The Candidates
There are some significant additions and changes, including my homestate House candidate Cynthia Lummis (go Wyoming!). The full list is below the fold (names with asterisks* are new additions or changes from the first list sent out last week):
Monday - “Service”
President George W. Bush
Vice President Richard B. Cheney
First Lady Laura Bush
Gov. Tim Pawlenty (Minn.)*
Gov. Rick Perry (Texas)*
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (Calif.)
Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.)*
U.S. Sen. Richard Burr (N.C.)*
U.S. Sen. Norm Coleman (Minn.)*
U.S. Sen. John Ensign (Nev.)*
U.S. Sen. Orrin Hatch (Utah)*
U.S. Sen. Joseph Lieberman (Conn.)
U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann (Minn.)*
U.S. Rep. Tom Cole (Okla.)*
U.S. Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart (Fla.)*
U.S. Rep. Thelma Drake (Va.)*
U.S. Rep. Mark Kirk (Ill.)*
U.S. Rep. Kevin McCarthy (Calif)*
Tommy Espinoza*
Maj. Gen. Rick Goddard, U.S. Air Force (Ret.)*
Bill Gross*
Ashley Gunn*
Chris Hackett*
Doug Leatherdale*
Jay Love*
Cynthia Lummis*
Erik Paulsen*
Capt. Leslie Smith, U.S. Army (Ret.)*
Tuesday - Reforms
Former New York City Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani
Gov. Jon Huntsman (Utah)
Gov. Linda Lingle (Hawaii)
Gov. Sarah Palin (Alaska)
Former Gov. Mike Huckabee (Ark.)
Former Gov. Tom Ridge (Pa.)
Former Lt. Gov. Michael Steele (Md.)
U.S. Sen. Tom Coburn (Okla.)*
Former U.S. Sen. Fred Thompson (Tenn.)
House Republican Leader John Boehner (Ohio)*
U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn (Tenn.)*
U.S. Rep. Luis Fortuño (Puerto Rico)*
U.S. Rep. Adam Putnam (Fla.)*
State Sen. Dennis Hollingsworth (Calif.)*
Rosario Marin, California Secretary of the State and former Treasurer of the United States
Chris Collins*
Carolyn Dunn*
Phil Hayes*
Lisa Keegan*
Ruth Novodor*
Dr. Elena Rios *
Shirley Sadler*
Joe Watkins*
Wednesday - Prosperity
Mrs. Cindy McCain
Republican Party’s Vice Presidential Nominee
Gov. Bobby Jindal (La.)
Former Gov. Mitt Romney (Mass.)
U.S. Sen. Norm Coleman (Minn.)
U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (Texas)*
U.S. Rep. Mike Pence (Ind.)*
Mayor Mick Cornett (Okla.)*
State Sen. Abel Maldonado (Calif.)*
Carly Fiorina, Victory ‘08 Chairman for the RNC, former Chairman and CEO of Hewlett-Packard Co.
Meg Whitman, National Co-Chair for McCain 2008 and former President and CEO of eBay
Renee Amoore*
Anne Beiler*
Jessica Colon*
Christy Swanson*
Raul “Danny” Vargas*
Thursday - Peace
John McCain
Gov. Charlie Crist (Fla.)
Gov. Tim Pawlenty (Minn.)
U.S. Sen. Sam Brownback (Kan.)
U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham (S.C.)*
U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez (Fla.)
Former U.S. Sen. Bill Frist (Tenn.)*
U.S. Rep. Mary Fallin (Okla.)*
Michael Williams, Chairman of the Texas Railroad Commission*
David Flaum*
Christopher Fussner*
Lt. Gen. Carol Mutter, U.S. Marine Corps (Ret.)*
Charlie Smith*
August 27th, 2008 at 8:15 am
This convention schedule looks like it diminishes Pawlenty’s prospects. McCain is announcing his VP Friday. If it’s Pawlenty, we’ll have the VP speaking on the day of opening ceremonies, again on Wednesday, and supposedly again on Thursday. It seems to me that they’d, at the very least, want to wait until Wednesday to display the Veep. Given that Pawlenty’s name has apparently just been added to the Monday lineup, I’d guess Mac has decided against him. Could be wrong though.
