Edward 4VP Cheat Sheet Part 2: The GOP (and why Rush is pissed off!)
August 20th 2008 01:44
so many choices...
Someone asked me recently what I thought of the front runners in the VP race for either party. Embarrassed, I had to admit that I knew very little about the potential picks. So I decided to post a quick, two part guide on the VP front runners and what they bring (or take away) from the table for their party. In this post I focus on McCain's top picks and the controversy surrounding his decision.
One of the most talked about prospects for McCain is Governor Charlie Crist. Crist's biggest attribute is his ability to bring the critical swing state of Florida into McCain's grasp. However, the fact that Crist is single and childless is slightly unsettling, especially since conservatives love candidates who tout their family values.
Governor Tim Pawlenty is another strong prospect for McCain and would give the senator a boost in the swing state of Minnesota. Furthermore, Pawlenty is young and charismatic, a healthy juxtaposition to McCain's old age.
The safe choice for McCain would probably be Mitt Romney. A very conservative pick, Romney would bolster McCain's lacking economic experience. Romney is also charismatic and seems to fit the role of leader well. However, his bitter campaign against McCain for the primaries and the fact that he would be no help in his very liberal state of Massachusetts, might dissuade McCain from choosing Mitt.
McCain's other two prospects Joe Lieberman and Tom Ridge , are two controversial choices that have been getting a lot of press lately. Both are much more liberal than conservatives would like, both are pro-choice. Ridge, the more conservative of the two, would give a critical boost to McCain in Ridge's state of Pennsylvania. Lieberman, a friend of McCain's, used to be a democrat, and now labels himself as an independent.
Rush Limbaugh is very worked up over the prospect that Ridge or Lieberman might get the VP nod. He points out that it would be the end of the Republican Party and conservative movement altogether. But I propose that Ridge would probably be the smartest choice in terms of winning in November. Yes, choosing a pro-choice candidate would probably infuriate McCain's base, but it’s his base, it’s not like they're going to vote for Obama anytime soon. Winning the election isn't about pleasing your base, it's about winning the independent and swing voters, and one way to do that is to pick a moderate VP.
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Comment by damian
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Surely that would be a good combination: McCain with his Vietnam experience and Arnie with his combat experience in 'Nam, the future, Mars... hang on, there's something odd about this...
Comment by Edward 4
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