Possible GOP vice presidents

McCain is

McCain would not be picking Huckabee to appeal to indies. McCain appeals to the indies. iIs' Huckabee's job to re-engerize the conservative base and get them to come out in force to support McCain, a guy they have had a strained relationship with historically. The vice presidential slot is to shore up a candidates flank. Reagan had Bush 1 to provide foreign policy/war experience on the ticket; Clinton had Gore to lock up Gore's voting block, Bush 1 had Quayle for no conceivable reason; Bush II picked Cheney to be the elder statesman/manager with experience he lacked; Gore picked Lieberman to appeal to moderates; Kerry had Edwards to appeal to the South. It's the VPs job to appeal to the candidate's weakest area, and for McCain, that is the conservative wing, an area that Huckabee can bring with him.

 

But Huck doesn't appeal to the "conservative base". He appeals to evangelicals. His fiscal policy ideas scare hell out of the conservative base.

But you could be right.

 

I've got to think if McCain wins the nom he can do what he pleases with the choice, but he should be looking at someone "young" and not another white male. The problem he faces is that so many possible candidates have strong ties to the discredited Bush Administration. He'd need someone like an Hispanic or female Jack Kemp. Maybe Michael Steele of Maryland?

 

Please tell me you're joking.
You're a Jersey guy. You know what a total waste Gov. Photo-Op was and is.

 

McCain appeals to indies who are choosing among the Republican field. I think that advantage is seriously blunted against Obama. Against Clinton? Yeah, he's got a chance with that group.

Remember, too, that if it's McCain making the choice, he's choosing his successor, in all likelihood, not eight years from now but four. If Huckabee couldn't win this year, what makes anyone think he can four years from now?

I'll also throw this out: If McCain, or for that matter any GOP candidate wins, then by 2012 we'll have had 12 years of Republican presidents. History shows that it's unlikely at best that the GOP would hold on again. Assuming McCain wins the nomination, does the GOP pick someone they could deal with having as a presidential candidate, but whom they could also deal with having as a LOSING presidential candidate?

Or am I just thinking a little bit too much?

 

See Bob (He's earned it) Dole.

I don't know about Huckabee. While he'd bring the South, he hasn't exactly been embraced by the leadership of the Christian right. And looking at the rosters of GOP governors and Senators, the two best prospects (Schwarzenegger and Mel Martinez) aren't eligible because they're foreigners. Other than that, the closest thing the GOP has to a fresh face that isn't white and male is the Governor of Alaska.

For years the GOP has been talking about the need to widen the tent, but I think they're getting to the point where they can't widen it, but they'll need to break it down and move it. Amazing that its the voters in the primaries and not the party leadership that is leading the charge on this.

 

McCain/Dole. What's the campaign slogan? . . "You'll love who's third in succession?"

 

They don't need help in the South.

 

Riley has problems with the tax-cutting fanatics though, doesn't he?
McCain doesn't need any more trouble with people he's already truckling to.

 

We know that, but hopefully Republicans nationally don't know that

 

It seems to me Huckabee is staying in the race for the same reason Edwards is: to play kingmaker. Except while I don't know if Edwards is angling for veep, I'm pretty sure Huckabee is. And he'll throw in with whoever gives him the bigger, better deal.

He's allied with McCain now, but that's because McCain is broke (for now). Keeping the GOP a horse race is good for Mike Huckabee. If McCain takes off on Super Tuesday, Huck will switch to Romney in an instant and start tag-teaming on Mac.

Huck's 10-15% of delegates at the end may deny either of the other two a majority. If that happens ... the line forms to the left.

 

If the GOP puts a foreign-policy ignoramus in the two hole, they deserve every bad thing they have coming to them.