August 27th, 2008 at 8:17 am
Oh, and where the heck is Eric Cantor? He’s a Jewish Republican (diversity) and a supposed VP shorlister, but he’s not even speaking the convention? Does this suggest that we’re looking at a Cantor selection on Friday?
August 27th, 2008 at 8:22 am
Matthew,
It continues to amaze me how much we think alike. I had the exact same thoughts when I looked over this list. Exact.
August 27th, 2008 at 8:25 am
Mr. Cantor would be OK.
August 27th, 2008 at 8:26 am
Glad to see Sen. To Coburn, M.D. (R, OK) on there.
Several other Okies, as well. Rep. Tom Cole, Rep. Mary Fallin, and Mayor Mick Cornett (you’re kidding me… Cole and Cornett, real bastions of conservatism there…).
They should re-play this debate of Coburn’s at the Convention…
August 27th, 2008 at 8:30 am
Cantor makes some surface sense. He worked in real estate before becoming a pol, so he has experience in the economy, and plausibly economic experience. He’s on both the internatonal relations committee and the finance committee. But, he’s just about the most conservative Republican in existence. Do we really want a guy who voted like 98% of the time with Bush on the ticket?
August 27th, 2008 at 8:30 am
Well Matthew, if you don’t think it’s going to be Pawlenty, then you’re not paying attention
August 27th, 2008 at 8:31 am
Jamison, I was also glad to see names like Pence, Blackburn, Bachmann, Ensign, Hatch, and Burr. Conservatives will get a voice at this convention.
August 27th, 2008 at 8:33 am
Matthew, I would propose that “the most conservative Republican” who “voted 98% of the time with Bush” would be the largest oxymoron ever beheld by man.
Bush is one of the worst things to ever happen to the conservative movement, but that’s a topic for a different thread!
August 27th, 2008 at 8:34 am
McCain moved ahead on Rassmussen daily tracking this morning!
August 27th, 2008 at 8:35 am
I dont care to hear from Crist, Graham, Arnold, Martinez, Lieberman, Bush, Huckabee, among others - in no particular order of disdain
August 27th, 2008 at 8:51 am
I’d be fine with Cantor. NOT Hutchison, PLEASE don’t pick her.
August 27th, 2008 at 8:52 am
Why is Coleman speaking on Monday and Wednesday?
August 27th, 2008 at 8:58 am
Sean M, he’s from Minnesota and it’s being held there.
August 27th, 2008 at 8:59 am
BTW, Cantor has been on the GOP Convention Response Team in Denver this week.
August 27th, 2008 at 9:00 am
Sean M,
He’s the former Mayor of St. Paul. The Convention is in St. Paul. It’s a no-brainer to give him as much speaking time as possible. I actually think Norm would make a better running mate then Pawlenty, because he’s a former Democrat, but he has to whallop Norm Franken in November.
August 27th, 2008 at 9:09 am
Matthew - - its AL Franken.
August 27th, 2008 at 9:13 am
Joe M,
Lol, yeah. I knew that. Got mixed up for a second.
August 27th, 2008 at 9:22 am
You know what…I think it’s going to be Cantor and I think it’ll probably do Mac alot of good. The more I think about it, adding a guy with a master’s in real estate development during a Housing crisis, probably is just the sort of business experience that’ll help Mac connect to the concerns of average Americans. And it’s frankly inconceivable to me tha a young Jewish Republican from a swing state wouldn’t speak at the convention. Cantor is the one glaring omission.
August 27th, 2008 at 9:22 am
I just heard Huckabee on Foxnews, who was interviewed for several minutes about the VP selection. I’ll have to say this, he didn’t diss Mitt Romney nearly as much as he had previously, mildly at most. He also went out of his way to mention other prominent Mormons that he admired such as Hatch, Leavitt, and Huntsman and indicated he would support and campaign for them in a heartbeat. It seemed he was saying that he would support McCain with a Romney selection. He downplayed the fact that Mitt is Mormon as being unimportant to the evangelical voters. I was more pleased than normal with his comments. He also said Joe Lieberman would not be acceptable for him.
