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

[AmericanNation]

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.

I've been overly cautious about Ryan's chances, but he's just so perfect for it.  People always say his budget is a liability, but Obama is so so so so so so SO so SO so weak on that issue that the sum total comes out as a huge positive.  It is the perfect trap to bait the Obama campaign into talking about the budget (and other related matters) and than have Paul Ryan going on TV everyday for the next 4 months slapping them around.  Nobody in the Obama camp is close to being in his league AND he is better on TV than all of them. 

He:
did the best on the CHEM test.
is the least likely to make a gaff.  / best on TV.
is probably the smartest guy on the list.
He actually inspires confidence that a problem can be fixed in Washington.

like I've said, he's been (tied at least) at the top of the list the entire time.   
 

[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.

[California8429]

My prediction for the main thing Romney is looking for and who he will pick for that criteria

Health Care- Bobby Jindal
Latino- Susana Martinez
Foreign Policy and Budget- Rob Portman
Entitlement Reform and Budget- Paul Ryan
Safety Pick- John Thune
Economy- Bob McDonnell

Can't be picked but many people think they will...
Personality- Chris Christie (Budget could collapse looking at recent reports)
Charisma and Latino- Marco Rubio (Financials and inexperience)
Foreign Policy- Condi Rice (Bush, double Bush with the Roberts flipping on the court even though she wasn't domestic)

------
I think it's going to probably be Portman or McDonnell. Romney seems to want to focus on the economy and is giving up on the health care fight which would be a high priority reason for picking Jindal, though he still could be picked. All this talk about Pawlenty is nuts, if you want a safety go for Thune. McDonnell, Ayotte, Rubio, Portman, none of them make a difference when added on their ticket in the state, there's no freaking way Pawlenty, who is unpopular, can swing Minnesota!

Everyone unfortunately has their weaknesses no matter who he picks because, well, these people are in fact human beings. Unfortunately he can't get a latino woman who is charismatic with foreign policy experience who also is heavily trusted on economic issues and can rally conservatives without overshadowing Romney's personality. That's what Romney needs.

EDIT: I take back what I said about Pawlenty. I completely understand why he's thoroughly being looked at, it's because of Pennsylvania and therefore Michigan and Wisconsin and has nothing to do with Minnesota or his record as Governor.

[retromike22]

Here's a name that never gets mentioned: Former Governor of Colorado Bill Owens.

[RogueBeaver]

Who?

[Grumpier Than Thou]

Who?

Exactly. I'm pretty sure Bill Owens' is most known for being the Governor of Colorado when Columbine happened. That's it, really.

[California8429]

Here's a name that never gets mentioned: Former Governor of Colorado Bill Owens.

That's because everyone who is making these decisions and are involved higher up in politics actually know who he really is and the baggage he comes with. No, it has nothing to do with his divorce. Owens I would consider one of the most corrupt politicians of his time.

[milhouse24]

If Tim Tebow were older, I think he would be an excellent VP choice.

[Grumpier Than Thou]

If Tim Tebow were older, I think he would be an excellent VP choice.

wtf

[Vosem]

As I was noticing on Nate Silver's page that Colorado is now exactly equally likely to vote Romney as Ohio, I suddenly had a thought about a perfect Veep if Romney wants to go for the 'boring white guy' approach: what about Wayne Allard? He's from a swing state, he's rather popular in that swing state, he has legislative experience and contacts on Capitol Hill, he was very conservative yet never offensive, and he's been a Romney loyalist, having endorsed Romney in the 2008 primaries and again in 2012. Thoughts?

[Cobbler]

I'd personally like Christie or Huntsman to be chosen, but those are obviously unlikely. I think Thune would be the best choice of the safe picks, but I think Jindal would be a great one too. Both would satisfy the social conservatives.

[California8429]

As I was noticing on Nate Silver's page that Colorado is now exactly equally likely to vote Romney as Ohio, I suddenly had a thought about a perfect Veep if Romney wants to go for the 'boring white guy' approach: what about Wayne Allard? He's from a swing state, he's rather popular in that swing state, he has legislative experience and contacts on Capitol Hill, he was very conservative yet never offensive, and he's been a Romney loyalist, having endorsed Romney in the 2008 primaries and again in 2012. Thoughts?

No one even knew him when he was still IN the Senate here since he didn't have ambition to run for re-election in-08. He truly was the invisible man. Conservative, sure, but there's a lot of conservatives out there. An Allard pick would be the equivalent of when Dan Maes picked Tambor Williams for Lt Gov, everyone had no idea who she was since she had been out of any sort of lime light for too many years and wasn't even that noticeable when she served in the legislature.

Romney has no potential pick in Colorado. We've had too many defeats the last 6 years to actually have a viable state official.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

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?

[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.

[Vosem]

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?

That would be an interesting thing to do, but in a convention like the 2012 Republican one, where a lot of Paulist delegates will be tolerated, it's doubtful. Maybe Romney could hold a faux-election; send out ballots to Republican primary members with the names of the Veep frontrunners and ask them to vote and send the ballots to the local GOP headquarters, where they would be counted. But I feel like a VP election is too exotic for Mitt Romney. He will quietly come to a decision with a few close advisors (ie, his family and Beth Myers), and then announce it after carefully considering the timing. For all we know, this has all already been done and the announcement simply hasn't happened yet.

[technical support]

my last min picks

mitch daniels, mike huckabee and john thune


oh and rob portman since alot of people already think he going to be choosen.

[California8429]

my last min picks

mitch daniels, mike huckabee and john thune


oh and rob portman since alot of people already think he going to be choosen.

Daniels has accepted the position of President of Purdue so he's not going to be looked at even.

[MyRescueKittehRocks]

What about Rep. Walter Jones (NC). It would convince more Paulites to vote Romney. Mitt needs to bring in a Paulite or a well liked social conservative. A safe pick is not gonna convince me to give Willard my vote.

[California8429]

What about Rep. Walter Jones (NC). It would convince more Paulites to vote Romney. Mitt needs to bring in a Paulite or a well liked social conservative. A safe pick is not gonna convince me to give Willard my vote.

You are basing your vote on the VP which will have no power unless it is an establishment pick that Romney is comfortable with?

[GLPman]

At this point, here's my wish-list for Romney's VP:

1. Thune
2. Portman
3. Rubio

[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.

[MyRescueKittehRocks]

What about Rep. Walter Jones (NC). It would convince more Paulites to vote Romney. Mitt needs to bring in a Paulite or a well liked social conservative. A safe pick is not gonna convince me to give Willard my vote.

You are basing your vote on the VP which will have no power unless it is an establishment pick that Romney is comfortable with?

Romney knows he can't play it safe or go with an establishment pick. It will mean his defeat.

[CLARENCE 2015!]

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.

That kind of talk is what led McCain to choose Palin- though Palin and Ryan are very different. Also- Ryan will turn away seniors for many reasons... among them the fact that he looks and talks like a prepubescent

[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.

[Grumpier Than Thou]

My wishlist:

1. Ryan
2. Rubio
3. Martinez