The Short List
There is now some serious dicussion of John McCain's Vice Presidential short-list:We now have what appears to be the McCain VP short list: Romney, Pawlenty, and
Jindal. Those seem to be the three after reading today’s news clips.
If this is McCain's top three, his campaign may be in more than a bit of trouble. Of the three names on that list, the best choice is Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal. Jindal appeals to social conservatives, he is a solid economic conservative, and he is very strong on national security in a year when that is going to be an issue that Republicans can win on. Jindal hasn't been Governor long enough for many of his long-overdue reform programs to come to fruition. He has a lot of work to do in Louisiana, and he knows that. For him to take the Vice Presidential nomination at this point would likely be seen as naked political opportunism, and whether John McCain wins or loses, taking the Republican Veep nod this early in his career may hurt Jindal's potential for State or national office in the future. Jindal's prediction on Morning Joe that he will not be the Republican Vice Presidential nominee is very likely a factually accurate statement.
The other two choices on the short list could bomb for McCain outright. Southerners, whose States McCain will absolutely need to vote as a bloc to cancel likely Obama victories in Elector-rich California and New York, are not likely to warm to the more moderate Minnesotan. The questions as to the sincerity of Mitt Romney's conversion to conservatism (when he has had a career of simply telling his audiences what they wanted to hear) continue to fester, especially since several former supporters are now questioning that sincerity and urging McCain to choose Mike Huckabee.
John McCain seems content to run on the platform of "I'm not Barack Obama." We know that and we thank God for it. Voters will want to know who (or what) the McCain campaign is, however.
Labels: Presidential Election, Republican Party
posted by Deacon David Oatney @ 10:24 AM
3 Comments:
David,
It makes no difference who McCain chooses. Each and everyone of the guys talked about have unique pluses and minuses; win this group but loose this group. Secondly, McCain continues to self-destruct. His gaffes/screw-ups go to core of his self-declared expertise. He's an idiot that built up over the years thick layers of BS that no one ever really had a reason to question. However, now thrust in to the national lime light it's all starting to come apart. Rudy's main paradigm was a noun, verb and 9-11 and it didn't wash. McCain's is a noun, a verb and Veitnam POW and it's not washing either.
SteveMule
Jindal would be well advised to not tie his wagon to McCain. So far, I have been impressed with him. He has a future and as you point out, he may not have one if he jumps into the natonal arena this soon.
That said, Louisiana could drag him down also if he does not make better headway than previous leaders there. He can come out of it shining or stinking. Louisiana is political pit as bad if not worse than any other in the country.
But I don't think McCain is seriously considering him anyway. His inclusion on the "short list" seems to me to be window dressing for that "inclusive" vote.
I agree Romney is a poor choice, Pawlenty won't do anything and Jindal has ruled himself out.
I thought this piece at American Spectator would add a little:
http://www.spectator.org/dsp_article.asp?art_id=13578
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