Re: Mitt Romney's VP
Posted: Fri Jul 20, 2012 5:03 pm
I think the VP will be Portman. He's a cautious choice, but a solid one.
He's been vetted by the Senate a couple times for different positions, so he's unlikely to carry any unseen baggage. He can really help Romney navigate the policy, political, and legislative mazes of Washington as well.
He likely delivers OH.
Ryan is a lightening rod as has been said (though I think he'd be a great choice, as would Eric Kantor, but he has similar electrical conductivity).
Condi is an electoral novice. She could become a campaign liability and her pro-choice position plus Romney's Mormonism could put off enough Evangelicals to put supposedly solid states in play.
Rubio is my choice, but he won't be Romney's for these reasons:
1) If Rubio is ready, then so was Obama after 2 years in the Senate. You don't want to shore up the other guys weakness.
.
2) A Cuban-American doesn't really win you any Mexican-American or Central American-American
votes. Other Latinos see Cubans as a different group all together.
.
3) Personality. Expect a policy wonk-ishness to Romney's ticket. Someone solid but quiet. That's not Rubio. You don't want the VP to overshadow you. Remember after the first VP debate in 2000 when people were saying "Wouldn't a Lieberman-Cheney ticket be awesome!" That's why it won't be Christie, either.
.
4) Rubio's Mormon past (or, as sno put it, quasi-Mormon past). Don't give the conspiracy theorists (on the left or the right) anything that easy to hang their hats on.
I say there's a 75% chance they announce before the Olympics. Let the media and the masses investigate the Veep nominee while they are feeling all patriotic and are also distracted.
Then ram home his (cause it won't be Condi) credentials after the Olys and through the convention. Then make it about the economy and how no one who has ever hired Mitt Romney has been let down.
He's been vetted by the Senate a couple times for different positions, so he's unlikely to carry any unseen baggage. He can really help Romney navigate the policy, political, and legislative mazes of Washington as well.
He likely delivers OH.
Ryan is a lightening rod as has been said (though I think he'd be a great choice, as would Eric Kantor, but he has similar electrical conductivity).
Condi is an electoral novice. She could become a campaign liability and her pro-choice position plus Romney's Mormonism could put off enough Evangelicals to put supposedly solid states in play.
Rubio is my choice, but he won't be Romney's for these reasons:
1) If Rubio is ready, then so was Obama after 2 years in the Senate. You don't want to shore up the other guys weakness.
.
2) A Cuban-American doesn't really win you any Mexican-American or Central American-American
votes. Other Latinos see Cubans as a different group all together. .
3) Personality. Expect a policy wonk-ishness to Romney's ticket. Someone solid but quiet. That's not Rubio. You don't want the VP to overshadow you. Remember after the first VP debate in 2000 when people were saying "Wouldn't a Lieberman-Cheney ticket be awesome!" That's why it won't be Christie, either.
.
4) Rubio's Mormon past (or, as sno put it, quasi-Mormon past). Don't give the conspiracy theorists (on the left or the right) anything that easy to hang their hats on.
I say there's a 75% chance they announce before the Olympics. Let the media and the masses investigate the Veep nominee while they are feeling all patriotic and are also distracted.
Then ram home his (cause it won't be Condi) credentials after the Olys and through the convention. Then make it about the economy and how no one who has ever hired Mitt Romney has been let down.
