Veep talk
Saturday, March 29, 2008 at 03:32PM While the Democrats duke it out, John McCain has been busy raising money, touring Iraq and now the key battleground states, and mulling over his Veep selection.
I'm a little surprised the Veep rumor-mill hasn't churned a bit more, but Bob Novak has his pulse on this stuff as good as anyone. Novak's Saturday column shines a light on the three front runners: Rob Portman, former Ohio Congressman, U.S. Trade Representative, and OMB Director; Mark Sanford, former Congressman and current Governor of South Carolina; and Charlie Crist, current Governor of Florida.
All three brings assets and liabilities to the table. Portman puts a critical state in McCain's column (Ohio), and is trusted and respected by conservatives. He also has significant congressional and executive branch experience, and is considerably younger than McCain. His biggest drawback: He has almost no national profile and is relatively untested as a campaigner. Sanford, too, is beloved by conservatives, and also has legislative and executive experience. His primary flaw: he comes from a reliably conservative state, and doesn't have much appeal outside of the south. Crist could be the most intriguing candidate. He doesn't have the conservative bona fides of Portman and Sanford, and is a bit squishy on social issues, but one thing's undeniable: he'd make Florida a lock for McCain, a must-win state for Republicans.
One omission from Novak's list: Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty. The most likely reason -- conservatives don't trust him. He seems too comfortable with environmentalists, and given that McCain still needs to shore up his conservative base, Pawlenty probably isn't the answer. But Minnesota is also an important swing state, and Pawlenty is an effective campaigner.
McCain should capitalize on the Democrats internecine squabble by announcing his Veep selection now. It would allow the ticket to raise more money, visit more states, and attack the Democrats more effectively (by using the Veep as the customary hatchet man). It's unlikely to occur, but it would be interesting.
Reader Comments (4)
McCain's first VP will always be "anger."
Anger>AlGore
It’s really a nice and helpful piece of information.
Abercrombie
Abercrombie & Fitch
Abercrombie and Fitch
Abercrombie uk
Abercrombie Fitch uk
Abercrombie & Fitch uk
Abercrombie and Fitch uk
Abercrombie online
Abercrcrombie store
Abercrombie shop
It is very useful and informative post.The content of this post is very unique love
Thank you for your sharing!
nike shoes
Louis Vuitton Handbags