Clinton VP news LATEST: Podesta now calling the losers to tell them its not them

[Fuzzy Bear]

I hate to say it but how you look is important.  Rubio did not look presidential in the least because he is young and looks young for his age.

Castro has the same problem as a VP.  He looks very young and doesn't have a lick of foreign policy experience.  He has a bright future for sure.  He needs to wait eight years though.  it's just a fact.

Trump - His best VP choice by far....wait for it!  Is Jim Webb.  He would give Trump some serious foreign policy cred and could be in the spirit of a deal making bipartisan ticket.  What do you think?  He was actually one of the few that was against the Iraq war too.  Important for Trump

Agreed on this at a policy/compatibility level. 

I don't think the GOP would have this, even if Webb officially rejoins the GOP.  Sessions would provide Trump with much of what Webb would without dampening enthusiasm.  Although McCain may well have been elected had he picked Lieberman as his VP and told the rest of the crowd "Tough noogies!".

[Fuzzy Bear]

The more i think about it Newt is the prefect pick for Trump.  He's basically like Trumps Dick Cheney.  Washington insider with experience at fighting the Clinton's.  Also he was runner up in 2012 gop primary somewhat so the voters already know who he is.

Gingrich, whatever he may be, is a "movement conservative".  He's the closest thing to Reagan and Goldwater out there, and he brings a sort of nostalgic appeal for a swath of voters that are partisan, but not totally sold on Trump.

[Fuzzy Bear]

Under normal circumstances, Kasich, Rubio, and Cruz would be good choices for Trump.  This year, however, these folks have said things about Trump that go beyond the pale, and Trump has said things about them that go beyond the pale.

I can't see how Cruz could accept under any circumstances.  Given how personal Trump's attacks became regarding Cruz and his wife, I personally believe that Cruz's credibility would take a hit if he even said that he was VOTING for Trump.

Kasich's and Rubio's statements are what they are.  They're on the record, and they, too, would lose credibility if they accepted a Trump offer to be VP.

In 1972, George McGovern had the opportunity to choose then-Gov. Jimmy Carter (D-GA) as his VP choice.  Carter was talking out of both sides of his mouth; he was a Henry Jackson supporter (stiffing both George Wallace and Wallace's Georgia surrogate, Lt. Gov. Lester Maddox) who was making pubic statements on how unelectable McGovern was, and how far to the left he was from the average Democrat in Georgia.  At the same time, Carter was secretly pushing himself as a possible running-mate for McGovern.  (McGovern rejected him, and privately referred to Carter as "the biggest p---k in politics".) 

Despite the rift between McGovern and Carter, had Carter been chosen as McGovern's VP candidate, it would have worked out better than what happened.  McGovern would not have lost by as huge a margin, and Carter's presence might have given a moderating influence to the ticket without Carter having to repudiate anything he has said prior to the convention.  That's not the case with Kasich, Rubio, and Cruz.  What they've said goes to the character of Trump, and they've said things they can't walk back.  After all, if Trump really is a "con man" and a "carnival barker" and a "racist", and yada, yada, yada, and you've gone on record as saying so, how can you even credibly endorse him, even timidly?  How can you credibly claim that Hillary would be worse.  In Trump's case, he CANNOT take someone who's let loose with such statements, because it will detract from the credibility of all concerned, and raise the question of "If Trump's THAT bad, why aren't anti-Trump Republicans supporting Hillary?"

[Fuzzy Bear]

Another name being floated in the Trump veepstakes: Richard Burr:

http://www.newsobserver.com/news/politics-government/politics-columns-blogs/under-the-dome/article83085657.html

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I actually thought of Burr.  Burr's up for re-election this year, so I don't know if he can run for both offices, and I doubt Burr would do it if he had to give up his Senate seat.  But Trump NEEDS North Carolina, and it's more in play than it ought to be.  Burr will only have to keep being from North Carolina and not make any stupid statements.

[Fuzzy Bear]

I have wondered as to whether Hillary would select Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME).  Collins has stated that she would not endorse Trump until she sees what happens at the convention.  I read this along the lines of Democratic Senators Robert Byrd, Herman Talmadge, Warren Magunson, Russell Long, and Joseph Montoya in 1972; they all told Democrat-for-Nixon Bruce Smathers that they were not happy with the McGovern endorsement and were looking for a way to avoid endorsing him.  That's where Collins is at, IMO.

