Shit, its all just speculation, so here goes. Know how you can tell Romney's toast?

[1-Old-Man]

If he feels he has to announce who his VP pick is before the Republican Convention I'd have to say it is an act of desperation by a man who knows he is toast.

[tammywammy]

1. Don't they usually announce before the convention?

[Ruby the Liberal]

4. McCain didn't.

Unless I am remembering wrong. Wasn't the convention Caribou Barbie's coming out party?

[cali]

9. no, it was prior to the convention.

It was close to it, but before. the coming out party for her was in AZ as I recall

[Ruby the Liberal]

13. Ah - thanks for the correction.

[tammywammy]

21. He announced her on a Friday, maybe a week before. n/t

[cali]

2. Uh, it's standard practice for the nominee to reveal his vp pick pror to the convention

[arely staircase]

14. reagan was the first to ever announce before his convention

And not everyone has followed his leadl. Picking before.the.convention is rare.

[nichomachus]

22. No, he didn't

He was considering Gerry Ford, but Ford drove too hard a bargain and he switched to Bush during the convention

[yurbud]

30. even as a kid, that seemed like BS.

why would you add the guy who just had his ass handed to him four years earlier?

How would it make your leadership look if you needed an ex-president to bolster your ticket?

How would you give an ex-president orders without seeming disrespectful?

What ex-president would want that subordinate job?

Ford at most played along with the charade meant to give the press something to talk about and the public to keep watching for something other than the funny hats.

[nichomachus]

31. Reagan thought it would be a dream ticket

Here's a rundown

https://sites.google.com/site/thelastjeffersonian/articles/ronald-reagan-s-biggest-mistake

[yurbud]

32. that's surprising. Ironically, Papa Bush was a smarter short term choice

but much worse for America by paving the way for his son.

[Motown_Johnny]

3. they always announce before the convention

my bet is on Aug. 17th.


edit to add link http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=1055960

[arely staircase]

8. mcain didnt pick his until the convention nt

[cali]

12. nope. before. On August 29, a few days prior.

[arely staircase]

15. ah ok but they all pick before isnt true nobody did until reagan. nt

[winstars]

20. Ding Ding Ding!!! You are correct sir...

Pailn was announced on Friday, the 29th of August 2008


http://articles.cnn.com/2008-08-29/politics/palin.republican.vp.candidate_1_safety-commissioner-walt-monegan-sarah-palin-alaska-gov?_s=PM OLITICS


The Republican convention started Monday, the 1st of September of 2008


http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=when%20does%20the%20republican%20national%20convention%20start%202008&source=web&cd=1&sqi=2&ved=0CFEQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2F2008_Republican_National_Convention&ei=utceUNKFPKHoiwLW5oDwBA&usg=AFQjCNFWza7UAVYnCwCEM74Th5Yw9EZxqQ

[nichomachus]

23. Naming the VP before the convention is a recent phenomenon

Even up until Reagan's time, the nominee wasn't a lock-in before the convention. We didn't have the primary system like we have today. There were humongous battles at the convention with different candidates having delegates pledged to them. Then, everyone would horse-swap, getting concessions from the different potential nominees in order to get the different states to release their delegates to that candidate.

The prize plum, of course, was the vice presidency.

In 1980, Gerry Ford -- even though a former president, wanted the VP spot, but in the negotiations during the convention, he wanted concessions from Reagan that would have made Ford too powerful. So, Reagan surprised an awful lot of people by plucking Bush from relative obscurity. One GOP bigwig said, "What? George Bush isn't someone you elect to office. He's a guy you appoint to something."

The idea of knowing who the presidential candidate is - and who the VP candidate is -- is very recent.

[Vincardog]

5. He is toast when he retroactively decides to decline the nomination

[randome]

6. S'okay. We know he's toast anyways!

As stiff as toast. As unappetizing as burnt toast. As capable of running this country as a piece of stale, burnt toast that even the geese won't touch!

[MrSlayer]

7. They always pick before the convention.

Anywhere from early July to a few days prior to the convention.

[arely staircase]

10. reagan was the first. nt

[MrSlayer]

16. Yes he did.

He announced her on August 29th. The convention started September 1st.

Likewise, Cheney announced himself only four days prior to the convention.

[cali]

17. yes he did. On August 29th. 4 days before the Convention.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarah_Palin#2008_vice-presidential_campaign

[spinbaby]

18. He did

He announced on Friday; the convention didn't start until Monday. I remember this very clearly because I--quite accidentally--found myself staying in the same hotel as McCain in Greentree, PA over Labor Day weekend and he had just announced the VP candidate.

It was a nuisance while they were at the hotel, but it was kind of cool watching the secret service in action. McCain stopped to shake hands and asked us to pray for him. Palin had a little beauty-pageant wave. Stephanopoulos was traveling with them and looked quite at home with that crowd.

[Pab Sungenis]

29. Reagan was the first in 1976

when he announced Richard Schweiker of PA as his running mate. Of course, the fact that Reagan lost that nomination at the convention kind of put the ki-bosh on Schweiker's nomination. Ford picked Dole.

The first successful nominee (other than a sitting President) to announce a running mate before the convention was Mondale when he picked Ferraro.

[KharmaTrain]

11. It's Called "Dominating The News Cycle"...

Team Willard has been pretty crappy at doing this...especially since he became the de-facto nominee. The "plan" is to have the pundits talk your talking points and whip up as much political mojo as possible. The European vacation was supposed to make Mittens look like a world leader <fail> and now he has the convention coming up to try to grab a week or so worth of headlines.

While the rushpublican clown car demolition derby was amusing to watch last spring it did focus a lot of attention on the GOTB race and bring out a lot of anger in the electorate...Willard still hasn't "nailed down the base". The Veep pick is just another way to amp up interest in this disaster of a campaign but will mean little positive for Rmoney (there isn't some golden pick he can make...just the lesser of inferiors).

[B Calm]

19. He'll pick his VP to change the news cycle

from his tax invasion. It will probably happen within the next couple days!

Mark my words!!

[GreatCaesarsGhost]

24. He's toast if he can't find a VP.

If no one wants to be on a losing ticket, he'll have to go to the B-list.

[nichomachus]

25. I beg to differ

There is no A list. There isn't even a B list. There is only the C list: losers anf the D list: batshit crazy. That's all that's left for the GOP these days.

[Loge23]

26. The Latino Card

He'll will name Rubio as his VP pick.
It's RMoney's last gasp shot at blunting the President's momentum with the Latino community.
Rubio, the Senator from FL, has been on a nationwide tour like forever.
He's seen giving speeches with the "presidential" face on, as if he has even remotely earned this respect.
Clear choice, IMO.

[Kalidurga]

27. I think if he picks Rubio he is announcing his concession.

It is quite obvious if he picks Rubio, he thinks he will definitely lose Florida. But, I don't think picking him will have the effect he thinks it will. Republicans are still racist twats and Rubio will be one more reason for them to stay home.

[madguy]

28. I just hope Team Obama

has something up their sleeve that they can announce the day the VP pick is revealed to stomp all over Romney's press coverage.