August 27th, 2008 at 9:31 am
Why is Pawlenty under Monday and Thursday?
August 27th, 2008 at 9:39 am
Don’t read too much into the “omission” of Eric Cantor from the schedule. “Chief Deputy Minority Whip” is not exactly a job title that screams “Vice Presidential material” for most Americans, and it’s not obvious that someone with such a job description should even be included at the convention in the first place. The talk that he is really a serious contender is, like the Sarah Palin bubble, more a result of (socially) conservative pundits daydreaming than it is any actual consideration of him by the McCain campaign.
August 27th, 2008 at 9:45 am
Big S,
He’s from Virginia. The Democrats had a Virginian give their keynote address. The idea that the Republicans wouldn’t put forward their most prominent Virginian (and other then Warner and Allen, Cantor is the most prominent Virginian) is frankly ludicrous. Look at that convention list; there are at least a dozen names less prominent then Cantor’s and from states of less significance. U.S. Rep Kevin McCarthy (whoever he is) from California is more prominent then Eric Cantor? He’s more strategic? Really? In fact, there doesn’t seem to be a single Virginian addressing the convention. This is so glaring it’s almost unfathomable. Add to this the fact that Cantor is Jewish, young, and was certainly vbetted for the VP spot…and well, the math seems right.
August 27th, 2008 at 9:45 am
#20 — if you were truly listenting to him other times, that is EXACTLY what he has been saying. Rather you must simply catch the buzz from others — because he did not say one word differently this time than in every other interview for the last several weeks.
August 27th, 2008 at 9:50 am
Why does nobody think the VP speaking on CEO day (I mean prosperity day) is a hint?
August 27th, 2008 at 9:53 am
Nevermind. Thelma Drake (whoever she is) is addressing the convention. She was elected in 2004. But, Eric Cantor isn’t? Color me awfully skeptical.
August 27th, 2008 at 10:00 am
Mark Warner was a popular governor, and now he’s running for the U.S. Senate. Cantor’s a U.S. Rep, and 80-90% of the state probably doesn’t even know he exists. He’s not “prominent” by any means. If you step out of the cocoon, things like this seem far less “ludicrous.”
August 27th, 2008 at 10:00 am
No Rob Portman.
August 27th, 2008 at 10:08 am
I’ll tell you what — if it’s Cantor or Portman, a generic, white-bread, typically conservative, establishment pick — you can kiss those Hillary voters goodbye.
August 27th, 2008 at 10:12 am
#29
Yup.
August 27th, 2008 at 10:12 am
Big S,
The Mark Warner did private polling earlier this year with Cantor, Davis, and Gilmore. Cantor was the most competitive. You’d be surprised at how prominent he is in Virginia. He’s by far the most prolific fundraiser in the House.
Alex Knepper,
I think Cantor would be a typical challah bread Republican. Gosh, I can’t believe I just said that.
August 27th, 2008 at 10:14 am
Good one Matthew!
August 27th, 2008 at 10:17 am
Is Bill Gross on Monday the same Bill Gross that is the “Bond King” and head of PIMCO investments? If so, why wouldn’t they put him on prosperity day?
August 27th, 2008 at 10:17 am
#24 That’s your opinion voter, mine differs. I thought the whole tone was different. I’m very perceptive on this cause its my religion, and my candidate.
August 27th, 2008 at 10:19 am
You’re confusing “prominent” with “prominent for a U.S. Representative.”
August 27th, 2008 at 10:19 am
Could somone edit the list and mark the primetime speakers who will be on netwerk TV? Do we know that yet?
August 27th, 2008 at 10:26 am
All of you keep forgetting: they can change the schedule at any time. If one of the prescheduled speakers is selected for VP, they will adjust the schedule.
August 27th, 2008 at 10:32 am
I know this much, a full 98% of the American people would ask “Who??????” if Cantor was chosen. Everybody knew who Biden was, or nearly everyone. They may not have known a lot about him, but most at least would have known he wwas a long time Senator from the Northeast.
