Omnibus List of potential McCain VP Candidates

Various | 2-10-08 | Self

[WillRain]

I know, there are already 100 different threads (it seems) about who might be a good VP. This post will be an attempt to collect, without indication of preference, all the potential possibilities. In a later post i will probably express my opinions on these, right now I'm just trying to list every single possibility I can think of (not counting outlandish suggestions like media personalities, or Democrats - except Leiberman of course)

Former candidates: (8)

Huckabee (will be soon enough), Romney, Paul, Thompson, Guliani, Hunter, Tancrado, Brownback

Governors: (10)

Tim Pawlenty, Mark Sanford, Haley Barbour, Charlie Crist, Sarah Palin, Bobby Jindal, Matt Blount, Rick Perry, Mitch Daniels, Sonny Perdue

Senators: (13)

Lamar Alexander, Wayne Allard, Kit Bond, Tom Couburn, John Cornyn, Jim DeMint, Elizabeth Dole, Lindsey Graham, Chuck Grassley, Chuck Hagel, Kay Hutchenson, Joe Leiberman, Jeff Sessions

Representatives: (3)

Marsha Blackburn, Steve King, Mike Pence

Former office holders and others: (16)

George Allen, John Ashcroft, Bill Bennett, Jeb Bush, Bill Frist, Phil Gramm, Jack Kemp, Trent Lott, Connie Mack, Colin Powell, Condi Rice, Tom Ridge, Rick Santorum, Michael Steele, J.C. Watts, Christie Todd Whitman

[WillRain]

I think that's probably the top 50 possibilities. If I have overlooked anyone who should be on there (because I admit a few of those are really long long shots that I added to get the list to 50) then suggest them.

But, as I said above....I don't take suggestions like media figures or jokes about Kennedy or Feingold or whatever as anything more than humor.

[Liberty Valance]

[Rudder]

Why?

[Roy Tucker]

John Kerry...returning the favor.

[MuttTheHoople]

Is Bob Michel still alive?

[Roy Tucker]

Bob Dole...so McCain’s age won’t seem so important.

[JohnnyZ]

Ouch. 50 names, no Richard Burr?

[Reagan Man]

IIRC, delay hates McCain.

Not an original thought.

[Roy Tucker]

Dick Cheney...might as well make him Vice President for life.

[Grunthor]

Kennedy, Feingold or Liebermann.

No joke.

[Sir Francis Dashwood]

[factmart]

It’s unfair to put anybody on that losing list.

[WillRain]

Now, some opinion.

First off, let’s recognize that if the opponent is Obama, you can cross off all black candidates for VP as unworkable politically since they will be considered tokenism in the media - and as Rush says, perception IS reality in politics.

Likewise, let’s point out that if Hillary is the opponent, there will be no woman on the GOP ticket for the same reason.

Let’s further recognize that If it’s Obama, a female Republican VP possibility gains a bit more favor, and if it’s Hillary then a Black candidate will. It ain’t right, but we’ve all seen a lot that ain’t right already this political season.

Finally, we have to acknowledge that the combination of these forces effectively crosses Condi Rice off the list - not to mention her bush Administration baggage with the Independents and her less that sterling defense of Israel and her reported pro-choice views hurting her with the hard right.

Now....that said, I’ll start by suggestion who i personally think makes McCain’s top 10 “short list”

these are NOT my choices, but those I suggest might be HIS.

1. Tim Pawlenty - IMO, this may already be decided in all but the announcement. He’s the national campaign co-chair, he’s considered “up and coming”, he’s from a state which is purple at best, he’s increasingly “green”, and he brings executive experience.

2. Charlie Crist - same selling points any governor would have, brings votes in a VERY key swing state, potentially swung the tide in a close primary in a bit of last-minute white-knight maneuvering. Apparently inoffensive (so far) to national conservatives.

3. Mike Huckabee - I don’t really think McCain wants him, but as a person who provides the illusion of giving something to conservatives (I don’t think McCain even understands them enough to recognize how wrong that is) and as a person who’s been almost begging for the job for some time (appealing to McCain’s ego), it’s possible.

