RepublicanVeep Pick (predictions)

[Gerald Tarrant]

People are expecting Sen. McCain to announce his VP on the second day of the Democratic Convention when Sen. Obama accepts the nomination.

Who will John McCain pick as his running mate? Poll.

Brief explanation for those who may not know the Republican field, and have little inclination to research it. Poll running for 4 days.

Fred Thompson, mounted an anemic campaign during the Republican primary, by all accounts a conservative stalwart. Pros: would probably allay conservative suspicions of McCain. Cons: The 2 old-white-guys ticket what's not to like.

Mitt Romney, mounted the biggest challenge to McCain during the primary. Pros: After McCain has the widest support among republican base. Cons: Would (probably) scare off independents, Baptists, and dog lovers. Also no one was all that satisfied with his tenure as governor, so that's a bit of a detraction to the ticket too.

Tim Pawlenty is governor of Minnesota. Pros: The Republicans might think they can steal Minnesota, a squishy democratic state, getting that to swing might save some trouble in other swing states. Also Pawlenty is 48, and has executive experience. Cons: VP's winning their home state hasn't worked that well recently (as I believe RedImperator mentioned in another thread).

Bobby Jindal is governor of Louisiana, elected recently after K. Blanco chose not to run again. Pros: Indian-American (as in the subcontinent) to balance the ticket. Governor once again giving some executive experience. Jindal is 37. Jindal is also Roman Catholic, maybe he'll pull some of those who'd choose Biden. Cons: Jindal doesn't have much gubernatorial experience, it's a little early to call his term a success.

Charlie Crist governor of Florida has been listed as a possible, but I don't know enough to evaluate this.

Joe Lieberman former Democratic (now Independent) Senator from Connecticut. Pros: More "MAverick" cred. Cons: It would certainly scare some of the staunch conservatives, as Lieberman is much more liberal on social economic stuff than any Republican I can think of.

The Field: Republican that's not listed above.

I'm betting on Lieberman. He's been a big part of McCain's campaign, and they're friends.

[Battlehymn Republic]

Sarah Palin?

[Enigma]

Hillary Clinton. She didn't get the VP spot maybe she'll try her luck with the Republicans?

[General Zod]

Hillary Clinton. She didn't get the VP spot maybe she'll try her luck with the Republicans?

Not only would that ensure McCain loses the election, it would ruin Hillary's political career forever.

[The Original Nex]

Sarah Palin?

Isn't she having scandal problems of her own in Alaska? I would think she was out of the vetting as soon as they googled her name.

[Loner]

Colin Powell?

[Gerald Tarrant]

Oh yes, as some people have been doing, if you vote "the field" please explain who it was.

I shouldn't have left of Huck . Cons: fundie scare. Pros: He gets the Chuck Norris vote, and as everyone knows we don't live in a democracy we live in a Chucktatorship.

[The Duchess of Zeon]

Sarah Palin?

Isn't she having scandal problems of her own in Alaska? I would think she was out of the vetting as soon as they googled her name.

No, she's busy fixing a state that was completely riven with scandal before her, and enjoys 80% approval ratings as it is; a youthful woman with strong conservative credentials on abortion (but fairly weak ones on the popular Republican issue of homophobia--she opposes gay marriage but conversely gave full state benefits to gay couples) and as a strong crusader against vast government corruption, she could probably do well, but is simply not gifted with sufficient name recognition for it to matter.

[The Original Nex]

Sarah Palin?

Isn't she having scandal problems of her own in Alaska? I would think she was out of the vetting as soon as they googled her name.

No, she's busy fixing a state that was completely riven with scandal before her, and enjoys 80% approval ratings as it is; a youthful woman with strong conservative credentials on abortion (but fairly weak ones on the popular Republican issue of homophobia--she opposes gay marriage but conversely gave full state benefits to gay couples) and as a strong crusader against vast government corruption, she could probably do well, but is simply not gifted with sufficient name recognition for it to matter.

I stand corrected then, thanks Marina.

[The Original Nex]

Colin Powell?

If Powell even endorses anyone at all in this race it will be Obama, certainly not in the running for McCain...

[KlavoHunter]

Colin Powell?

I thought he was utterly disgraced by his role in W's War in Iraq?

[Sriad]

If I were a betting man I'd say he would go with Mitt Romney to further unify the Republican base.

It would be a much cannier move by McCain to tap Lieberman though; it would probably win over as many centrists as it would scare away hard-core conservatives, and every centrist McCain can take is one that Obama wouldn't get.

IOW, I'm hoping for Romney.

[Vohu Manah]

Romney or Lieberman. Romney seems more likely however.

[Sriad]

It was just pointed out to me that Ron Paul would be the perfect running-mate for McCain because of the lulz. He's who I'm hoping for now.

[Vohu Manah]

It was just pointed out to me that Ron Paul would be the perfect running-mate for McCain because of the lulz. He's who I'm hoping for now.

If I understand some of Ron Paul's positions (specifically abortion rights) correctly, he might actually make a good VP choice.

