Picking a Veep. Advice for McCain as he chooses his running mate. (WSJ)

Wall Street Journal ^ | Feb. 20, 2008 | Hillyer

[FocusNexus]

The topic du jour among the conservative chattering classes is the question of who will emerge as best choice to be John McCain's running mate. The question is best approached first by forgetting about all the names and instead focusing on the qualities for which Mr. McCain ought to be looking. As is often the case, some of the conventional wisdom about who he should pick seems terribly misguided.

Mr. McCain should not move left with his choice. Some in the media see certain secretaries of state or Democratic senators or "moderate" GOP governors as ideal choices--but they are wrong. What Mr. McCain needs, in order to free himself up to thrust and parry with the Democratic nominee, is somebody who can spend all his (or her) campaign time tending to restless conservatives.

Mr. McCain himself, by virtue of his history and personality, only annoys a lot of conservative voters. Trying to convince those anti-McCainites otherwise would be a waste of time, and perhaps positively counterproductive. Instead, McCain needs to be free to be McCain (for better or worse), while a solidly conservative running mate works the conservative vineyards.

So there you have it: Mr. McCain needs a solidly "full spectrum" conservative, reformist, youngish, cool, well-rounded, brainy, all-media-respected, articulate, telegenic, border-state/constituency-challenging, non-party-weakening, executive-experienced, running mate who can handle the presidency at a moment's notice.

[kingattax]

don't be surprised if it's this guy

[South40]

He wishes he could pick this guy.

[squidly]

I'm not saying that any of them would be my choices, but it wouldn't surprise me if his VP choice came out of this picture (disregard the two campaign staffers on the left)....

[Rudder]

"Hey, what about Bob Dole?" (Bob Dole, Feb.2008)

[South40]

lol!

[counterpunch]

Picking Crist would be adding insult to injury.

[tyke]

So there you have it: Mr. McCain needs a solidly "full spectrum" conservative, reformist, youngish, cool, well-rounded, brainy, all-media-respected, articulate, telegenic, border-state/constituency-challenging, non-party-weakening, executive-experienced, running mate who can handle the presidency at a moment's notice.

i.e. someone who should have been the Republican nominee instead of him?

[FocusNexus]

“i.e. someone who should have been the Republican nominee instead of him?”

Somebody who would get a springboard to run for president in 2012 or 2016.

[pallis]

Hillary will be available very soon. McCain can reach out in a bipartisan, ecumenical spirit that will thrill his base and not conflict with his principles. The two of them will work very well together.

[Cringing Negativism Network]

1) Duncan Hunter

2) Condi Rice

3) Mitt Romney

[guitarist]

By these criteria, it’s Pawlenty, maybe Romney, maybe maybe Sanford. Maybe Chris Cox. Not many meet all these criteria.

[guinnessman]

How about someone who’s a Reagan conservative?

Someone who can shore up the base in the South?

Someone with whom he has a good personal and working relationship?

Fred Thompson?

[counterpunch]

I was a Thompson supporter, but also very critical of his campaign. Critical because I wanted him to win more than he did. I think having Thompson on the ticket would be like him not having a running mate at all.

The VP is automatically “the next in line.” And if there are two things we know about Fred Thompson, it’s that he doesn’t do a show of hands and he doesn’t wait in line.

I think he would be even less interested in being VP than he was in being president. And then we would have to contend with an even older, even slower, even more tired Fred Thompson running for President in 4 to 8 years.

I’d like to see Romney as the VP. He’s energetic and knowledgeable, and he can get his message out, and he won’t be too old to take up the torch in an election or two.

[End Times Sentinel]

Picking Crist would be adding insult to injury.

Okay, I'm probably throwing this out at a bad time (0521, who's gonna see it?) but...

I have quite a few relatives in FL who are well connected in state politics, all of them D's BTW. They like Crist, but say they hear he's gay. Are they just pulling my leg???

Note: I know nothing about Crist.

Owl_Eagle

”You know, I'm going to start thanking
the woman who cleans the restroom in
the building I work in.  I'm going to start
thinking of her as a human being”

-Hillary Clinton

(Yes, she really said that

Peggy Noonan

The Case Against Hillary Clinton, pg 55)

[G.Love]

Hunter, Thompson, or Romney would be good. Not Condi - I think she’s pro-choice and not a strong conservative. And as I have said before, if its Linseed, I’m voting for the democrat.

[lgwdnbdgr]

1) Duncan Hunter 2) Condi Rice 3) Mitt Romney

If his problem is inspiring and attracting conservatives, why would 2/3rds of John McCain's short list be people more liberal than he is?

[dawn53]

Rumors have been flying for years about Charlie’s sexual preference. Since there’s never been anyone step forward or present any evidence on the matter, I imagine if he is, it’s not provable.

As far as Crist being wildly popular in Florida, I don’t think that’s true with conservatives. He is popular with the “granny” crowd, but I don’t think he’d help McCain with the conservative vote.

[informavoracious]

Someone "who can handle the presidency at a moment's notice" - is that codespeak for 'McCain's old and sick and could keel over at any moment'? [God forbid]

[jonrick46]

McCain needs a red meat conservative. Otherwise, we will all be asking, “Where’s the beef?”