4. Mark Sanford - getting SO much noise as a candidate which would please conservatives that McCain HAS to notice. This would be a move forced on him at the convention by disgruntled powerful conservatives if it happened.

5. Fred Thompson - it would be politically bold to run what the press would instantly label the “Grumpy Old Men” ticket....and all the more because the towering Thompson makes McCain look small and weak when they stand together. Still, they ARE very good friends at McCain can be confident thinking conservatives would not find fault with the choice on the issues.

6. Matt Blount - the choice no one is talking about, but an obvious candidate if you go back to “who can bring a state I need?” All the punditry says Ohio and Missouri are “bellweathers” and there’s no obvious high profile candidate from Ohio.

7. Chuck Hagel - for no other reason than that Hagel was often McCain’s lap dog in the senate, and because Hagel would play well in the role of “attack dog”

8. Bill Frist - another never-mentioned candidate but one with a personal story made for presidential campaigns.

9. Tom Ridge - very much on the same page with McCain politically, former executive, and from a blue state.

10. Colin Powell - would jump to the top of the list if it were not so unlikely he would agree to run. Still, a guy who is a wobbly Republican anyway is most likely to appeal to Powell who is not exactly hard-core himself.

[WillRain]

Who is he?

[WillRain]

Why what?

[WillRain]

Thought about him....but if you are going with people who are short on experience there are more high profile names.

[Wally_Kalbacken]

Former candidates: (8)

Huckabee (will be soon enough), Romney, Paul, Thompson, Guliani, Hunter, Tancrado, Brownback

Governors: (10)

Tim Pawlenty, Mark Sanford, Haley Barbour, Charlie Crist, Sarah Palin, Bobby Jindal, Matt Blount, Rick Perry, Mitch Daniels, Sonny Perdue

Senators: (13)

Lamar Alexander, Wayne Allard, Kit Bond, Tom Couburn, John Cornyn, Jim DeMint, Elizabeth Dole, Lindsey Graham, Chuck Grassley, Chuck Hagel, Kay Hutchenson, Joe Leiberman, Jeff Sessions

Representatives: (3)

Marsha Blackburn, Steve King, Mike Pence

Former office holders and others: (16)

George Allen, John Ashcroft, Bill Bennett, Jeb Bush, Bill Frist, Phil Gramm, Jack Kemp, Trent Lott, Connie Mack, Colin Powell, Condi Rice, Tom Ridge, Rick Santorum, Michael Steele, J.C. Watts, Christie Todd Whitman

1. Romney, if they can work a deal. But there needs to be some very serious internal polling in the states which have already held primaries to decompose the reaction to his Mormon faith. I have no problem with it, even voted for him in FL, but it's impossible to tell from the kind of superficial polling done so far if there is a beneath the radar problem with this.
2. Hunter, strong on defense policy, but doesn't get any regional diversity in the ticket and does not necessarily bring CA.
3. Haley Barbour I like, Charlie Christ and Jindal haven't been in office long enough. But Jindal, someday.
4. Couburn, yes. Cornyn yes, brings gravitas, but no regional diversity. Sessions I like, but he doesn't bring a state that wasn't already going GOP.
5. Santorum, yes, except he wouldn't take it. Michael Steele, maybe.

[ncalburt]

We need a WOMAN on the ticket and Sarah Palin is the great.
She will blow up the Obama or Hillary lib media strategy right in the faces of Katie Kooran, Matt, Meredith and Charlie . How can they trash a female Conservative governor that is a real wife and MOM and not have it boomerang in there faces!

[WillRain]

Ah yes, not likely but more likely than Lott. Dunno how I missed Tom Delay

I also thought of Tommy Franks after I posted but that might be a “too military” ticket for this year.

[Sir Francis Dashwood]

"Now, there ya go again Larry, makin' fun of my ears; when all the American people have to do is look at me and they can tell I'm listenin'."