Latest Romney campaign leaks on VP search: they want a "boring white guy"

[Mr. Morden]

http://dyn.politico.com/printstory.cfm?uuid=CBD1171C-FB83-49C0-9DD8-4689F47966B5

One Republican official familiar with the campaign’s thinking said it will be designed to produce a pick who is safe and, by design, unexciting — a deliberate anti-Palin. The prized pick, said this official: an “incredibly boring white guy.”

I guess brown skin and/or a uterus are inherently risky and exciting.

Anonymous leaker also names names re: the names at the top of the list (for now):

“If not [Ohio Sen. Rob] Portman , [former Minnesota Gov. Tim] Pawlenty, [Indiana Gov. Mitch] Daniels — some other incredibly boring white guy,” the official said. “If there was a fourth name on the list, it’s [Virginia Gov.] Bob McDonnell.”

One argument for Pawlenty is that he would help the ticket among evangelical Christians who are suspicious of Mormonism.

Other names will be floated but, under the campaign’s current theory of the case, are long shots: New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who is said by insiders to want it the most and also to annoy some aides with his aggressiveness; Florida Sen. Marco Rubio , who is not being as seriously considered as popularly believed because aides don’t see him as experienced enough or appropriately vetted. South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez are also seen as too untested and lacking the national experience that would assure officials at Romney headquarters in Boston that they weren’t walking into another Palin problem.

House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) has a strong vibe with Romney, who is said to like the idea of running with a younger, more exciting conservative. But Ryan would be such a lightning rod for the left that he could violate the most basic requirement for a running mate: Do no harm, a chief reason many Romney aides are less enthusiastic about him than the boss is, people in the campaign said.

Campaign officials have floated the idea of former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, now a Fox News and talk-radio host, as a pick who would strengthen Romney’s hold on the base. But Romney does not want to signal weakness. So under current plans, the pick will not be a blatant pander to the base — once again, the opposite approach from 2008.

Of course, keep in mind, leaks don't happen by accident.  The Romney campaign surely has an agenda in leaking this, so treat it with the appropriate skepticism.

[Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Reminds me of the Obama/Bayh stickers that were floating around just days before the Biden pick.

[InsaneTrollLogic]

Well, maybe a Biden-like pick? Someone who is a boring white guy who perhaps is a little weird? Could anyone see a Santorum or Thune?

[Mr. Morden]

Well, maybe a Biden-like pick? Someone who is a boring white guy who perhaps is a little weird? Could anyone see a Santorum or Thune?

Santorum, no.  Thune, OTOH, seems like the ultimate safe, boring pick.  Certainly more safe than McDonnell, who'd have the baggage of stuff like "Confederate History Month" and a Master's thesis in which he described working women as "detrimental" to the family:

http://uselectionatlas.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=151429.msg3273646#msg3273646

[For Oklahoma]

I don't know how many times I have to say it but...

PAUL RYAN

[NHI]

Ryan, Daniels or Christie would be my top three choices.

[Senator Snowstalker]

My friends, I know a VP pick who satisfied at least the "white guy" part; a strong and brilliant leader, an effective governor, and a national hero.

I am speaking of the great Richard Perry.

[Rockefeller]

I'm hoping for a surprise pick.

I think that Senators Burr, Chambliss or Corker would be good picks for Romney.

[King]

Maybe the 1990s edition Mitt Romney is available?

[RogueBeaver]

Smokescreen. I'm with NHI and RP- Ryan or Jindal would be my choice.

[Senator MaxQue]

Mitr Romney (R-Massachusetts) / Mitt Romney (R-Michigan or New Hampshire)?

[Reaganfan]

I love how whether it was Kaine or Biden or Bayh for Obama in 2008, it wasn't a big deal. People like myself never made negative comments about it and neither did Obama supporters.

Of course this time every person the Romney camp mentioned gets shredded by liberal talking heads.

Another example of when the left does it, it's okay. When the right does it, it's wrong.

[Cory]

If the info in the article is accurate, then I'd say enter Rob Portman from stage right.

[HagridOfTheDeep]

I believe it'll probably be Pawlenty or Portman. But I STILL think it should be Martinez. A new CBS poll actually has Romney winning women. Adding Martinez, an extremely competant and genuine woman (NOT folksy ala Palin) would attract women and moms. If Romney can do that, he wins.

[RogueBeaver]

Usually buzz is inverse to chances. Remember the deafening buzz about Pawlenty, Bayh and Kaine back in '08?

[milhouse24]

Portman may be a good pick, if he can quickly get some huge national exposure somehow, perhaps through talk shows.  He's good for Ohio, but the rest of the country will think Portman is not ready and just pandering to Ohio.  

Daniels will turn it down because of his wife, but he would also be a strong pick, to help pick up Ohio, and he is fairly credible as a national candidate.  

I really like Thune as a competent guy who appeals to evangelicals, but he is a bit young, and he would likely turn down Romney and wait to run himself in 2016.  

