Romney Running Mate Talk: The Good, the Bad, and the Wild Cards

For three days last week, we discussed the options, as this blogger sees it, for Mitt Romney's Running Mate.  For the sake of simplicity, here they are in one blog.

With Mitt Romney close to officially clinching the Republican nomination, talk of his potential running mate pick has heated up.  The Drive-By Media, as usual, is calling the bad ideas brilliant and the good ideas bad. According to them, if you're wimpy and moderate, you're perfect, if you're solidly conservative and strong enough to call out Obama, you're a bad option for Mitt.

Genuine political wisdom for Republicans is to ignore the Drive-By Media's suggestions and go the opposite way, so that's what I'm about to recommend. So here comes some real, solid recommendations (and non-recommendations) for Romney's #2, categorized as Good Ideas, Bad Ideas, and Wild Cards (essentially good ideas that are unlikely to happen).

Good Ideas

1. Florida Senator Marco Rubio:  Despite the Drive-By Media's attempts to say otherwise, Rubio would be an absolute home run. He's popular in Florida, so he can help nail down that critical state.  He's a proper and genuine conservative, and one who can effectively communicate the message of conservatism.  People who hear Senator Rubio speak are reminded of President Ronald Reagan. He also can deliver that crucial conservative support (not just votes, but strong support both financially and emotionally).  He can also deliever strength with the Hispanic vote. Finally, since we know the Vice President is usually the heir apparent, he can give conservatives the hope they need to recognize that Romney is a stop-gap, but someone better is on the horizon.

2. Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan:  Ryan is the man who proposed a real change in our spending and put forth a plan really rein in spending and put our nation on a solid fiscal path. He also can bring in an important swing state in Wisconsin, where Ryan is well supported. And like Rubio, he can give conservatives the hope they need to recognize that Romney is a stop-gap, but someone better is on the horizon as the heir apparent when Romney is done.

3. Congressman (and retired Colonel) Allen West:  Colonel West has the strength to go after Obama and the Florida connection to help win that crucial state. He also has the military strength and experience that can help Romney when elected in matters of Defense.  He's also a solid co nservative with no fear of attacking Obama.  Further, like Rubio and Ryan, he can give conservatives the hope they need to recognize that Romney is a stop-gap, but someone better is on the horizon as the heir apparent when Romney is done.  Perhaps most importantly, he can give socially conservative African-Americans the emotional type of support to vote their conscience while not feeling like they have to vote for Obama because of his race. (Sad but true fact).

4. Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindall:  Governor Jindall is solidly conservative and well spoken. He's an American success story, like Senator Rubio, the first generation of his family born in America.  He's got a Deep South connection as governor of Louisiana and solid conservative credentials. Further, like Rubio, Ryan, and West he can give conservatives the hope they need to recognize that Romney is a stop-gap, but someone better is on the horizon as the heir apparent when Romney is done. 

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Any one of these four would make a great VP pick for Governor Romney. They all are solid conservatives that will help Mitt get the conservative backing he genuinely needs, both financial and emotional, to get conservatives to fight for him at work, at home, and with their friends.

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Now, let's look at the bad ideas.  The Drive-By Media, as usual, is calling the bad ideas brilliant and the good ideas bad. According to them, if you're wimpy and moderate, you're perfect, if you're solidly conservative and strong enough to call out Obama, you're a bad option for Mitt.

Genuine political wisdom for Republicans is to ignore the Drive-By Media's suggestions and go the opposite way, so that's what I'm about to recommend. So here comes some real, solid recommendations (and non-recommendations) for Romney's #2, categorized as Good Ideas, Bad Ideas, and Wild Cards (essentially good ideas that are unlikely to happen).  These are the Bad Ideas:

Bad Ideas

1. New Jersey Governor Chris Christie: Yes, I know a few conservatives love Governor Christie (looking at you, Ann Coulter) and I know he's a Republican rock star. And yes, he has the stones to attack Obama, which the Romney camp needs.  But there are a few reasons why Governor Christie is a bad idea for Romney.  For one, he's a fellow Northeastern Republican. He's also a moderate on many issues.  He's pro-choice and pro-gun control, to name two.  He can't help Romney win the South and he doesn't have the genuine conservative credentials to balance our Romney's perceived moderateness.

2. Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush:  Yes, I know Governor Bush can deliver Florida.  But his name alone needs to discount him. President Obama wants to run against "Bush" as best he can anyway. It doesn't matter that he means former President George W. Bush and not Jeb. Giving Obama the ability to run against "Bush" is a horrible idea. Furthermore, the Bush name stands for two things in the GOP: the Republican Establishment and moderateness. Both Jeb's brother and father governed as moderates in many ways. Both set back conservatism. We do not need another Bush, friends. Period.

