning for the job a la John Edwards '04. I said at the time it would come back to haunt him and it did. Last I heard he said he wasn't being vetted.

[RogueBeaver]

I agree. If the rollout is this week and we don't hear any buzz about him in the next 48-72 hours then I'll be a bit more confident. Yet like you, I'm cautiously optimistic and will believe it when I see it. Not before.

[RogueBeaver]

Who?

[RogueBeaver]

What if Romney uncharacteristically decides to pull a 1956 Stevenson-lite?  Let's say Romney decides after all his vetting that there are two or three people remaining from his short list and that he has no obvious preference between them.  Submitting his his picks to the convention for them to decide would certainly create some buzz for the boring ritual that conventions are these days.

So if Romney submits say Portman, Ryan, and Jindal to the convention, who do you think wins?  Does it go past a first ballot?

Not happening.

[RogueBeaver]

Jindal or Ryan would be my choices.

[RogueBeaver]

Yep. Which is why Romney needs an effective communicator as his Veep.

[RogueBeaver]

I still say Portman.

As a CNN guest commentator said the other day-

Portman is as solid as a rock and as safe as a seat belt.

Putting Bush on the ballot and risking a Senate seat? I don't think so.

[RogueBeaver]

It isn't Christie and that's not Romney's looking for- NYT has a couple of articles on that subject. Romney wants someone of similar temperament.

[RogueBeaver]

Can someone explain again why Sandoval isn't being looked at. Is it true he raised taxes? I thought he just made cuts to the budget. His approvals are high, plus 20 while in the 50s.

Who? Oh yeah, the guy no one's ever heard of who raised taxes, is pro-choice and had his state party cannibalized by Paulites.