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

[morgieb]

Kelly Ayotte

Pros: Woman, young, from a swingish state, a lot more conservative than her state, has legislative experience.
Cons: Prone to being tarred with the Palin brush, 2 New Englanders might put off some Southerners.

Richard Burr

Pros: Won't overshadow Romney, legislative experience, safe hand.
Cons: Too safe? Little known and unpopular in his home state.

Jeb Bush

Pros: Helps with Hispanics, high name recognition, quite popular, strong experience.
Cons: He's called Jeb Bush.

Chris Christie

Pros: Popular, will energise base.
Cons: Overshadow ticket, might have problems with style.

Mitch Daniels

Pros: Experienced, budget strengths, safe.
Cons: Bland, linked with Bush.

Nikki Haley

Pros: Minority female.
Cons: Vetting issues, not overly popular in SC.

Mike Huckabee

Pros: Blue collar appeal, well known.
Cons: Might overshadow Romney, not so economically sound, has issues with Romney.

Bobby Jindal

Pros: Legislative and executive experience, very popular, minority
Cons: Perhaps too conservative, perhaps not ready.

Susana Martinez

Pros: Minority female, swing state.
Cons: Shades of Palin, says she isn't interested.

Bob McDonnell

Pros: Safe, swing state, willing.
Cons: Possibly too conservative.

Rand Paul

Pros: Helps with libertarians.
Cons: Too unorthodox.

Tim Pawlenty

Pros: Safe, vetted.
Cons: Bland, not from a swing state.

Rob Portman    

Pros: Helps in Ohio, safe, experienced.
Cons: Links to Bush, not that well known.

Cathy McMorris Rodgers    

Pros: Woman
Cons: Little known, only a house member.

Paul Ryan

Pros: Excites Republican base, good with the budget, swing state.
Cons: Too controversial.

Rick Santorum

Pros: Helps with blue-collar voters.
Cons: Presidential race was rather messy, too conservative.

John Thune

Pros: Safe, legislative experience.
Cons: Bland, South Dakota not a swing state.

Pat Toomey

Pros: Safe, from swing state.
Cons: Too conservative.

[morgieb]

Random idea: why not Mitch McConnell? He's experienced, a GOP leader, a proven conservative, a Southerner, and a boring white guy.

Congress is unpopular for a reason.

[morgieb]

Here are my thoughts about the chances of current sitting governors and senators of getting a veep slot.