[FuncoWilkerbean]

I say Romney

[Pablo Sanchez]

I think it would be fun if they chose Jindal, because of how he fits into the GOP's multimedia strategy for this election. It seems like every time I see a GOP operative talking to cable news it's a woman or a minority, so obviously they are trying to move away from their image as the party of the older white male. I'm not sure if it's aimed at fooling people into thinking the Republicans have a large contingent of minorities, or if it's aimed at reassuring Republicans themselves.

Lieberman would be great just for how much it would piss off Democrats and the people of Connecticut (he secured reelection from that deeply blue state partially on the basis of a promise to caucus with Democrats).

But more likely Romney, who is the safe pick.

[MKSheppard]

I think it would be fun if they chose Jindal, because of how he fits into the GOP's multimedia strategy for this election.

No, but NO. Jindal was just elected a few months to a year ago. Picking him would be a big FUCK YOU essentially to the voters of Louisana who elected him.

[Guardsman Bass]

I think it would be fun if they chose Jindal, because of how he fits into the GOP's multimedia strategy for this election.

No, but NO. Jindal was just elected a few months to a year ago. Picking him would be a big FUCK YOU essentially to the voters of Louisana who elected him.

They'll probably vote Republican anyways, so I doubt the RNC and McCain Campaign really give a shit.

[Rogue 9]

It was just pointed out to me that Ron Paul would be the perfect running-mate for McCain because of the lulz. He's who I'm hoping for now.

If I understand some of Ron Paul's positions (specifically abortion rights) correctly, he might actually make a good VP choice.

Yes, but while McCain has had glowing praise for Paul in the past (calling him the most honest man in Congress at one point as I recall, not that that's saying much), Paul has nothing but contempt for McCain; I can't see him taking the job.

[Patrick Degan]

Jindal will never get the VP slot. Too young, just a shade too dark (GOP's dirty little not-so-secret), and just barely avoided a recall vote by vetoing a highly controversial legislative pay raise he said he'd back to the hilt. Basically, it was that or the recall petitions would have started circulating the next day. Jindal's already wrecked his governorship six months into his first term, which also makes him inept, and the GOP's going to need somebody competent on the ticket. They won't even look at him.

[Einhander Sn0m4n]

Easiest guess in the world: Romney the Corporatocrat. That'll get the multinationals on board the McShame ticket plus vite!

[Civil War Man]

Colin Powell?

I thought he was utterly disgraced by his role in W's War in Iraq?

Regardless, I had heard that his wife has some issues (major anxiety problems, IIRC) and that he doesn't run for elected office out of concern for her health, or something to that effect.

[RedImperator]

Fred Thompson, mounted an anemic campaign during the Republican primary, by all accounts a conservative stalwart. Pros: would probably allay conservative suspicions of McCain. Cons: The 2 old-white-guys ticket what's not to like.

Thompson brings nothing. Which is sort of a shame for him, because a job where he doesn't have to do anything except look Presidential, go to funerals, and wait for McCain to die is right up his alley.

Mitt Romney, mounted the biggest challenge to McCain during the primary. Pros: After McCain has the widest support among republican base. Cons: Would (probably) scare off independents, Baptists, and dog lovers. Also no one was all that satisfied with his tenure as governor, so that's a bit of a detraction to the ticket too.

I would suspect Mittens myself, except he reinforces the "out of touch millionaire" meme, he frightens the base, he's a flip-flopper so transparent even Republicans can see through him, and McSame hates his stinking guts. And actually, considering the rest of the field, he's still probably the best candidate. He's had more personal and political success than anyone else on the short list and he has great hair. If McSame is looking for a nice-looking mannequin he can use as a campaign prop, Mittens is the guy. The one thing which comes off a sign Mittens won't be picked is the fact McSame is running attack ads quoting Joe Biden from the primaries saying Obama isn't ready to be President. If he picks Mittens, the Democrats are going to return the favor in spades.

Tim Pawlenty is governor of Minnesota. Pros: The Republicans might think they can steal Minnesota, a squishy democratic state, getting that to swing might save some trouble in other swing states. Also Pawlenty is 48, and has executive experience. Cons: VP's winning their home state hasn't worked that well recently (as I believe RedImperator mentioned in another thread).

The Republicans are daft if they think they can steal Minnesota. It's a "squishy" Democratic state that hasn't gone Republican in decades. Other than the entirely imaginary chance of carrying Minnesota, Pawlenty brings nothing to the ticket. He undermines McCain's experience theme (same goes double for Jindal, Crist, Palin, and any other state governor early in his or her first term), and he'll get clobbered by Joe Biden in the VP debates. Apparently has the charisma of dry toast, too.

Bobby Jindal is governor of Louisiana, elected recently after K. Blanco chose not to run again. Pros: Indian-American (as in the subcontinent) to balance the ticket. Governor once again giving some executive experience. Jindal is 37. Jindal is also Roman Catholic, maybe he'll pull some of those who'd choose Biden. Cons: Jindal doesn't have much gubernatorial experience, it's a little early to call his term a success.

