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McCain's VP Pick?
New article out from Reuters on some possible VP picks for McCain. The article focused on McCain's age - that at 71 he's the oldest non-incumbent to run in the general election. Then the article gets into some possible McCain VP picks:
I don't think there's any way that Powell would get on the GOP ticket because he seems to be fairly disenchanted with this war and the neo-cons. I think he stays completely out of the picture in the election. I don't think Graham makes sense, another old white male Senatorfrom an already strong red state. Portman, while from Ohio, isn't that well known outside of Cincinnati since he was only a member of the House. His strong connections to the White House could further tie McCain to the worst President ever.
Brinkley said the most reassuring person McCain could pick in the Republican Party would be retired Gen. Colin Powell, a former secretary of state and defense. Powell, 70, has said he does not want the job but Brinkley said Republican Party elders might be able to persuade him.
"Powell is someone everyone could imagine as president," Brinkley said.
Two possibilities include Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, 51, who could help McCain win the battleground state of Florida in the November election, and Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, 47, who could do the same in Minnesota.
There are plenty of other names: Texas Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, who says she does not want it; South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham; Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour; Texas Gov. Rick Perry; and former White House budget director Rob Portman, a former member of the U.S. Congress from Ohio.
Of the rest, I think I'd bet first on Pawlenty, then Hutchinson, and Crist. Perry and Barbour would be a second tier of choices.
Three questions:
- Who are the other likely Vp picks for McCain?
- If you were McCain, who would you choose and why?
- What can TPM readers tell us about these candidates? (i.e. I don't know much about Pawlenty or Crist. Anyone from Minnesota or Florida want to weigh in?)
Comments (4)
We call Pawlenty "Texas Timmy." He's tried very hard to run as a firm conservative--no new taxes, which has hurt the libraries, schools, and--as you may have noticed--infrastructure. He won the last election by a squeaker, and his performance after the bridge collapse has not been very good (though he got an initial bump from it.) Whether or not he could deliver MN is questionable. Though he might. But I think the bridge issue might be pretty big nationally, and they'll look closely at his response to that crisis. McCain is going to be painting Obama as green, and doesn't want his VP to be a lightweight.
I'm going to go with Crist--though I think he'll win FL no matter what.
March 2, 2008 11:48 AM | Reply | Permalink
One of the reasons Timmay (check South Park...) won in the first place, as well as re-election, is that there has been an "independent" candidate in both elections, who siphoned off votes from the lackluster campaigners the DFL put up.
Skip Humphrey and Mike Hatch were both adequate candidates but outright terrible campaigners. An ostensibly "moderate" third-party run undercut the lukewarm support for both, and put Pawlenty on Summit Avenue. He's been an utter disaster as Governor, and we're stuck with him for two more years.
Please, DFL, find someone with a discernible pulse in 2010...
March 2, 2008 3:54 PM | Reply | Permalink
I don't think McCain can convince Colin Powell because he has made it known that he likes Obama. He already has advised Obama on foreign policy. Besides, why should he choose to settle for VP in a party whom Right-Wing Republican faction did everything under the sun to undermine any thoughts of him running for the top job.
March 2, 2008 4:28 PM | Reply | Permalink
I thought Condie Rice was the obvious choice.
March 3, 2008 3:06 PM | Reply | Permalink
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