Bob Bentley (R-AL) is from a state that the Republicans will carry anyway. Forget it.
Richard Shelby (R-AL) is from a state that the Republicans will carry anyway. Forget it.
Jeff Sessions (R-AL) is from a state that the Republicans will carry anyway. Forget it.
Sean Parnell (R-AK) is from a state that the Republicans will carry anyway, plus also has Palin baggage.
Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) is not from a swing state and was primaried for not being conservative enough. Romney is smart enough to realise he has a problem with the base.
Jan Brewer (R-AZ) has got too much baggage from the SB1070 decision and may turn off independents. She would be a reasonable choice otherwise though.
John McCain (R-AZ) is too old and not the same maverick person that he was in 2000. His presidency run in 2008 has changed things significantly.
Jon Kyl (R-AZ) is retiring and probably too conservative/partisan.
John Boozman (R-AR) is a little known Senator from a red state. Forget it.
Rick Scott (R-FL) would be a detriment to the ticket. No chance.
Marco Rubio (R-FL) has got it all – he’s young, Hispanic, from the mother of swing states and charismatic. In addition, the base loves him, and it would give the ticket a lot of attention. He is probably the most attractive choice out of anyone, event despite being quite inexperienced. But is he interested?
Nathan Deal (R-GA) is not very well known and is probably too conservative for America.
Saxby Chambliss (R-GA) ran an infamous campaign against Max Cleland, accusing him for lacking patriotism despite Chambliss never fighting in Vietnam and Vietnam costing Cleland several limbs. The Democrats would attack him big time for that.
Johnny Isakson (R-GA) is a solid conservative from the South, so may be plausible as a long shot.
Butch Otter (R-ID) is little-known and while the libertarians might like him, he doesn’t really have a shot at it.
Michael Crapo (R-ID) is a solid conservative but wouldn’t add anything to the ticket.
James Risch (R-ID) is in much of the same problems as Crapo, but not very well-known either.
Mark Kirk (R-IL) couldn’t carry Illinois and is too moderate for the base.
Mitch Daniels (R-IN) would be a very interesting pick. Most of the GOP likes him – conservatives think he’s a conservative, moderates think he’s a moderate, and he bring Romney gravitas on the economy. But is he conservative enough? He also has issues with his wife, and was a budget director for Bush. Is it worth the risk?
Dick Lugar (R-IN) just got primaried out of existence. Not much chance Romney will go for him.
Daniel Coats (R-IN) is a solid conservative so may be a possibility in a worst case scenario, but Romney can probably win Indiana on his own and he is rather old.
Terry Branstad (R-IA) would be a very interesting pick. He has been governor since the 80’s, yet is only one year older than Romney. He can help very much in Iowa, and his experience will definitely help. However, conservatives aren’t big fans of him, so it’s probably only a long shot.
Chuck Grassley (R-IA) is too old for the ticket.
Sam Brownback (R-KS) is a very interesting choice. He can fire up Santorum’s old supporters who think Romney isn’t really a conservative. He also has legislative and executive experience (both a Senator and Governor). A downside is that Kansas is not a swing state.
Pat Roberts (R-KS) is too old and in a red state.
Jerry Moran (R-KS) is younger, but is too conservative for America as a whole, with Tea Party baggage.
Mitch McConnell (R-KY) will probably end up the Senate Majority Leader if Romney wins. It is doubtful that he’d accept a Veep slot. Besides, he is too partisan for the country, and as a leader of Congress, which is very unpopular, it is a bad idea.
Rand Paul (R-KY) would probably pick up Paul’s old supporters who may vote elsewhere, but his positions are too radical for America.
Bobby Jindal (R-LA) looks like a strong pick. He is Indian, fairly young and has legislative and executive experience. It would also give the ticket some attractiveness. However, he is not from a swing state, and the SOTU response in 2009 perhaps suggests he may not be such a strong candidate in reality.
David Vitter (R-LA) was caught up in a prostitution scandal. Although it is a long time ago, it could still hurt him outside of Louisiana.

[morgieb]

