GOP Nominee
Former Candidates
Say it ain’t so, Mac, say it ain’t so.
Surprising many Republican insiders, Mitt Romney is at the top of the vice-presidential prospect list for Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.). But lack of personal chemistry could derail the pick.
“Romney as favorite” is the hot buzz in Republican circles, and top party advisers said the case is compelling.
Campaign insiders say McCain plans to name his running mate very shortly after Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) does, as part of what one campaign planner called a “bounce-mitigation strategy.”
The Democratic convention is in late August, a week ahead of the Republicans convention. That means McCain can size up the opposing ticket before locking in his own.
One of the chief reasons the Massachusetts governor is looking so attractive is his ability to raise huge amounts of money quickly through his former business partners and from fellow members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Mormons.
McCain sources tell Politico that they believe Romney could raise $50 million in 60 days. One close Romney adviser said it could even be $60 million. …
But there’s one big problem: Despite the buddy-picture choreography of a McCain-Romney campaign swing, McCain remains far short of enamored of Romney.
And McCain sources say he’ll pick his vice presidential candidate based more on ability to govern than ability to help in the election.
So two other names are in the top tier:
—Rob Portman, a former congressman from Ohio, member of House leadership, U.S. Trade Ambassador and White House budget director.
—Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), who would delight conservatives and is at the top of the list of the party’s prospects for the presidential race in 2012 or 2016. He was described to Politico by a McCain confidant as a possible “compromise” if the senator can’t stomach picking Romney.
June 30th, 2008 at 10:53 am
I like all these picks. But I still think it is Pawlenty.
June 30th, 2008 at 11:06 am
I think it is mitt and wild card pick would be rudy
June 30th, 2008 at 11:07 am
The man I’d like to see McCain announce in advance as his Secretary of State, and who could help create distance between McCain and the president on foreign policy.
And, we already know how the media loves former members of the Bush administration who are now fiercely critical of their ex-boss.
The Tragic End of Bush’s North Korea Policy
June 30th, 2008 at 11:15 am
No surprise over Romney - he covers nicely for most of McCain’s flaws - ideologically, regionally, experience, etc.
I figured the final two would be Romney and Pawlenty - and, considering that the states that Romney can help in seem to be much closer, he makes more sense.
I am a little surprised over Thune, though - he has a little like for pork that I didn’t think would sit well with McCain.
As for the personal issues - Politico ran an article a couple weeks ago saying they had become closer since the primary.
June 30th, 2008 at 11:18 am
Well there are benefits to picking Romney as his VP.
1. He will help raise alot of money for the RNC, who can raise and spend as much as they want and will need to b/c of Obama raising tons of money.
2. Mormon’s, Mormon’s, Mormon’s! Romney will help in key Western Battleground states that are looking favorable to Obama right now b/c of the Mormon population in those states.
3. “Michigan’s favorite Son”. Romney will help alot in Michigan due to the fact that he can relate to these people who have lost their jobs and he is a very popular figure in the state, obviously since he won the primary there.
But of course there are Romney disadvantages, but there are disadvantages with every pick that McCain would make, no pick would be just all positives, but if McCain and Romney havent resolved their issues yet then i dont think he should pick him, but hopefully they have resolved that, but in the end i could see some benefits of a Romney VP, it would certainly make Conservatives like Hannity and others feel alot better i think.
June 30th, 2008 at 11:23 am
Hmm..how would they plan to avoid the media and Obama constantly playing clips of Romney and McCain attacking each other? Some of McCain’s attacks on Romney (i.e. saying he’s a phoney) are hard to square with picking him as VP. Makes McCain look like a phoney which would be a really bad narrative since that’s how he’s trying to paint Obama.
June 30th, 2008 at 11:26 am
I don’t buy any of these “leaks” - there’s an inside game being played, and the media is a pawn in it.
June 30th, 2008 at 11:27 am
Romney is clearly the best choice for VP, both in terms of actual qualifications and in terms of what he would bring to the ticket electorally. He can shore up the western states that Obama is targeting, give McCain a real shot at winning Michigan, raise money, and is guaranteed to wipe the floor up at the VP debate with whatever lightweight Obama chooses. He will help to unite conservatives still upset with McCain’s primary victory and as a very plausible and credible president-in-waiting, he will make those uncomfortable with McCain’s age/health feel better about voting for him. This should be a no-brainer.
June 30th, 2008 at 11:27 am
Given all the chatter about Palin its a bit surprising she is nowhere on the list - and apparently even Lieberman is ahead of her.
June 30th, 2008 at 11:38 am
I’ve been really skeptical of Allen’s reporting on this subject for a very long time. Not to say that these people aren’t on the list, but the absense of Pawlenty is a bit of a red flag for me. And with Palin speculation suddenly revving up, I genuinely think she is on the list as well. I’d be very interested in knowing who Allen’s sources are, as everything I’ve seen indicates that McCains VP process is very, very secretive, even within the campaign, and no more than three people (including McCain) are really in the know. Plus, campaign insiders are very capable of blowing smoke.
