Submitted by readers:
Gov. Sarah Palin (R-AK)
Ex-Rep. Rob Portman
Ex-Rep. John Kasich
Sen. KBH (R-TX)
Gov. Mark Sanford (R-SC)
Ex-Gov. John Engler (R-MI)
Fred Smith (Fedex CEO, war hero)
Rudy Giuliani
Gov. Haley Barbour (R-MS)
« Obama Memo: I'm Electable, Baby | Main | Gore Still On The Sidelines » Some other McCain veepstakes names....08 Feb 2008 03:56 pm Comments (33)
Barbour would be perfect. An original Republican redneck fat cat type. Also, exceedingly dishonest. Perfection. 
I predict that McCain's VP will be a woman who may or may not be a gov. Thus, a female gov. will be the best VP shot. It will help to take the mo-jo from Clinton/Obama. McCain's needs to show that he is for the change as well. Take that to the bank. You read this here first.
Hello, Marc, commenters- My two cents on Marc's second-wave list of McCain VP candidates, in the order he listed: As I did with Part I of the list: I’ll reiterate that there are standard ticket-balancing principles involved. McCain is old, from the Southwest, and has been in the Senate (and before that, the House) for a quarter of a century. Accordingly, it would be desirable to find a VP who offset some of those factors. 1) Gov. Sarah Palin (R-AK) Palin has a bright future, is young, female, a governor and from another region. It would parry HRC to some extent, if she is the Democratic nominee. However, she is young (double-edged sword) and the experience question would be immediately raised. There's also the problem that she comes from a very red state that McCain will carry easily. The two former Reps from Ohio: Ex-Rep. Rob Portman Not well known enough nationally to make a difference. Ex-Rep. John Kasich Likewise. Also, House members have been elected from too narrow a political base to help the ticket much. Of course, Ohio is one of the two most critical swing states, but they just don't bring enough to the table. Sen. KBH (R-TX) Female and well-respected. Downside: retiring from the Senate and has no outsider credentials, from a state McCain already will have. Gov. Mark Sanford (R-SC) SC is already deep red; Sanford had a chance to endorse McCain in the primary and didn't do so. Ex-Gov. John Engler (R-MI) Too polarizing. He would not guarantee Michigan, either. Fred Smith (Fedex CEO, war hero) Too unconventional. Plus McCain is, of course, already a war hero, so he has the veteran/military angle already covered. Rudy Giuliani He rarely seems to appear on the pundits’ speculation list (this one excluded, obviously.) My own speculation as to why he’s rarely mentioned: 1) McCain has enough problems with movement conservatives to begin with. Granted, enough of them went to Rudy over the course of the last year…. but that might be a little too much. 2) I disagree with the idea that Rudy would be of decisive value in the Northeast. Would he HELP? Absolutely. But it was unlikely that Rudy would have carried Rhode Island, Connecticut, or New York even if he were on the TOP of the ticket, let alone the bottom of it. 3) Rudy would be too old to run for president after McCain, if the ticket were elected - and that might be a reason why Rudy might turn it down. Nonetheless, it would be a ticket great on security credentials, geographical balance, legislative/executive balance, and the two are genuinely friends. But I don’t think it will happen. Gov. Haley Barbour (R-MS) Although currently a governor, Barbour's status as former RNC chair make him too much of a DC insider - and his state is already safe for McCain, anyhow.
"Thus, a female gov. will be the best VP shot." Yeah, but who? All the female GOP governors are either too old or so moderate on social issues that their selection would cause rioting at the convention. The only exception is Sarah Palin. And that's a dicey one, because she's only been governor for two years, and held no major political office before that.
Hello, all- I just updated my earlier entry, to incorporate Marc's second wave of VP candidates: http://blog.electionnighthq.com/2008/02/08/the-atlantics-ambinder-mccain-veepstakes/
The "female VP" with conservative credibility? No, not Bay Buchannan...none other than our Secretary of State, Condoleza Rice.
If McCain does not have a VP that represents the future, he will LOSE. No minority and no woman, then that shows why GOP is in made shape. McCain will not win. Period. This is Obama's victory in that case. I believe Obama's VP choices are terrific: - AZ or KS Female Govs. Any one of these 4 will help him win.
McCain is going to have to shore up conservatives on his own. A super conservative veep will be cold comfort. If you think McCain is a heretic, will a veep really motivate you to turn out? I think picking Palin would be politically shrewd. She's a social conservative who has made a name for herself as a corruption fighter. Sure, she's young and has only been governor of Alaska for two years, but McCain doesn't have to compensate for inexperience. He'll have to compensate for a perceived lack of youth. Palin is a Republican wet dream. She is also the perfect answer to Hillary -- a former beauty queen who hunts, fishes, and snowmobiles. I think she could, um, excite the base in more ways than one. She has the kind of charisma that will cause the media to swoon. McCain is an apostate to conservative firebreathers. Nothing he does will change that. Some of them will hold their nose and pull the lever for him, some won't. Knowing that, why not pick someone who will generate more adoring, uncritical media coverage for his campaign?
Sarah Palin is the best pick. She has business and economic credentials that will strengthen any attacks from Hilary that the Republican ticket is weak on money matters. She's got a reputation for straight talk and fighting corruption that matches McCain's. It would neutralize Obama's change message with a change message of their own and against Hilary it would be a substantial advantage given all the sleaze/corruption surrounding her. Obviously she's a women, which means McCain won't be standing on the wrong side of history. Picking her would send shockwaves as the media declared that no matter who wins there will be a women in the white house. Think of all the positive and glowing coverage.