Paul LePage (R-ME) is from a blue state and is very conservative, but isn’t very popular and only won his election due to a vote split. Not a good pick
Olympia Snowe (R-ME) is far too moderate for the base, so much so she decided to retire due to the partisanship of the Senate.
Susan Collins (R-ME) hasn’t retired yet and is a woman but Romney would get hammered by the base if he chose Collins.
Scott Brown (R-MA) is ineligible due to the 12th Amendment, would give the Democrats a free seat if he took the offer, couldn’t carry his home state and is too moderate for the base. It wouldn’t work.
Rick Snyder (R-MI) is conservative and from a blue state but is rather unpopular over in Michigan and might drag the ticket down.
Phil Bryant (R-MS) is very inexperienced and from a very red state. A non-starter.
Thad Cochran (R-MS) is too old, but would otherwise be a good pick as he is very experienced, perceived as a moderate and is from the South.
Roger Wicker (R-MS) is a solid conservative but doesn’t bring anything on the ticket.
Roy Blunt (R-MO) isn’t very popular in his state, so would probably be a detriment to the ticket.
Dave Heineman (R-NE) would be an interesting pick. Although he isn’t from a swing state he has experience and also served in the military. However, it remains a long shot.
Mike Johans (R-NE) has been in a Cabinet, a Governor and a Senator. However, he isn’t very well known and from a red state.
Brian Sandoval (R-NV) would make a great pick on paper due to being from a swing state and a Hispanic, but his tax raises and pro-choice positions would kill Romney with the base.
Dean Heller (R-NV) was only appointed to his job and would probably give his seat to a Democrat if he took a Veep slot. Doesn’t look likely.
Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) is probably the most likely pick out of the women. She’s young, reasonably conservative and from a swing state. Two Northerners may be a problem with parts of the base, but it probably isn’t a deal breaker.
Chris Christie (R-NJ) would change the game completely. Although New Jersey isn’t competitive, it might force Obama to campaign there if Romney chose Christie. His attack dog stance is admired by Republicans, but he may be too controversial and would overshadow Romney. Romney needs safe, not flaky.
Susana Martinez (R-NM) would be a great pick as a Latina from a state the Republicans might carry with her help, but she does not want the job for family reasons.
Richard Burr (R-NC) looks a pretty interesting proposition. He is from a swing state, is fairly experienced, and safe. However, he isn’t very well known in North Carolina despite being their Senator for eight years, perhaps making a weak peak for Romney.
Jack Dalrymple (R-ND) isn’t very well known and is from a red state.
John Hoeven (R-ND) is not from a swing state but is otherwise a very strong pick for Romney. He has legislative and executive experience, and has economic creditability as the head of a major bank in North Dakota. He is fairly moderate, and is quite young despite his experience. It remains a long shot however.
John Kasich (R-OH) is much too unpopular for the gig and lost a major legislative achievement by referendum. Despite Ohio being a major swing state, don’t count on it.
Rob Portman (R-OH) looks the favourite at this stage. He knows about the economy, and is from a major swing state. He also gives the ticket gravitas and is a safe pick. However, he was the budget director under Bush, which the Democrats could attack due to the recession.
Mary Fallin (R-OK) is a woman, but any Republican who couldn’t win Oklahoma wasn’t trying hard enough.
Jim Inhofe (R-OK) is too conservative for America.
Tom Coburn (R-OK) is loved by conservatives due to his principled stands, but is much too conservative for America.
Tom Corbett (R-PA) is from a swing state but like other Midwestern governors he is rather unpopular.
Pat Toomey (R-PA) is a fairly safe pick on paper but his Club for Growth links will kill him in a general election.
Nikki Haley (R-SC) is an attractive pick on paper as an Indian-American woman, but she has been a cause of controversy as governor. Not the right pick for Romney.
Lindsey Graham (R-SC) is bipartisan, but may be seen as too moderate by the base, particularly given he’s from a safe Republican state.
Jim DeMint (R-SC) is much too conservative for the country as a whole and would have more power staying in the Senate.
Dennis Daugaard (R-SD) is a little-known governor from a red state. Forget it.
John Thune (R-SD) is not from a swing state but has a lot of pros otherwise. He’s fairly experienced, telegenic and conservative enough to play well with the base but not annoy independents. If Romney feels the need that he wants a safe pick, he’d be a very strong pick.
Bill Haslam (R-TN) is a little-known governor from a red state. Forget it.
Lamar Alexander (R-TN) could be a good pick as a moderate from the South, but he’s getting very old.
Bob Corker (R-TN) would be an interesting pick. He is safe pick, and has been fairly bipartisan and respected in his Senate career. It looks possible as a long shot.
Rick Perry (R-TX) flopped significantly as a presidential candidate. If he was smarter, he’d be where Romney is right now.
Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) is retiring to avoid as the base didn’t think she was conservative enough. A non-starter.
John Cornyn (R-TX) is possible on paper but isn’t in reality. He has experience but might be too conservative, besides his current positions of power suit him better at this stage.
Gary Herbert (R-UT) is from a state that the Republicans will carry anyway. Forget it.
Orrin Hatch (R-UT) is experienced, but is a Mormon like Romney, so that wouldn’t work.
Mike Lee (R-UT) has credibility from libertarians, but it would be a waste for Romney to pick someone from Utah.
Bob McDonnell (R-VA) is a fairly strong pick as someone from a swing state and (unlike many governors) very popular there. He is also very safe. However, his links to Pat Robertson may put the focus on social issues, which Romney doesn’t want.
Scott Walker (R-WI) was almost recalled due to the union issues, but survived it. If the Republicans feel they want to attack the Democrats with all they’ve got, Walker is a possibility.
Ronald Johnson (R-WI) is from a swing state but is too right-wing for the country as a whole.
Matthew Mead (R-WY) is from a state that the Republicans will carry anyway. Forget it.
Michael Enzi (R-WY) is from a state that the Republicans will carry anyway. Forget it.
John Barrasso (R-WY) is from a state that the Republicans will carry anyway. Forget it.

[morgieb]

I wonder how high Rick Perry woulda been on the list if he hadn't had that embarrassing campaign.

Well he wouldn't even be on the list, as he'd be the one doing the Veep search