You forgot to mention that he believes in exorcism (scary for independents and moderates) and he's a brown person (scary for the base). Also undermines McSame's experience argument, will also get demolished by Biden in the VP debate. At any rate, Jindal has stated flatly that he's not up for consideration and hasn't been vetted. He could just be lying, but that's pretty rare; most people who know they're on the short list but don't want to say just act coy about it.

Charlie Crist governor of Florida has been listed as a possible, but I don't know enough to evaluate this.

Crist is on engagement number five, undermines the experience argument, and has some potentially killer scandals lurking in his background--among them, that as attorney general, he refused to investigate Lou Pearlman's Ponzi scheme because Pearlman was a big campaign donor.

Joe Lieberman former Democratic (now Independent) Senator from Connecticut. Pros: More "MAverick" cred. Cons: It would certainly scare some of the staunch conservatives, as Lieberman is much more liberal on social economic stuff than any Republican I can think of.

Holy Joe would cause the base to die of apoplexy en masse. Look how they reacted to Tom Ridge's name; what do you think they'll do if McSame picks a pro-choice moderate Democrat? The only issue where Lieberman votes consistently with McCain and Bush is Iraq, and the Wonder Chimp just undermined McCain-Lieberman's entire position by agreeing to a withdrawal timeline with Malaki. PS: Holy Joe is a Jew, another reason the Neanderthal demographic won't like him.

No, [Sarah Palin is] busy fixing a state that was completely riven with scandal before her, and enjoys 80% approval ratings as it is; a youthful woman with strong conservative credentials on abortion (but fairly weak ones on the popular Republican issue of homophobia--she opposes gay marriage but conversely gave full state benefits to gay couples) and as a strong crusader against vast government corruption, she could probably do well, but is simply not gifted with sufficient name recognition for it to matter.

She also tried to get her brother in law fired from the state police because he's in a nasty divorce and custody battle with her sister. When the state Commissioner of Public Safety refused, she fired him instead. It's a scandal big enough to get a Republican legislature to appoint a special prosecutor. Add to that the usual young governor problems--no experience, will get demolished by Biden--and the fact there has been no apparent activity around her by the McCain campaign, and she's off the ticket.

Colin Powell?

Fat chance. He's a pro-choice, pro-gun control black man who may endorse Obama. He disgraced himself with anyone who isn't a war whore in his UN speech. His wife also struggles with clinical depression, which is the reason why he didn't run for President in 2000, when he probably could have won in a landslide.

I shouldn't have left of Huck Embarrassed . Cons: fundie scare. Pros: He gets the Chuck Norris vote, and as everyone knows we don't live in a democracy we live in a Chucktatorship.

Hyuck is a fundie lunatic who will scare the moderates. He thinks the poor shouldn't be rendered for golf cart grease, which scares McSame's paymasters. The Democrats will whisper "McCain is older than Jesus and has had cancer three times. Do you really want to risk President Huckabee?" Due to McCain's age and questions about his health, all his VP candidates take extra significance, which is enough to keep the crazies out (Jindal gets sunk, in part, for this reason too).

Two from me:

Former Ohio Congressman Rob Portman, whose name has been floated for some reason. He's Bush's former budget director, and would inspire an unending barrage of Democratic attack ads--"John McCain doesn't know how many houses he owns, his chief financial adviser, Phil Gramm, author of Enron and the subprime mortgage crisis, thinks ordinary families who have fallen on hard times are 'whiners', and his VP candidate is the man who advised Bush on the economy while Bush was busy ruining it. We can't afford four more years of out-of-touch Bush-McCain economic polices." The theory behind Portman is he would add economic experience (in the same way Biden adds foreign policy experience to the Obama ticket) and help carry Ohio, but that experience is mostly in presiding over the ruination of the economy, and anyone who thinks a congressman is going to carry a state--even a six-term congressman from suburban Cincinnati--is an idiot. Fun fact: early in his career, Portman's law firm represented Baby Doc Duvalier. I double-dare McSame to bring up Tony Rezko if that becomes general knowledge.

Former HP CEO Carly Fiorina, a McCain surrogate whose name has been floated. She would add youth to the ticket and probably win over the PUMAs, but she would seriously reinforce the "out of touch rich guy" meme for McCain. Her business record has been touted, but her actual business record goes like this: downsize 20,000 employees, push the stock price over a cliff, get fired for incompetence, collect $40 million in severance pay on the way out. She's also not nearly reactionary enough for the base--in one hilarious moment, she said the law should mandate health insurance companies cover contraception, which McSame has voted against multiple times.

I think at this point Romney is the most likely choice, but they're all flawed enough that I wouldn't be surprised if McSame picks someone totally out of left field.

[Ford Prefect]

I'm wondering, are there any Republican VP possibilities who wouldn't come off badly with this Biden character? I don't knowm uch about American politicians, but Biden comes across as the sort of guy who pulls no punches in debate, and he has seemingly no problem calling bullshit on basically everyone.

Again, I don't know much about him, but he gives me the impression of a goddamn freight train. Which is awesome, but I'd like to know how valid this impression is.