3. Ohio Senator Rob Portman:  Yes, Senator Portman is, unlike the above two names, a solid conservative. He also makes Mr. Rogers look like Mick Jagger. He actually manages to be even more boring than Mitt Romney, which is an accomplishment. (As Al Gore how picking someone even more boring than you worked out for him when he picked a running mate?)

4. Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels: Governor Daniels manages to put the issues of Christie and Bush together with the issues of Portman: He's BOTH moderate AND boring! He also doesn't want the job. Not much else to say there.

5. Former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty:  T-Paw has the same problem Congressman Portman has...he's dryer than toast and about as exciting. Like Portman, he has conservative credentials, but he's not the attack dog Mitt needs to win and he doesn't balance out Governor Romney's perceived roboticness.

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Any of these five men would make terrible picks for Governor Romney's running mate.  It would be as if the Romney Campaign asked President Obama who he'd pick for the Romney campaign to make his re-election campaign easier.

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Today we'll start with part three, Wild Cards.  These three names I consider unlikely at this point, but still wins if Romney goes that way:

Wild Cards

1. Kentucky Senator Rand Paul:  Think about it, friends...what better way to get the Ron Paul supporters on your side than to have Rand as your VP?  Not to mention the fact that Rand is as conservative as his father on economic issues and is more realistic when it comes to foreign policy.  Moreover, I think most people expect Rand to take up his father's mantle when it comes to being a Libertarian crusader in the Republican Party, so he's likely to be a Presidential candidate next time around anyway, and one who has a better chance than his father to succeed.  I don't think Mitt will pick him or Rand will accept, but if the stars aligned this would be a home run.

2. Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice: Condoleezza Rice served in two past Presidential administrations in the Defense Department including being George W. Bush's National Security Advisor before becoming the Secretary of State in Bush's second term. She is well spoken and also has terrific fiscal conservative roots.  For example, as the Provost of Stanford University, she took the school from a $20 million deficit to a balanced budget. She also has the ability to pick up both female voters and minority voters. While she wouldn't be the home run that Senator Rand Paul would be, she would be a big win for Romney.

3. South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley:  Governor Haley is a Tea Party darling. She's fiscally conservative, pro-life, and a solid communicator of conservatism. Again, she's a huge win. Like Marco Rubio and Bobby Jindall, she's the child of legal immigrants.  Really a great option for Romney. I'd consider Governor Haley the most likely of the Wild Cards if only because of her endorsement of Mitt early on...surprising to many in the Tea Party.

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Any one of these three would make a great running mate for Mitt Romney, although I wouldn't expect any of them to happen. If they did, however, they could each bring in key groups that Romney needs to have to win, whether it's Ron Paul libertarians, women, or the Tea Party. 

At any rate, we need to push Governor Romney to pick a top notch running mate. You know, not a moderate wimp.

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These three names I consider unlikely at this point, but still wins if Romney goes that way:

Wild Cards

1. Kentucky Senator Rand Paul:  Think about it, friends...what better way to get the Ron Paul supporters on your side than to have Rand as your VP?  Not to mention the fact that Rand is as conservative as his father on economic issues and is more realistic when it comes to foreign policy.  Moreover, I think most people expect Rand to take up his father's mantle when it comes to being a Libertarian crusader in the Republican Party, so he's likely to be a Presidential candidate next time around anyway, and one who has a better chance than his father to succeed.  I don't think Mitt will pick him or Rand will accept, but if the stars aligned this would be a home run.

2. Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice: Condoleezza Rice served in two past Presidential administrations in the Defense Department including being George W. Bush's National Security Advisor before becoming the Secretary of State in Bush's second term. She is well spoken and also has terrific fiscal conservative roots.  For example, as the Provost of Stanford University, she took the school from a $20 million deficit to a balanced budget. She also has the ability to pick up both female voters and minority voters. While she wouldn't be the home run that Senator Rand Paul would be, she would be a big win for Romney.

3. South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley:  Governor Haley is a Tea Party darling. She's fiscally conservative, pro-life, and a solid communicator of conservatism. Again, she's a huge win. Like Marco Rubio and Bobby Jindall, she's the child of legal immigrants.  Really a great option for Romney. I'd consider Governor Haley the most likely of the Wild Cards if only because of her endorsement of Mitt early on...surprising to many in the Tea Party.

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Any one of these three would make a great running mate for Mitt Romney, although I wouldn't expect any of them to happen. If they did, however, they could each bring in key groups that Romney needs to have to win, whether it's Ron Paul libertarians, women, or the Tea Party. 

At any rate, we need to push Governor Romney to pick a top notch running mate. You know, not a moderate wimp.