June 30th, 2008 at 11:41 am
Um, the fact that this source mentions Portman and Thune as near the top indicates that he/she either has no idea what he/she is talking about, or they’re feeding false info. Neither of these are going to be picked, and having Romney’s name thrown in with them makes me even more skeptical that McCain will pick him.
June 30th, 2008 at 11:44 am
palin undercuts his arguments against barack. she has little government experience, no foreign policy, and offers no regional support. she would be lampooned as an unqualified choice to try and win women. she has never been through the media crush, she has no national organization. she would be a good pick for vp romney in 2012. by making obama the identity politics candidate, and countering with a ticket of a foreign policy expert and an economic expert, it will greatly enhance obama’s weaknesses in the eyes of independents and older voters. plus, mitt can raise lots of money and has a 50 state organization he can reenergize. organization mattes more then identity politics, just ask geraldine ferraro.
June 30th, 2008 at 11:45 am
Thune would be an excellent pick, right up there with Romney and Palin. Man, could you imagine how telegenic a ticket of Romney/Thune would have been? Talk about locking up the womens vote in one swoop.
June 30th, 2008 at 11:49 am
#11 Portman was on Fox as a McCain surrogate which is some evidence that he is in the running (I’ve seen him on CNBC too). I don’t know much about Thune. One way to tell whether this piece has any credibility is how the McCain camp responds. It could be they want certain names out there to get a feel for how voters react.
June 30th, 2008 at 11:52 am
most people on here focus on the wrong qualities in vp, ie. youth, identity, gender. mccain is going to pick mitt most likely because he helps in the most ways. romney has support from movement conservatives and values voters, he has the best fundraising of any choice, he has a 50 state organization, he has strength in key battlegrounds across the country, he is strongest on mccain’s economic weakness, he has been fully vetted and is believable as president, and he is maybe the most on message and vigorous campaigner in the party.
at 72, mccain picking palin would be lampooned as a pander, and one that puts us in danger because of mccain’s age and her unpreparedness. she will be attacked by the media relentlessly and few major womens groups will come to her defense because she is pro-life. palin will end up more of a distraction and a question mark. i think palin as keynote speaker, however, would set her up as the next big thing, and put her in line for mitt’s vp if mccain wins.
June 30th, 2008 at 11:53 am
I hope he picks Romney just to piss off Alex and all of the other anti-Romney folks on here.
June 30th, 2008 at 11:55 am
Romney is a terrible pick. A terrible pick.
June 30th, 2008 at 11:58 am
12,
Most of those arguments wer refuted a very long time ago, but to reiterate:
Experience: Palin has been in Government almost a decade longer than Obama and has held numerous excutive postions (Obama has held none). She was also elected to a leadership position by her fellow governors: Chairwoman opf the Interstate Oil and Gas Commission, America’s largest interstate organization.
Regional support: Palin resonates acroos the country to broad demographics, plus she can help pull votes in Northern states like Minnesota and Michigan, plus she can end Obama’s attack on the Western GOP base.
Economic Experience: Palin has more gravitas on Oil and Gas than any candidate in the entire country, and this election will be won or lost at the pump.
June 30th, 2008 at 11:59 am
#13 Very condescending and insulting to say women vote based on looks and can be “locked up” so easily and superficially.
June 30th, 2008 at 12:05 pm
What does “hot buzz” mean and who are these “top party advisors?”
Of the former candidates, only Huckabee would be a worse choice than Romney as far as I’m concerned. It sounds like the rumor mill is trying to ramp up the phony factor to try to match the Obama/Yomama “love fest”. Wow, wouldn’t THAT be fun to watch - all those campaign ads from both sides demonstrating how much the candidates despise their own running mates. Talk about “Weapons of Mass Distraction”!
Some have said the opposition is extremely worried about Palin as a possibility and will do whatever it takes to marginalize even the perception that she’s in the running.
June 30th, 2008 at 12:06 pm
#19. Ummm…joke much?
Not intended to offend, yikes.
June 30th, 2008 at 12:14 pm
Given that McCain is taking public financing, what benefit would it be for him to have Romney’s fund-raising ability onboard? I like Romney, but doesn’t public financing considerably diminish his monetary appeal?
June 30th, 2008 at 12:20 pm
“What does “hot buzz” mean and who are these “top party advisors?” ”
Exactly. The key word is “party advisors” these are not McCain’s veep vetting people. They may have high places in the party, but that doesn’t mean that they arent just speculating. As far as I’m concerned, unless one of these “advisors” turns out to be McCain himself, Arthur Culvahouse, or Charlie Black, they aren’t solid sources.
