Mitt Romney's Running Mate

[ShadowRocket]

Assume Mitt Romney wins the Republican nomination next year. Who do you think would end up being his running mate? I think maybe Chuck Hagel or Condolezza Rice are possibilities.

[SPC]

He'll try to nominate a moral majority Christian to compensate for his Mormonism.

[Michael Z]

He'll try to nominate a moral majority Christian to compensate for his Mormonism.

Brownback?

[Deano963]

He'll try to nominate a moral majority Christian to compensate for his Mormonism.

I agree. Huckabee would be a better choice than Brownback, IMO, but both would help him with the base.

[Lincoln Republican]

Romney picks the youthful, talented, impressive Senior Senator from South Carolina, Lindsey Graham.

Graham helps solidify the Republican conservative base, and holds the south solid for the GOP.

[Joe Republic]

Romney picks the youthful, talented, impressive Senior Senator from South Carolina, Lindsey Graham.

Graham helps solidify the Republican conservative base, and holds the south solid for the GOP.

... until he's outted, that is.

[Lincoln Republican]

Romney picks the youthful, talented, impressive Senior Senator from South Carolina, Lindsey Graham.

Graham helps solidify the Republican conservative base, and holds the south solid for the GOP.

... until he's outted, that is.

Are you saying Graham is gay?  What proof do you have?

[Alcon]

Romney picks the youthful, talented, impressive Senior Senator from South Carolina, Lindsey Graham.

Graham helps solidify the Republican conservative base, and holds the south solid for the GOP.

... until he's outted, that is.

Are you saying Graham is gay?  What proof do you have?

I'm not sure you want to see that sort of proof. 

(Or maybe you do.  I dunno.)

[Joe Republic]

Romney picks the youthful, talented, impressive Senior Senator from South Carolina, Lindsey Graham.

Graham helps solidify the Republican conservative base, and holds the south solid for the GOP.

... until he's outted, that is.

Are you saying Graham is gay?  What proof do you have?

None, of course.  It's simply one of those widespread rumors, based largely on his camp demeanor and him never having been married or linked with any women in the past.  The same is often said of Herb Kohl.

[Lincoln Republican]

OK, if that's the case, Romney would likely not pick Graham.

How about going with the Senior Senator from Tennessee, former Governor of Tennessee, former Education Secretary, Lamar Alexander.

Alexander is experienced, respected, and capable.

He would help greatly in holding the Republican base.  He would be a safe, solid, reassuring choice, IMO, who voters would be comfortable enough with.

[Mr. Morden]

Alexander would be OK.  I definitely don't think he would pick Brownback or Huckabee.  Governors never pick other governors as running mates, and it would be too risky to go with someone as socially conservative as Brownback for the general election.

The only issue with Alexander is that Romney might want someone with more Washington experience for his VP.  Alexander will have had just one term in the Senate.  Maybe that's enough, or maybe he'd prefer someone with more.  I had been thinking that Don Nickles (three terms in the Senate, sufficiently conservative on both social and economic issues, and not too old) might be a decent choice for Romney, but I don't know if a Mormon GOP candidate would pick a Catholic as his VP.

[© tweed]

Romney picks the youthful, talented, impressive Senior Senator from South Carolina, Lindsey Graham.

Graham helps solidify the Republican conservative base, and holds the south solid for the GOP.

... until he's outted, that is.

Are you saying Graham is gay?  What proof do you have?

I've had sex with him.

[TomC]

McCain or Giuliani

[HardRCafé]

Alexander would cost a Republican Senate seat.

[Nation]

Romney picks the youthful, talented, impressive Senior Senator from South Carolina, Lindsey Graham.

Graham helps solidify the Republican conservative base, and holds the south solid for the GOP.

... until he's outted, that is.

Are you saying Graham is gay?  What proof do you have?

I've had sex with him.

i


knew it

[Governor PiT]

What about Guliani?

[skybridge]

Rumor has it Romney courted Jeb Bush--which would be good news for any Democrat. Romney would likely pick someone with some kind of administrative experience, but as of yet, I'm unsure who that could be. The neocons seem to have designated him as heir apparent, so they'll find someone. Romney wont run with anyone who competes against him--that would be just as un-Republican as admitting to electoral deficits by attempting to "balance" the ticket age-, experience-, issue- or geographywise.

[Mr. Morden]

Romney has courted Jeb Bush for the purpose of making use of Bush's Florida political operation.  (Many of Jeb's people are now working for Romney.)  But there's no evidence to suggest that he's done it for the purpose of getting Jeb to be his running mate.  Why would Romney want that?  He'd be hitching himself too closely to the current president for the general election.  Where's the political gain there?

[skybridge]

Romney has courted Jeb Bush for the purpose of making use of Bush's Florida political operation.  (Many of Jeb's people are now working for Romney.)  But there's no evidence to suggest that he's done it for the purpose of getting Jeb to be his running mate.  Why would Romney want that?  He'd be hitching himself too closely to the current president for the general election.  Where's the political gain there?

Of course it's more for fundraising purposes. It's a long shot, but if things don't turn around, Dubya may have terminated the Bush name's political future. Anyway, having Bushs work for him and suddenly embracing all sorts of right-wing policies makes Romney much more of an establishment candidate than if he ran with his 1994 Senate platform. Bush and Romney's presidential candidacies are also fairly similar inasmuch as that both are former governors, sons of people with failed presidential ambitions, and the largest campaign contribution networks.

[JSojourner]

Romney picks the youthful, talented, impressive Senior Senator from South Carolina, Lindsey Graham.

Graham helps solidify the Republican conservative base, and holds the south solid for the GOP.

Smart, smart post.  Lindsey Graham is unimpeachably conservative but he doesn't scare the bejeebers out of Independents and Liberals either.  He can be very balanced and fair minded.  Choosing Graham would be a stroke of genius.  Jim DeMint on the other hand...  <vomit>

[Lincoln Republican]

Romney picks the youthful, talented, impressive Senior Senator from South Carolina, Lindsey Graham.

Graham helps solidify the Republican conservative base, and holds the south solid for the GOP.

... until he's outted, that is.

Are you saying Graham is gay?  What proof do you have?

None, of course.  It's simply one of those widespread rumors, based largely on his camp demeanor and him never having been married or linked with any women in the past.  The same is often said of Herb Kohl.

Unless Lindsey Graham has spent a summer herding sheep in Wyoming with T.R. Knight, (of Grey's Anatomy), I see no reason why Graham should not be considered for V.P.

[Joe Republic]

Romney picks the youthful, talented, impressive Senior Senator from South Carolina, Lindsey Graham.

Graham helps solidify the Republican conservative base, and holds the south solid for the GOP.

... until he's outted, that is.

Are you saying Graham is gay?  What proof do you have?

None, of course.  It's simply one of those widespread rumors, based largely on his camp demeanor and him never having been married or linked with any women in the past.  The same is often said of Herb Kohl.

Unless Lindsey Graham has spent a summer herding sheep in Wyoming with T.R. Knight, (of Grey's Anatomy), I see no reason why Graham should not be considered for V.P.

Oh I'm sure he'd be considered, but considered very deeply before probably passing.  You'd expect a lot of attention into his personal life and background that would make for a lot of unnecessary and unfair attention.

[mgrossbe]

I think graham would make a good canidate along that line i think cochran would also be a good choice. I would say that someone from the interior west would also make a good choice but only ensign is an option everybody else is either to old or would be replaced by a democrat.