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

[HagridOfTheDeep]

Governor Martinez. I sound like a broken record.

[HagridOfTheDeep]

Thine is not bad. I just really can't believe people are choosing Paul Ryan. To me, that is just such an obvious disaster in the making.

[HagridOfTheDeep]

I don't know that he'd be interested in the job. And in an election where the economy is number 1, I don't see him having much credibility in a debate against Biden. That aside, I think he'd be a good VP. Just not a great candidate.

[HagridOfTheDeep]

I think Bush would be a solid pick. I just don't think Romney would take the risk. When's the last time he said the name "Bush"?

[HagridOfTheDeep]

I've been wondering about that myself. And before people pull the age card, I honestly don't think the age of Romney's VP matters much.

I've also been wondering a bit about Gingrich. He's been an okay surrogate, and as much of a grump as he is, he'd be a good adversary for Biden and he sure as hell knows what he's talking about.

[HagridOfTheDeep]

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He needs a southerner on the ticket. Going with Thune will show that Romney doesn't give a **** about the South.

This is why he should go with Christine O'Donnell.

She's not married.

Also, I'm pretty sure she's a witch.

[HagridOfTheDeep]

Biden wasn't a game changer. Democrats were going to win in 2008 no matter what. Mike Gravel probably could've beaten whoever the GOP nominee ended up being.

[HagridOfTheDeep]

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.

[HagridOfTheDeep]

I just thought of this last night. What about...... John McCain?

I was shot down for suggesting this a while back. But I actually think it would be an inspired choice that I could get behind. The man may not be the most conservative guy in the world, but he's got some "down home" appeal that makes him a lot more relatable to voters than Romney or Obama.

It'll never happen though.

[HagridOfTheDeep]

I just thought of this last night. What about...... John McCain?

I was shot down for suggesting this a while back. But I actually think it would be an inspired choice that I could get behind. The man may not be the most conservative guy in the world, but he's got some "down home" appeal that makes him a lot more relatable to voters than Romney or Obama.

It'll never happen though.

That'd be a terrible pick.  He really doesn't bring much to the table other than a "down home" appeal, and factoring in his 2008 campaign, he really wouldn't add much to Romney's numbers.

He doesn't help Romney electorally in any one region, but just as a VP, I think he'd be great. He fills the foreign policy void that Romney needs to fill.

[HagridOfTheDeep]

I think the buzz of an Ayotte pick would be positive and sustainable. While the media would still draw comparisons between her and Palin, I think Ayotte would be able to debunk those comparisons just based on a good performance on the campaign trail

And at that point, people will be surprised and refreshed that she is not Palin, and the excitement would continue from there.

[HagridOfTheDeep]

Assuming Obamacare is overturned before Roberts is announced... it wouldn't go over well. It would give Obama a lot of firing power to  rebut the SCOTUS decision.

[HagridOfTheDeep]

[broken record]Martinez[/broken record]

[HagridOfTheDeep]

Perfect "what-if" VP's:
- Martinez in CO instead of NM, elected in '06
- Rice being pro-life
- Jeb Bush not being a Bush

This last one is an interesting one. If Jeb Bush was not a Bush, he'd probably be too moderate for a lot of the base. The Bush name is arguably what gives him so much appeal. It is a huge double-edged sword, and part of me thinks the Bush name would be an asset.

The buzz it would make would be HUGE, and all Jeb would have to do to debunk media criticism would be to open his mouth. No Texas drawl and extremely thoughtful. I think the Bush name, here, could be a net positive.

[HagridOfTheDeep]

At least he's got some personality.

[HagridOfTheDeep]

Sarah Palin would be a better pick than Jon Huntsman at this point.

[HagridOfTheDeep]

It's only becoming a millstone because Obama is hugely effective at manipulating people. If I was Romney, I'd release a three-point ad tackling Obama's BS head on... "Romney's Bain Leadership."

[HagridOfTheDeep]

My wish-list for Romney's VP:

1. Susana Martinez
2. Hillary Clinton

Since neither seem close to the realm of possibility (), I'll have to go with Ryan. I think he could turn away some seniors, but at this point I think it's more important to have a pick who will generate buzz than a pick who won't. Ryan is the only one on the shortlist who'd get people talking.

[HagridOfTheDeep]

I agree clarence. It's exactly what led McCain to choose Palin.

I've never disputed the logic of the Palin pick. I think it was a smart move that would have worked better if Palin was a better candidate (Martinez?). That being said, I still think Palin did a lot of good for that ticket.

[HagridOfTheDeep]

It would probably play out well in places like Ohio and Michigan and Pennsylvania though.

[HagridOfTheDeep]

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