If you're going through the entire blog's history, I once wrote about politics in addition to the Oscars and the Olympics, and since Mitt Romney could be making his Vice Presidential pick as soon as today (though I'm guessing it'll be Monday), I thought I'd get my guesses in. Here, with one being the most likely, are my final guesses:
Jeb Bush
Pros: Any of these three would be a game-changer as the nominee. Despite this not being a “foreign affairs” election, Petreaus would squash the recent international tour of embarrassment Romney endured. Rice continues to be the only major player of the Bush administration with a decent approval rating (and again, foreign policy credentials). And Jeb Bush would lock Florida up for Romney at a time where he seems to be losing ground in the key swing states.
Cons: If Romney is fighting the “he’s boring” factor, picking one of the three biggest GOP stars in the country isn’t going to help counter his general lack of emphatic support amongst either the base or the electorate as a whole. Petreaus’s politics are a big question mark-is he even a Republican? Rice is a moderate, which is going to hurt in the first presidential election in modern history that will be decided more by the base than the shrinking undecided’s. And Bush, well, if he wanted to run nationally, he would be at the top of the ticket.
7: Sen. Kelly Ayotte (NH)
Pros: The GOP is hemorrhaging support amongst women, and picking a woman theoretically could stop that. She’s pro-life and a conservative Republican, and also has the added benefit of coming from a swing state.
Cons: I seem to remember another conservative woman who had very little elected experience that was selected to be Vice President….what was her name again?
6. Gov. Bobby Jindal (LA)
Pros: He’s a young, history-making (he’s an Indian-American) choice as Romney’s running mate. He’s also a former congressman, so he’d be able to work quite readily with Congress if selected. He’s ushered in a new wave of party-building for the GOP in Louisiana and at 41, Romney could be picking the next GOP superstar.
Cons: Unlike Reagan and GWB, Romney doesn’t seem to have found a balance of running for both himself and the Republicans, and party-building doesn’t seem to be part of his agenda this election. Additionally, Jindal is not the world’s best public speaker.
5. Sen. Marco Rubio (FL)
Pros: Again, a young, history-making choice for Romney, and one that would excite the base to no-end. Unlike Jindal, Rubio is incredibly charismatic and a terrific public speaker. He’s highly telegenic, and almost thirty years younger than Joe Biden, which would show in a debate. He’d also be a potential way for Romney to shore up Hispanic voters in swing states like Nevada, Colorado, and Florida.
Cons: He’s very new to the national scene (he just won his Senate seat in 2010) and is therefore more likely to have skeletons. Sarah Palin looked spectacular on paper too.
4. Gov. Chris Christie (NJ)
Pros: As the Howard Beale of New Jersey politics, he’s managed the impossible-implemented a hard right agenda in a blue state while still remaining popular. He’s got skills on the stump, and while he wouldn’t deliver New Jersey electorally, his brand of blunt politics could play well in certain parts of the Midwest.
Cons: He’s a loose cannon, and has a treasure trove of campaign material for the Democrats. Joe Biden would be able to goad him a bit in the debate and he toes the line rather closely between impassioned and angry.
3. Gov. Tim Pawlenty (MN)
Pros: He’s a tried-and-true campaigner from a blue state. Where Romney arguably lacks most (connecting with your average middle-class voter), Pawlenty does well. A two-term governor, a short-lister for McCain, and a presidential candidate himself, he’s been on the national stage time-and-time again and is unlikely to have too many skeletons. He also seems like the candidate that Romney truly wants to run with, and that has to count for something-Bush picked Cheney and Obama picked Biden when picking someone more glamorous like John McCain or Hillary Clinton, respectively, would have made more sense.
Cons: John McCain wanted to run with Joe Lieberman, John Kerry wanted to run with Dick Gephardt-you don’t always get to pick your right hand man when you’re down. Pawlenty is a bit bland, and (from a GOP-perspective) would likely make a better Vice President than a Vice Presidential candidate.
2. Rep. Paul Ryan (WI)
Pros: He’s probably the most “exciting” of the legitimate contenders, and he’s also a game-changer for Romney. Aside from being a telegenic and excellent speaker from a swing state, he’s also got instant credentials amongst the conservatives, particularly on economic policy, and if Romney wants an issues-oriented campaign, he wouldn’t be able to pick a better running mate.
Cons: Ryan would be a “no-going-back” sort of candidate for Romney. He has a laundry list of not just votes, but budget proposals and Medicaire cuts that the Democrats could parse through. It’s not that Romney disagrees with a lot of Ryan’s proposals, but Romney’s tendency to want it both ways on divisive issues would evaporate if he picked Ryan.
1. Sen. Rob Portman (OH)
Pros: Though recent quotes from the senator has me a little doubting Portman, I can’t help but feel that this is the choice. Great-on-paper, a former congressman and current senator, he’s a terrific debater (perhaps the only person on this list who could outdo Joe Biden), a swing state candidate (Romney and Obama would both give just about anything to win the Buckeye State), he’d be a strong complement to Romney’s campaign, and unlike Rubio and Christie, he’s both a Tea Party choice and someone who has been on the national stage for a while.
Cons: He’s not the most interesting candidate, but neither was Walter Mondale or George HW Bush, and they still won. However, his connections with the Bush administration, particularly his economic ties (he was Bush’s OMB Director) make tying Romney to Bush that much easier for the Democrats.
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