June 30th, 2008 at 12:20 pm
Honestly, I don’t care what McCain does. But if he picks Romney, he gets my attention again, and unless he gets more radical than he is now after the pick, he probably gets my vote. At some level I would be thrilled to see one person with competence and class who fights for traditional American values somewhere on some ticket this election cycle, which thus far has seemed like a total bust for conservatives. In other words, Romney has the skill set our country needs right now, and I’ll take the gamble that if he is within a 10 mile radius of Washington D.C. somehow, something might get done that helps my family. That somehow, someone will jar Congress awake and we will get at least some of our tax dollars worth. If McCain handles national defense, and Romney works the economy and family values, there might be some progress here for American families. Keep hope alive.
June 30th, 2008 at 12:20 pm
#22 He will direct it other organizations that have no limits. Can you imagine the donating power of Marriott?
June 30th, 2008 at 12:34 pm
#22 you are correct. #25, can you say, ILLEGAL!
If the McCain camp internal polls show that Romney’s family name can bring Michigan, then they should consider him (after Palin).
Romney’s benefit is not $, it is volunteers. We can all admit that Romney had students living from state to state working for him, more so than any of the other GOP candidates, but…..
Most of the volunteers in local campaign offices are women, not men. That is a fact, and any of us who have political experience know this, but maybe Romney can offset this with all the kids he had working for him.
June 30th, 2008 at 1:51 pm
Kris, I’m confused. Are you saying it is illegal for people to donate money in large amounts to 527s or to the National committee? I thought that was permissible.
June 30th, 2008 at 1:55 pm
LJ. Off-topic, but would you please consider blogging on the topic of disaffected Hillary voters beginning to organize online? This site made news:
http://justsaynodeal.com/index.html
And this one:
http://www.puma08.com/2008/06/17/puma-voters-number-45-million-minimum-nationwide-according-to-abc-poll/
PUMA stand for “Party Unity My Ass,” the acronym that describes the disaffected within the Democratic party. They claim to be 4 million strong.
Also, it appears that PUMA sites have been systematically hacked by apostles of the Obamessiah. See:
http://bloggasm.com/whos-responsible-for-shutting-down-a-number-of-anti-obama-blogspot-accounts
These may—probably are—marginal developments. But they are ecouraging nonetheless.
June 30th, 2008 at 2:01 pm
I keep hearing different names on top of his list every day. I am not sure that Mike Allen has a credible source. His source probably just picks someone at random.
I agree with the rest of the article though. Wait to see what Obama does and then counter with your pick. It’s quite simple.
It could be Mitt, Rudy, Palin, Pawlenty, Crist, etc., but it would be crazy not to wait until Obama picks to see what kind of an advantage you can garner.
June 30th, 2008 at 2:30 pm
If this were just one guy, writing one article, then I would take it with a grain of salt.
But this is at least the third major article to highlight Romney as being at or near the top of the VP list, and Romney is getting more assignments from the McCain campaign than anyone else.
June 30th, 2008 at 2:41 pm
It will be grim to watch when the DNC, numerous 527s, and the Obama campaign itself begin to recycle those frighteningly negative and irresponsible negative advertisements that Romney used against Sen. McCain. Here be blog posts that link to the press accounts. Read them and weep bitter tears for how Romney’s purblind short-sightedness then afflicts him even now.
http://dotan.wordpress.com/2008/01/01/fortunesfool/
http://dotan.wordpress.com/2007/12/29/romneys-negative-campaigning-is-romney-willing-to-take-the-party-down-with-him/
http://dotan.wordpress.com/2008/01/03/souldarkenedvoid/
Go Mitt!
June 30th, 2008 at 3:44 pm
They aren’t half as bad as what we have Hillary saying about Obama. If they play that game, they lose.
June 30th, 2008 at 4:47 pm
Dotan is BACK!!!
June 30th, 2008 at 5:06 pm
Hi, Tommy. I was a little disillusioned when Sen. McCain assumed the purple and then disappeared while his party circled the drain. So I slipped into inactivity. But in the interval of my absence I had the chance to study Sen. Obama closely as he struggled with Clinton campaign. I am now resolved to support Sen. McCain whole-heartedly, full-bloodedly, without hedge or qualification. Well, I have one issue with the McCain campaign: they have no theme and tend to emit lots of noise in lieu of a coherent message, at least so far. I have a new blog too. I’m looking forward to an interesting Fall campaign. Things look grim according to the polls and those who study the mood of the nation. But that just makes the Fall that much more interesting. I mean, if you’re falling off of a cliff, you may as well try to fly—right?
July 9th, 2008 at 7:03 pm
I am so glad to hear that Romney is at the top of McCain’s list. Mr. Romney will be a great asset to the ticket. He is one of the most talented person in getting the economy back on track. The people that put so much on Romneys’ LDS faith are very narrow minded. He has the ability top bring this county back to a profitable state.
I know that if Romney is chosen to be McCain’s running mate they together will bring this county around again.
Let’s Go McCain-Romney!!!!!!