Cantor has fallen from 10 to 5 today on intrade. Huckabee mentioned Michael Leavitt as a possible surprise pick for VP, but he’s not scheduled to speak either.
August 27th, 2008 at 10:45 am
In regards to VP picks: I copied this comment from another thread that isn’t getting nearly as much attention.
This was my thought after watching Hillary’s speech last night
I think we have to realize that these voters are more caught up in the women’s movement than in the liberal movement.
If JMac were to pick a Female VP I think he could capitalize on this fact. Not that the GOP will see millions of women voting for McCain but because I think seeing a female VP on the GOP side will simply remind these “women’s movement” voters that Obama “stole” the nomination and then snubbed Hillary with his VP choice. I don’t want to play identity politics but I think if there is a short list and there is a female on that list JMac might as well pick her if all else is the same amongst the choice.
I would be interested to see someone like Alex or Matt Miller or Kavon do some sort of analysis about who exactly these disenfranchised Hillary voters are. I truly they are more concerned with the women’s movement than the liberal movement. There must be some sort of studies out there that someone with a lot more free time than me could compile and fill us all in on.
August 27th, 2008 at 11:25 am
Schedules can always change, that said I still think Romney’s chances are the highest.
August 27th, 2008 at 11:30 am
Big S,
But, that’s just the point. Cantor IS prominent for a Congressman. He’s the only Congressman who has even been mentioned in connection to the Vice Presidency. And yet there are a dozen Congressmen and women addressing the convention and Cantor isn’t one of them. Some of them are minorities or women. Some of them are from swing states. Some of them are neither (Kevin McCarthy and Tom Cole for instance). This is a good deal more significant then you think. When convention organizers put these things together, they have checklists. If you’re a member of some minority group or you’re a woman, you’re more likely to speak. If you’re young (a future star), you’re more likely to speak. If you’re from a swing state, you’re more likely to speak. Eric Cantor is all of these things; he may be uniquely all of these things. And yet, he’s nowhere to be found. Despite the fact that they saw fit to include several less prominent congressman, some of whom check none of these boxes.
August 27th, 2008 at 11:55 am
Matthew, if it were Cantor, wouldn’t it be reasonable that Virginia would have been included in the three state swing? I noticed that Grand Rapids is not one of the stops, so whether or not Mitt is still supposed to speak there on the 30th would be interesting. If not,then I think his stock has just gone up. If he is still there, perhaps his stock has gone down, cause McCain will be in Pa.
August 27th, 2008 at 11:57 am
#41,
The track record for U.S. representatives on national tickets in recent years is pretty abysmal. You have to go back to Geraldine Ferraro in ‘84 for the most recent person plucked straight from the House, and she was something of a “breakthrough” pick (which Cantor isn’t). Before that, you have to go back to ‘64 (Miller). Those are the only two since WWII, I think, and they were on two of the worst tickets (in terms of vote percentage and Electoral Votes won) in the history of the country. There’s very little precedent for a major party candidate selecting a U.S. Representative as his running mate, and part of the reason is that they’re not taken seriously enough by the general electorate, half of whom probably can’t name their own Representative.
August 27th, 2008 at 12:00 pm
I look forward to seeing who ever it is in PA.
August 27th, 2008 at 12:21 pm
Cantor…I highly doubt it…if he’s going to pick someone nobody has ever heard of I think it will probably be a woman nobody has ever heard of.
August 27th, 2008 at 12:24 pm
40 you’re right Romney’s chances are the highest…that he’ll replace Rudy and deliver the Keynote Address.
August 27th, 2008 at 12:24 pm
The Cantor omission could also be Team McCain’s latest headfake. Notice every week they intentionally “leak” a couple of VP names as a likely nominee.
August 27th, 2008 at 12:31 pm
Big S,
Sure the two times Congressmen have been on the bottom of the ticket since WWII have been blowouts, but it has nothing to do with Congressmen being on the ticket.