If Hillary offered Collins the VP slot, I see no way she could refuse.  It would be a historic pick, and it would be such a coup that the Sanderistas couldn't credibly complain.  Collins is a moderate, and her switch to the Democrats would be credible.  Such a pick might have the effect of a lot of #NeverTrump moderates actually vote for Hillary, and not just abstain, or vote third party. 

[Fuzzy Bear]

Susan Collins is a good person and she knows how to appeal to people in both parties, but she is a terrible speaker and I think Democrats would prefer her in the Senate to be a dealmaker. The Dems would obviously win her seat if she became VP, but I think her influence in the Senate is arguably more valuable than a Dem seat outright. She'd also get savaged by the GOP like what happened to Hagel when he got appointed SecDef.

The positive publicity for Hillary in picking Collins would be tremendous.  Collins could then switch parties, putting the Democrats that much closer to picking up the Senate.  Collins' mere presence on the Democratic ticket would be a stinging rebuke to Trump.

Along those lines, Christine Todd Whitman is a possible VP pick for Hillary, though nowhere near the coup Collins would be.

[Fuzzy Bear]

So, does anyone know when Trump is going to announce who he picked?

Pence has until noon on the 15th (which is next week Friday...earlier I erroneously said it was Thursday, but it's Friday) to withdraw from the governor's race.  Since it sounds like Pence is one of the finalists, I assume Trump will decided before then.  My guess is any time between Monday and Thursday of next week.

Highly unlikely Pence leaves the governor's mansion in Indiana where he will likely win for an almost hopeless VP run where he loses that governor's post

But he has to be at least strongly considering it, no?  Otherwise, what is the point of stringing the Trump people along like this?  If he had no intention of leaving the governor's mansion, he could have just told them that he's not interested, as so many other potential veep candidates have done.

I can't imagine it makes any sense at all for Pence. He has to know that Trump is hopeless and he'd have a better shot of running for President himself next cycle. Unless Pence is a true believer or is in a terrible position for reelection as governor, there's no way he'd logically want it and ruin his career

One:  Trump is not hopeless; he's an underdog.

Two:  If Pence takes it and Trump is elected, he'd be VP and a likely GOP Presidential nominee one day.

Three:  If Pence takes it, and Trump does better than expected, Pence may get a lion's share of the credit for that.  He'll be in the position in 2020 that Ed Muskie was in for the Democrats in 1972.  That Muskie botched the 1972 campaign is another story; but he was the presumptive front-runner from the Democrats from November, 1968 through New Hampshire in 1972 (and even there, Muskie at least won the primary). 

If Pence takes the position and does well, he'll leapfrog over the rest of the GOP field for 2020 if Trump loses.  If, however, he conspicuously refuses and Trump's losses seep down-ballot at a large level, Pence may well be seen as a guy who could have made it less worse.  Besides, what does Pence have to gain by another 4 years as Indiana Governor, compared to being a VP nominee?

I think Pence would be foolish to refuse if he wants to be President someday.

[Fuzzy Bear]

But again, politicians are narcissists, so maybe Pence thinks that he's so awesome that voters will be impressed with him even if they don't like Trump.

Pence is a great guy, and I think people will like him. Conservatives already love him.

Pence also has the benefit of having not made statements about Trump he would have to walk back if tapped as VP.  A lot of folks don't see how bad it would be to pick someone who reamed Trump not long ago.  I put Corker in that category; his criticisms of Trump are things that would have come back to haunt him if he had been tapped as VP.

[Fuzzy Bear]

Anyone else think Trump will maybe pick another outsider?

Like a surprise pick to build up excitement?

*Larry Ellis, retired United States Army general, who served as the Commander of U.S. Army Forces Command from November 19, 2001 until 2004.
*Carlos Gutierrez, former Commerce Secy and Kellogg CEO
*Margaret Spellings, former Education Secy
*JC Watts?

J. C. Watts is #NeverTrump.