Yesterday, I outlined my views on the Vice Presidential selection. Today, I’m going to apply those views and create two shortlists, one for McCain and one for Obama. One important caveat: These lists aren’t meant to be predictive. This is not a compilation of who I think McCain/Obama will pick, but rather who I think they should pick.
For the purpose of this exercise, we’re going to assume that the message McCain wants to run with is that he’s an unconventional Republican. A maverick and a reformer. A change agent. My list, in no particular order, is after the jump.
Tim Pawlenty –Pawlenty isn’t really a maverick or a reformer, but he is a fresh face on the national scene – someone that most people have no familiarity with. So he helps on the message front (though not as much as others might). As for the loyalty angle, it’s actually a mixed bag. Pawlenty was with McCain from the beginning and is a national co-chair of his campaign. On the other hand, TPaw’s campaigning on behalf of McCain decreased significantly during last fall (when McCain’s political fortunes were in the toilet). More recently, Pawlenty publically disagreed with McCain’s view of the bridge collapse. Pawlenty is a very, very ambitious politician. Is he willing to sacrifice his own ambitions to be McCain’s attack dog? I’m not convinced. Still, I think Pawlenty checks both boxes. He’d be a solid, but unspectacular choice.
Sarah Palin – The Governor of Alaska has developed a reputation as a reformer and (wait for it) a maverick who challenged and beat a sitting Republican Governor in 2006. Sure she’s only got two years of experience, but McCain’s got more than enough experience for the whole ticket. Besides, the selection of a woman Governor from a small far-flung state would reinforce McCain’s own maverick image. As far as loyalty is concerned, you’ve got to imagine that Palin, who would have no national future without a McCain administration (Alaska is not the best launching pad for a Presidential campaign) would be pretty loyal and you don’t beat an incumbent Governor without throwing a few punches. If I were McCain, Palin would be my pick.
Bobby Jindal – Louisiana’s Governor brings message reinforcement in spades. He’s a reformer and a fresh face. In fact, Jindal’s biggest accomplishment in his short gubernatorial career was passing a massive ethics bill which brought Louisiana into the modern era of ethics. Like Palin, he’d be an unconventional pick, so he would make McCain look like a maverick. The problem with Jindal is that his political star shines a little too bright. He’s probably has a future in national politics with or without McCain. There is also no evidence that Jindal and McCain are close personally. Jindal would be a risk, but McCain needs to take risks if he is going to win.
Lindsay Graham – This guy is the opposite of Jindal. He’ll by uber-loyal to McCain, but doesn’t do much on the message front. Graham is one of McCain’s biggest backers and closest friends. You better believe that he would crawl over broken glass to help McCain win. I’m not sure Graham does much in message reinforcement, but he is considered more of a maverick Republican. Also, Graham is single. That could be a problem.
Now here are some names frequently tossed out by the media who I think shouldn’t be picked by McCain:
Mitt Romney – Fails the loyalty test in a big way. Might help with message reinforcement, but if McCain’s numbers turn south, Romney starts to campaign for 2012.
Mike Huckabee – See Romney, Mitt.
Charlie Crist – Actually, Crist passes the loyalty and message tests. But he’s never been married single and rumors have circulated for years that he’s gay. McCain already has a social conservative problem. UPDATE: Crist was married for less than a year in his early 20’s.
Tom Ridge – Passes the loyalty test. Fails the message test: he’s a lobbyist. Also, he’s pro-choice. Conservatives would go nuts.
Colin Powell – There are rumors that he’s going to endorse Obama. That would seem to be a big failure of the loyalty test.
My Obama list is coming later today.
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Charlie Crist is divorced. Please correct above.
1) Lindsey Graham is on the perennial lists of supposedly closeted GOP gays. As is Governor Crist. Not that there’s anything wrong with that…….
2) Oh I wish I wish I wish that Mitt “Mittens” Romney would be named. Please, if there is a God, bring back Mittens!
3) If Huckabee makes it on the ticket, it will be a double-dog-torturer duo. No, wait, that’s unfair. It’s Huckabee’s son who was fired as a Boy Scout counseler after torturing a stray dog to death on a camp-out with the younger boys. (Thank God he wasn’t gay though!)
RE: Gov. Timmy: If he’s the Veep candidate, hopefully the Dems will launch an ad campaign complete with the “London Bridges falling down” music so every time Gov. “No New Taxes So Bridges Go Boom” appears on screen, the public sees the 35W bridge in the water. Pawlenty is nothing if not ambitious, so his main question should be whether being linked to a losing Presidential campaign is going to help him politically. It might make him lock him in as big-time loser. Or it might put him in a good visible position to run against………see, here he has s problem……I mean, what’s the guy going to run for….. Sen. Klobuchar’s seat in……..2012? That’s a looooong time from now.
I honestly don’t think Tim could run and win a third term as governor. So where is he supposed to go politically from here? On the other hand, maybe Tim will go work at some wing-nut welfare think/tank or corporate gig and earn some “real” money.
I think the best choice for McCain is Sarah Palin, followed by Bobby Jindahl.
Jindahl has some ultra right wing Catholic skeletons in his closet. The right wing evangelicals and right wing catholics are not the best of buds. Google Jindahl and exorcism. Good Stuff
I think Palin is a shoe-in.
Palin’s record is very impressive, and on paper she’s a great choice. I’ll admit, my differences with her policy positions entirely aside, she’s accomplished some remarkable things in polar bear country.
Track down a video of her, though. The woman is, and I really don’t want to sound mean here, a weak public speaker at best. McCain is already perceived as a stilted, somewhat wooden speaker. Jindal or Graham would add a degree of sorely needed oratorical skill.
Nothing helps McCain’s oratorical skills. Maybe she’d make him look good in comparison?
First off, kudos to this liberal website for actually dedicating time to GOP discussion. If only CNN, MSDFL, and other national outlets would do the same. I like your list, especially Romney and Jindal. Romney could make up for McCain’s seriously misguided economic views(he’s as left as Obama on the economy). I coulnd’t believe his call for a windfall profits tax on the oil companies yesteraday! Jindal would be great because of his reputation as a reformer, his youth, and his LA location. Jindal would be my pick.
McCain/Jindal ‘08: Stop Obamunism
Zack,
Interesting and thoughtful list. I agree with you, but might add a few names to the list. I’m not sure Gov. Palin would be in play simply because most of us in the mainland aren’t familiar with her so she wouldn’t have much of a name ID or following. I do think McCain would be smart to pick a woman, for the reasons we’ve discussed before. I’d add Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, Rep. Kay Granger or even Sen. Elizabeth Dole to the list.
Palin is one of those Republicans I dont mind and kind of like. I only know what I’ve read about her and from what I’ve read, I think she is quite respectable.
If I had my way, McCain would pick Romney. He is so sleazy that it is entertaining. Romney’s negativity would be a sharp contrast to the positive message of the Obama campaign. Huckabee would be really fun as well.
On T-Paw: No way will he win a third term. With the plethora of DFL candidates for governor they finally should be able to pick a strong candidate (unlike the past two). Also, I think it is important to remember that T-Paw has never won over 50% of the vote in this state and his popularity, it would seem, has been decreasing over the past year or two.
This is not rocket science.
Palin as McCain’s Veep.
Pawlenty and Palin are names you can trust.