Put yourself in Republican shoes for a moment...

[SteppingRazor]

I know, I know. Just swallow back that vomit and stay with me.

OK ... has the nausea passed?

Great. OK, so, we've had quite a few posts over the last few days about who Obama should pick for VP, or who Hillary should pick for VP.

But, imagine you're Karl Rove ...

GOD DAMN IT, I SAID STOP PUKING!

OK, that's better. Now, who would you want to see McCain tap for VP? A lot of people would immediately say he needs to shore up his support among conservatives, so he should go with Lindsay Graham (a huge McCain supporter) or Huckabee or something. Others have said that, especially if Obama gets the Dem. nod, he needs to prevent the Dems from picking up moderates and indies, and should this run a straight moderate ticket with someone like Gov. Charlie Crist of Florida (another person who, like Graham, has made a lot of appearances with McCain), or even go for a fusion ticket with someone like Lieberman.

Now ... from the perspective of a Republican strategist, where would you stand, and why?

[LisaM]

1. I think Alan Keyes is the logical choice. He'll bring back the Christian right!

And it will make everyone here so happy we'll all briefly be friends again.

[SteppingRazor]

3. Darn it, I'm series!

Who's the best bet for McCain?


Of course, don't get me wrong. I think a Keyes VP spot would be HILARIOUS!

[MessiahRp]

2. Republicans believe McCain is only good with moderates

So Republican operatives will look to throw a bone to their right wing base at the same time at trying to diffuse some of the "history making election" momentum either Clinton or Obama have going for them.

The only choice would be Condoleeza Rice.

Obviously on our side we laugh at that but remember how they believe these people and Condi gets remarkably high approval marks regardless of the countless lies she has been caught in.

Rp

[SteppingRazor]

5. That's an interesting point. One Caveat...

McCain strikes me as the kind of guy who will tap someone he is comfortable with before he taps someone the party dictates to him. What's the relationship between McCain and Rice? Good? Bad? Indifferent?

[TwilightGardener]

4. McCain won't pick Graham. Graham is suspected of being gay.

That's a no-go on the national GOP scene. Crist, too, is rumored to be gay as well, though I don't see it. I doubt it would be either of those. Lieberman, possibly--I doubt it, but if McCain feels that his appeal to Moderates, Indies and Dems is what will win him the election, and he thinks that conservatives will be willing to tolerate Holy Joe, he might try it--if only to pull the Indies away from Obama. I would assume the usual names: Pawlenty, Sanford, and also Rob Portman have been mentioned. Younger, middle of the road budget hawks that won't offend the GOP and won't scare off Indies/Dems either.

[SteppingRazor]

6. Hmmm ... not exactly marquee names there.

Rob Portman? The White House Budget Director?

I guess I had assumed that they'd go with a pretty well-known commodity.

[TwilightGardener]

11. I think McCain is famous and storied enough that he can go with a

low-profile, non-household name that won't compete with his celebrity. What's frightening to me is that his VP is very likely to end up President sooner rather than later, and the talent pool for the GOP is so shallow that McCain proved to be their only viable guy. The VP choices I mentioned weren't even thought of as valid Presidential contenders even among their weak-ass field, not enough to throw their hats in the ring last winter--they must not be very impressive people. If McCain didn't clearly loathe Romney, I'd say Romney might also be a good choice for him.

[napi21]

7. Joe's too old. John needs someone somewhat younger to

demonstrate that HIS age wouldn't be a problem. I've heard some Governor from Mn mentioned, and he has the Gov. experience, is much younger than John, and is supposed to be a real RW nutjob.

[TwilightGardener]

16. I agree with you about Joe's age, but I did read somewhere that McCain

said that he would go with someone completely based on personal ideology and compatibility, and not worry about winning a region or state--I can see him not giving a shit what conservatives think and choosing someone that he just personally likes, although the GOP will try to keep that from happening. They want someone young to keep the throne forever in the GOP's hands.

[napi21]

26. I actually think McCain will listen to his Party on a choice. There's ONE THING

that is the MOST important thing to McCain and that is THE PRESIDENCY! Now I don't think he's gonna win, BUT I didn't think Shrub was ever going to be in the WH either!

[ginantonic40]

34. Newt Gingrich?

[ZombieHorde]

8. Romney.

In the GOP view, McCain is strong on Iraq but weak on immigration and the economy, Romney is seen as strong on immigration and the economy.

[End Of The Road]

10. Doesn't Romney have too much baggage

with the Marriott/pornography thing... or am I behind the curve on this one?

[ZombieHorde]

12. I look at GOP websites pretty often and I never see them mention it. nt

[End Of The Road]

13. Maybe it's something the Dems could hit him with though. nt

[ZombieHorde]

17. Some freep voters may stay home because of it.

But I think that a lot of Republicans just hate us and hate to loose.

[bunnies]

9. He cant go with Crist or Lieberman

they're both too moderate. And he cant go with Huckabee either - too moderate on economic issues. He needs to go with some hard core repub ala Graham or even Romney 2.0.

Personally, I'd love to see him go with Larry Craig. But thats just me.

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

18. Plus, Crist is said to be gay, isn't he?

[SteppingRazor]

21. There are rumors, definitely. n/t

[Kolesar]

14. Senator Voinovich

That chump don't do shit in the Senate, so he could afford to waste a few months of his life riding around in a bus and lecturing the country.

[SteppingRazor]

23. Might also be a good idea because he could get his ass handed to him in the 2010 election, no? n/t

[Dr.Phool]

15. William F. Buckley.

Or Jerry Falwell.

They can run as the dead, and the undead.

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

19. Either one would make him look more dynamic

[SteppingRazor]

20. Those certainly would make McCain look young and virile.

:evilgrin:

[Independent-Voter]

22. The GOP this year as a whole is a trainwreck, Hillary's goatfuck of a campaign is the only thing

that comes close to what those folks are putting up this year.

That said, Crist or Burr (darkhorse pick) are going to get some looks at VP.

[ctaylors6]

24. I think they think they need to appease their base and get someone young(er) ...

I've read Pawlenty's name a lot. Also, Sanford.

[Lex1775]

25. There is a lot of grassroots support for the Governor of Alaska to be their VP

http://www.gov.state.ak.us/

[Exultant Democracy]

27. Depends on who wins the democratic nod, if it is Obama run to the right

if it is Clinton run to the middle, it is all about comparative advantage.

[Political Heretic]

28. I think he's gotta go Right with his VP so that HE can lean to CENTER in the general.

That's the strategy.... he's gotta be able to roll center in the general to even try to win, BUT he also HAS to carry at least a good portion of the base, so he needs a VP who can tour around the country and hand hold conservatives and say, "what he REALLY meant was...."

[sampsonblk]

29. Graham and Huckabee don't help McCain with conservatives.

Graham is not more popular than McCain in conservative circles (and talk radio), and Huckabee is said to be a phony conservative because he doesn't hate Mexicans. McCain's gotta find someone else.

If McCain were going to pick a nominee to please the base, which I doubt, he's gotta go far far far right and pick a known, unabashed RW wacko. I honestly don't think McCain can stomach anyone like that. And the feeling is mutual.

[stop the bleeding]

30. Santorum ?

this question that you pose to us is so hard for me to wrap my liberal brain around.

[Swamp Rat]

31. Jeb Bushler

[ginantonic40]

36. Any Bush ticket is the kiss of death for at least a couple generations I hope

[Swamp Rat]

37. Exactly!

[Binka]

32. George Allen?

[zabet]

33. Mark Sanford.

[ginantonic40]

35. Newt Gingrich?