In 1964, Johnson was riding a wave folowing the “martyrdom” of Kennedy, America wasn’t ready for Goldwater’s message, the Republican party was in disarray (Rockefeller touted the convention and was booed), and quite frankly, Goldwater scared people. There was a liberal consensus in the 60s, just as there was a conservative consensus in the 80s, leading to your next example….
Mondale was going to get blown out no matter what. The economy was MUCH improved over 1980, and people just loved Reagan (most people anyway). Ferraro was a bad pick, but not because she was a Congressman. Her husband was tied closely to some shady underworld characters, and as a novelty pick, she was in over her head.
August 27th, 2008 at 12:35 pm
Correction, “Rockefeller taunted,” not “touted.”
August 27th, 2008 at 12:38 pm
#41 and #47 are both excellent points.
It seems to me though, that the McCain campaign would already give their VP a speaking slot, and then change the schedule. Otherwise, if some known shortlister is not on the docket, it’s all too obvious who the pick is.
I agree that Cantor OUGHT to be on the schedule, but I also think (like Metro) that this could be a head fake. Why would McCain show his hand in such a way? The head fake could help steal some buzz from the DNC though.
August 27th, 2008 at 12:42 pm
#34, isn’t your candidate McCain?
August 27th, 2008 at 12:59 pm
It’s obviously Rudy, I just read that 2 of the 3 rallies this week are being held at Minor League stadiums…John and Rudy get a lot of press when they show up at baseball stadiums together and a lot of cheers McCain/Giuliani as well.
August 27th, 2008 at 1:06 pm
jersey- isnt rudy pro choice? or is that just a false rumor?
August 27th, 2008 at 1:13 pm
This is beyond silly. The American people are on record as believing that being a Congressman doesn’t cut it for one of the two top positions in the land. Does anybody remember what happened when Mondale chose Ferraro? That one turned out well, didn’t it? Anybody remember how many states Goldwater carried when he chose Miller? Portman held a cabinet position, albeit in the wrong cabinet. I like Cantor a lot…..we share the same politics……but he simply isn’t qualified to be President, and therefore, he isn’t qualified to be Vice President.
BTW, Leavitt would be a good pick, but he’s not the most obvious Mormon for the job. Huntsman was part of McCain’s inner circle from the beginning, and has the benefit of not being a member of W’s cabinet.
August 27th, 2008 at 1:20 pm
#54
I agree - picking a House member (especially one who’s only been there for a few years) indicates that the campaign is fundamentally not serious, which is about the worst possible message to send.
August 27th, 2008 at 1:26 pm
53, corep…Rudy is pro-choice and he did an excellent job explaining his position and how it is actually a more Republican position. The pro-life,IMO, position will sink the Republican party eventually. The social conservatives try to sell the idea that being pro-choice is being pro-abbortion, when it really just means you’re pro-freedom and you’re pro-government stay out of my business…but those are my words not Rudy’s…and don’t be surprised if his pick is pro-choice…a great move this election cycle.
August 27th, 2008 at 1:27 pm
Dave,
There are actually pretty good reasons to believe Ferraro helped Mondale in 84′. He went from -16 to tied overnight, and she made no serious mistakes in the campaign (she had a solid debate performance against Bush).
August 27th, 2008 at 1:28 pm
Not to mention if you pick a different Mormon than Romney then there will be ads by Obama saying why not this Mormon right over the face of Romney…not a smart idea.
August 27th, 2008 at 1:34 pm
Bull Crap Jersey - When discussing politics, the term pro-choice to nearly everyone means pr-abortion, or more specifically for a woman to have the right to choose to kill her unborn baby….That’s the choice …to kill him/her…or to allow to live.
GOvernments don’t stay out of our business when it comes to murder, do they? They don’t for rape, or muggings, or robbery, speeding, or wearing my seat belt, or a thousand other things. But right now they are allowing the woman to choose to kill her unborn child…that’s her ‘choice’ today.
August 27th, 2008 at 1:38 pm
Matt,
This is why they barely carried one state? I have to believe that if the public perceived gravitas in the number 2 slot the Dems might have managed a second state somewhere.