As far as the default "do no harm, no upside or downside" - it will likely be Pawlenty (TPaw).  He's a credible national candidate.  But he won't help much in the South, Virginia, or Southwest.  He might help slightly in Ohio.  It would put more pressure on Romney to be the candidate for every constituency.  For Obama, Biden helped deliver white catholic voters.  Pawlenty will really need to deliver evangelicals if Romney wants to win enough votes.  

[milhouse24]

I'm hoping for a surprise pick.

I think that Senators Burr, Chambliss or Corker would be good picks for Romney.

If Romney wants a surprise, swing for the fences pick, it will likely be Jeb Bush.  He's the only surprise candidate worth the risk of pissing off liberals, but winning enough swing voters. 

[Stranger in a strange land]

I don't know how many times I have to say it but...

PAUL RYAN

not boring enough.

Boring = no controversial opinions, doesn't have a big name, not really outspoken about anything, doesn't deviate from party ideology, but also isn't an extremist.

[Reaganfan]

I'm hoping for a surprise pick.

I think that Senators Burr, Chambliss or Corker would be good picks for Romney.

If Romney wants a surprise, swing for the fences pick, it will likely be Jeb Bush.  He's the only surprise candidate worth the risk of pissing off liberals, but winning enough swing voters. 

If I was Mitt Romney, I'd be set on Governor Bush already.

[RogueBeaver]

VP CW was wrong in '08 and hopefully it will be wrong again.

[Mr. Morden]

VP CW was wrong in '08 and hopefully it will be wrong again.

It depends on whether you're talking about the CW on the Dem. or GOP side, and from which point in time.  On the GOP side, McCain made a last minute decision to pick a dark horse option, so that upended the CW.  On the Dem. side, Obama leaked his shortlist of Bayh, Biden, and Kaine (later amended to include Sebelius) in July:

http://uselectionatlas.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=79958.0

and that remained the shortlist until the end.

I expect that Romney will also leak his shortlist at some point because, unlike McCain, he'll want to subject his eventual pick to media scrutiny before he makes a final decision, so that he can still change his mind.  But it's still really early, so I wouldn't put a great deal of faith in this sort of thing yet.  I doubt there really is a shortlist yet.  Probably just a longlist.

[A dog on every car, a car in every elevator]

http://dyn.politico.com/printstory.cfm?uuid=CBD1171C-FB83-49C0-9DD8-4689F47966B5

One Republican official familiar with the campaign’s thinking said it will be designed to produce a pick who is safe and, by design, unexciting — a deliberate anti-Palin. The prized pick, said this official: an “incredibly boring white guy.”

I guess brown skin and/or a uterus are inherently risky and exciting.

Anonymous leaker also names names re: the names at the top of the list (for now):

“If not [Ohio Sen. Rob] Portman , [former Minnesota Gov. Tim] Pawlenty, [Indiana Gov. Mitch] Daniels — some other incredibly boring white guy,” the official said. “If there was a fourth name on the list, it’s [Virginia Gov.] Bob McDonnell.”

One argument for Pawlenty is that he would help the ticket among evangelical Christians who are suspicious of Mormonism.

Other names will be floated but, under the campaign’s current theory of the case, are long shots: New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who is said by insiders to want it the most and also to annoy some aides with his aggressiveness; Florida Sen. Marco Rubio , who is not being as seriously considered as popularly believed because aides don’t see him as experienced enough or appropriately vetted. South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez are also seen as too untested and lacking the national experience that would assure officials at Romney headquarters in Boston that they weren’t walking into another Palin problem.

House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) has a strong vibe with Romney, who is said to like the idea of running with a younger, more exciting conservative. But Ryan would be such a lightning rod for the left that he could violate the most basic requirement for a running mate: Do no harm, a chief reason many Romney aides are less enthusiastic about him than the boss is, people in the campaign said.

Campaign officials have floated the idea of former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, now a Fox News and talk-radio host, as a pick who would strengthen Romney’s hold on the base. But Romney does not want to signal weakness. So under current plans, the pick will not be a blatant pander to the base — once again, the opposite approach from 2008.

Of course, keep in mind, leaks don't happen by accident.  The Romney campaign surely has an agenda in leaking this, so treat it with the appropriate skepticism.

Sometimes leaks seem accidental.  And even if the leak of the names is no accident, the leak of the demographic criteria might be.  Can't imagine the Romney Campaign was happy to see that.

[shua]

boring white guy?



"I told them we've already got one!"

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

Can't you just feel the enthusiasm for Romney and a "boring white guy"?

[ZuWo]

So it's obviously not going to be Mike Huckabee or Chris Christie. While they are both guys and white, they are not boring enough.
I understand the reasoning behind the idea not to pick a very exciting figure. Mitt Romney does not come across as the super exciting candidate to most people, so they must make sure the VP candidate does not overshadow him. He needs someone who has some experience, is solid during interviews and debates and has a certain level of competence on economic issues. Pawlenty? McDonnell?