Me (I-Wisconsin) I would definitely get the Asian vote and all the deadheads and various other people.
McCain-Rice versus Obama-Webb. I would love to see Senator Webb debate Secretary Rice, and Obama versus McCain will have its own drama.
Hows about Colin Powell, if Obama loses and Palin if Clinton does. Either way McCain's on the right side of history.
How about Bob Ehrlich or Michael Steele (ex-gov and lt-gov, MD)? Either could pull in a usually blue state's votes (just enough people still like them). If the outlandish did happen and Ehrlich was asked, the only thing that might keep Ehrlich from running would be the 2010 gubernatorial election. He has been just itchin' to run again against O'Malley (they really do despise each other). Steele might make more sense. Mind you I'm rooting for Obama here so this is just academic.
I'm fairly certain that neither Rice nor Powell (nor the electorate) want to serve in high political office anymore. Rice, at least, is intent on returning to Notre Dame, I believe.
Rice, at least, is intent on returning to Notre Dame, I believe Stanford, not ND. And from her spell as Bush's #1 advisor, then as a hapless Secretary of State, she is badly damaged goods. ********************
Ahhh... just for the heck of it: Either would hit Barack right in the espresso. Hit Hillary... somewhere.
General David Petraeus?
The best I can offer are reasons why most of the suggested names won't work: 1) Thompson is too old That leaves six governors who could be a good fit: Crist, Pawlenty, Palin, Sanford, Barbour, and Perdue. I would also add Ridge and Petreaus. But the ideal candidate would be a governor with extensive experience (perhaps a former senator or congressman), a woman or minority who is youthful, and a conservative. Good luck.
Mr. Ambinder....I think you are forgetting someone: Senator John Thune. Think about it...conservative, popular in his home state of SD and a "giant killer" after being ol' Tom Daschle--the party leader at the time. Plus I've read they are good friends and Thune has campaigned for McCain. What a ticket!
GOP VP nominee: Lindsay Graham. You can take it to the bank.
J: Jack:
Isn't Petraeus pretty apolitical, other than sticking up for the Bush administration? In any case, I thought he'd still be involved with the war effort.
McCain is stronger with male voters than women. Take it to the bank that he'll select either Sarah Palin or Carly Fiorina. Never Meg Whitman because she was a Romney gal.
It won't be Huckabee -- the MSM and the GOP establishment has murdered his reputation for the broader electorate. Obviously he remains popular for among Religious Conservatives, but he's damaged goods to even a significant piece of the GOP. I think you're basically looking at five basic options: Charlie Crist (the "deliver a swing state option"); John Thune (youthful, loyal to McCain, popular with all sectors of the party, likely to be a candidate in his own right in 2012 if McCain loses); Mark Sanford (loyal to McCain, youthful, matches McCain's conservative maverick persona); Sarah Palin (youthful, strong anti-corruption reform record, strong conservative credentials, dark horse pick); and Sam Brownback (youthful, loyal to McCain, McCain ally on immigration, strong religious conservative following) No on Jindal simply because he's too young (not even 40 yet). No on Barbour because Barbour has corruption issues and other baggage of his own just waiting to be dredged up. No on Condi Rice because she would be horrible on the campaign trail.
WANTED: YOUNGER, HIGH ENERGY, VP CANDIDATE WITH A LIFELONG COMMITMENT TO CONSERVATIVE PRINCIPLES, A STRONG ECONOMIC BACKGROUND, AND FROM A SWING STATE! MAY I PRESENT JOHN KASICH... 1.23.08: The Wall St. Journal - Watch former congressman John Kasich as a possible GOP VP choice ..."If an Ohio favorite son is a must-have on the Republican ticket, another choice might be John Kasich, the foremer congressman and budge committee chairman from Columbus. Mr. Kasich was on Fox News this past Sunday singing the praises of Mr. McCain, vouching that he is 'conservative enough for Republican voters.' Mr. Kasich is an anti-Big Government crusader who called for the elimination of some 300 federal programs as part of the GOP's Contract with America. He was also one of the first prominent Republicans to take his colleagues in Congress to task for 'not being serious about cutting the budget.' Mr. Kasich is also a dangling live-wire of snap, crackle and pop energy. He is a Type A personality, bordering on ADD -- and a nonstop crusader for tax and spending reform in Washington. He recently told me: 'I hate that town. I don't miss it a bit.' RNC sources say Mr. Kasich would be a Veep candidate who could neutralize the attacks that liberal Democrates are already launching at John McCain for being too old and tired to serve as president and for being a candidate who can't reach the generation X and Y voters. As one GOP source tells me, Mr. Kasich is, in a lot of ways, a 'Republican version of Barack Obama.'" --1/23/2008 Stephen Moore, The Wall Street Journal
Mark Sanford or Tom Ridge.
Mark Sanford or Tom Ridge.
Mark Sanford or Tom Ridge.
Why no talk of Bobby Jindal? He covers so many of McCain's weaknesses. Young, a minority and brainy, if 2008 is going to be about identity politics then McCain could do no better.
Joe Lieberman.
Jim Gilmore, just far enough outside the beltway, and just in case Jim Webb is on the other side.
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Forget Fred Smith. While in college, his son beat up a gay kid with a golf club, got expelled, and Dad had to come in and buy off everyone to suppress a much bigger mess...that won't look good for a VP candidate...
Posted by K | February 8, 2008 4:14 PM