August 27th, 2008 at 1:46 pm
If you want to get into this debate I will. If you really think Democrats are such heathens that they want to go out and kill fetus’ then you are truly confused…if you don’t truly undertand your opponents stance on issues you will never defeat that opponent and since the social conservatives continue to look at this one issue with a black and white viewpoint it shows what a losing cause it is. The word choice basically means freedom.
A lot of social conservatives do not even agree with a woman to have the right to choose to abort a fetus, who cannot live outside of the womb, if that fetus was conceived by rape…but they would have no problem putting the rapist on death row, if that was a viable option…talk about hipocrisy. What if they know in the beginning months of preganancy that the Mother will die if she goes full term…oh well…let her die.
It’s a losing cause…Roe vs. Wade will NEVER be overturned…I suggest that the best defense against abortion is to raise children better and mind your own business what other people decide to do with their bodies.
August 27th, 2008 at 1:50 pm
Well said Illinoisguy!
August 27th, 2008 at 2:03 pm
Jersey, I would venture to say that most pro-life people, including me, would support an exception for rape and incest. However, we also support individual states making their own laws on abortion. Few of us actually support a federal constitutional amendment to “ban” abortion.
August 27th, 2008 at 2:14 pm
Well, I think there are some interesting omissions here…. No Libby Dole, No Colin Powell, No Norman Schwartzkoff, No Tommy Franks, No Peter Pace,…. food for thought.
August 27th, 2008 at 2:15 pm
Whether or not we support a national policy of a state by state policy is a side show. The bottom line line is that Illinoisguy is right on this issue and Jerseyrepublican is distorting the issue.
August 27th, 2008 at 2:19 pm
Over in the “Corner” on National Review, Mona Charen just wrote that McCain should pick Cantor.
August 27th, 2008 at 2:21 pm
Ohio, how exactly am I distorting the issue? One thing I did do which I do wish to take back is to pigeonhole all social conservtives as thinking one way…that I apologize for…but I stand by my stance clearly.
August 27th, 2008 at 3:31 pm
Cantor is not on the speaking list becaue he is going to step in the empty spot the vp pick will leave.
why would romney not be speaking on “reform” night? isn’t that what his campaign theme was? Maybe its becaue he is going to be vp so they schedule him on vp night? Cantor will take his spot when he moves to vp slot time
I am suprised, but i kind of think its going to be romney. The romney/huckabee even planned in missiouri seems like a real giveaway given that what better way does mccain try and deal with the part of the social conservatives that hate romney than to have huck show up and say, lets unite, support this guy.
August 27th, 2008 at 3:45 pm
#56 - “Rudy is pro-choice and he did an excellent job explaining his position and how it is actually a more Republican position. The pro-life,IMO, position will sink the Republican party eventually.”
Do you really believe that? Its on the platform, and will be again, but you think a pro-life position will sink the party? Its an integral part of keeping the coalition that makes up the party. I would have to argue the opposite. A pro-choice VP could very well destroy the party, and it certainly, most absolutely, will lose the election this time. There is no doubt in my mind about that.
August 27th, 2008 at 4:27 pm
#69, What will be gained is a voting block that would normally not vote republican…a voting block we could really use this election. Obama has already sured up his party faithfuls, he’s brought on a lot of African Americans who usually don’t vote, the youth vote that normally does not vote. Now add that to the normal, practically even divide of Democrats and Republicans, voters in this country and Mr. Obama wins the election. The one glimmer of hope is that there is a group of disenfranchised voters and the act of having a pro-choice VP will go a long with that group, a group that could decide this election…now granted only a portion of that vote will go Republican but it’s a portion we could definitely use.
I do firmly agree it will sink the party eventually, not today or next year but within my lifetime it will if the party doesn’t open its doors and minds to other viewpoints and the best way to do that is to stop referring to people who are pro-choice as being pro-murder.
Illinois if you believe being pro-choice is a bad stance for this election then you really should not be behind Mitt. He was pro-choice for the majority of his life and not until 2005 did he “change” his view. Take a look at this video from 2002.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_w9pquznG4