So the press said Romney wasn’t even looking into Rubio as a VP candidate, but the Romney campaign says they are vetting him. If they are looking into Rubio, I wonder what they’ll find?
“Hey, Rubio, you sure spend a lot of time in the comment section of YouTube calling people gay.”
“Well, a lot of people on YouTube are gay and don’t know it. What do you want me to say?”
Rubio does seem like an interesting choice being quite conservative and well-liked by the Tea Party, but he also seems like an obvious pander to Hispanics when Romney doesn’t seem to want to even talk about the immigration issue. A lot of sources say that Romney is focusing on Tim Pawlenty and Rob Portman — i.e., he wants to make the most boring ticket ever. That might be a good strategy. After how things have worked out with the exciting celebrity Obama, people may really want an extremely boring, safe ticket with no surprises.
Romney/Pawlenty 2012: Boring. Competent. Also boring.
Romney/Portman 2012: As extremist as mayo on white bread.
So, what do you think? Should Romney play it safe or pick an exciting running mate? I still think Mr. T would really shake things up.
The only two people I think would be good choices are Bobby Jindal and Paul Ryan. Ryan has been leading the charge on the budget and entitlement reforms, and Jindal has a great conservative track record of actually getting stuff done as a two term governor of Louisiana.
I don’t see any other candidates that are sufficiently conservative, well known, and experienced and would actually help Romney on the ticket.
Conservative favorites like Rubio and West have no executive experience and have only been in congress/senate on the national stage for 2 years. Portman is an establishment careerist bureaucrat/politician; I don’t see how Pawlenty actually helps the ticket; governors Martinez and Sandoval are freshman governors (iirc), and would be an even more obvious Latino pander than Rubio.
At this point, I’m leaning toward Jindal for my preference.
Whoever it is, they’d better secretly be the Incredible Hulk. That way if Republicans don’t take the Senate – and the Senate doesn’t start doing its job – he can get angry and wreck the place.
Jindal would be fine, once he learns how not to give a nationally televised speech where he sounds like Mr. Rogers.
Seriously, though, good conservative street-cred. I could back him.
Oh, and since I live in Wisconsin (in Paul Ryan’s district, in fact), I have to say this:
“You can have my Paul Ryan when you pry him from my cold dead hands!”
I like Jindal – he’d be a good pick – but…
His state is solid GOP – so no Electoral College advantage with him. Ryan, in addition to being a fine VP pick, could possibly swing WI to the GOP.
@ernie loco i mildly disagree that west doesn’t have the experience. i give him points for being a lt. col. he was my choice for vp on a john bolton/allen west ticket.
bolton chose to not run. i would take bolton as vp at this point.
@harvey, you are correct about jindal. the SOTU response ruined him forever. too bad, too.
I’m with Jimmy. “You wouldn’t like me when I get angry. And liberals make me very angry.” My second choice would be Ted Nugent. He’s on my list of conservatives I wouldn’t want to ‘eph with.
“You wouldn’t like me when I get angry. And liberals make me very angry.”
Chomps? Is that you, boy?
Allen West! Allen West!!!11!1!!!!
West is great, but no way they’d pick someone who’s actually used the C-word against the, uh, communists. Ryan had damn well better be VP or secretary of the treasury. I still like Christie because he’d be so much fun debating Biden. And Biden would wind up in the trunk of a ’79 Caprice sinking in the Meadowlands, so there’s that.
Consider this: Romney wants to prove his independence and show he’s not beholden to the right (this is the general election after all), by picking a fellow RINO. Is this not a possibility?
Romney, looking at the Obama implosion, may want to go all in.
I think Romney/Portman would be an awesome ticket…as long as Natalie Portman promises to stay out of politics and wear revealing outfits (like Biden). It would also keep her from ruining any more movies.
Doesn’t really matter. rumney is going to get the votes of anyone who is not a total doosh or commie. He could have charlie manson as a running mate and it would not matter. So since who ever it is is going to be ruined for the rest of their career, christie the mosque supporter would be a good choice.
I am not sure of Pawlenty. He may talk and everyone sleep through the election and we get stuck with the occupant.
Well, Obama chose Biden last time and it worked out for him. Who do we have that’s like Biden? Meghan McCain?
i’m very partial to West, as arse kickings are badly needed in Washington right now. but, i’d be a-ok with Paul Ryan.
jw, in politics there is no such thing as ‘forever’.
If you want to see things get lively, put the word out that your looking at Palin… then come back later and say you weren’t talking about Sarah, but her husband and he was too busy.
You people talking, no worrying, that Rubio and West have no ‘executive experience’ need to consider how unimportant that is – Heck, our President didn’t have any experience with much of anything at all and it didn’t bothered him any. (Being a Lt. Col IS executive experience, by the way)
Can he pick his wife? I think it would be awesome to actually have a First Lady with some real power… I mean, others have swung the hammer, but…
Gingrich (quit laughing). I’d love to see him in that debate.
Fred Thompson!