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Home Front: Politix
McCain begins vice president search, mum on Romney
2008-03-13
Republican presidential candidate John McCain said on Wednesday he has begun the process of finding a vice presidential running mate and wants someone who shares his views and can take his place.
Might I venture to suggest former Maryland lieutenant governor Mike Steele? Mike is handsome, witty, articulate, well-qualified and... ummm... blacker than the O'Bama. And I like his Mom.
Speaking to reporters on his campaign plane, the expected Republican nominee said he had seen news reports that a defeated rival, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, had expressed interest in the job, but he offered no comment one way or the other on whether Romney would be a candidate. "I got that impression watching the interview last night," McCain said of Romney's interest in the No. 2 slot on the Republican ticket in November's election.
Romney'd be a pretty good choice, except that McCain having pretty well trounced him, it's hard to see what would stop Madam Clinton or the O'Bama from doing the same.
Plus the two men really, really don't like each other.
Romney told Fox News Channel's "Hannity and Colmes" on Tuesday that "any Republican leader in this country would be honored to be asked to serve as the vice presidential nominee, myself included."
Mike's a Publican leader, too, y'know. For that matter so's his old boss, Bob Ehrlich, another true blue conservative who fought the good fight against a legislature run by the machine.
Romney endorsed McCain in February after the Arizona senator defeated him in an often caustic campaign battle. McCain will face either Democratic Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York or Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois in November.
Possibly both of them. I saw McCain's current campaign commercial the other night and it struck exactly the right note for me: pure patriotism, starting out with Winston Churchill refusing to surrender to the forces of evil. Neither the Madam nor the O'Bama appeared in it that I can recall, and they would have been out of place had they done so.
At a town-hall meeting in Exeter, New Hampshire, McCain went out of his way to praise Romney and other vanquished Republican candidates. "He fought well. I believe that Gov. Romney has earned a place in our Republican Party and I believe he is part of the future of our Republican Party," he said.
Make him head of the RNC. We can use the fund-raising prowess. Pick Mike as VP.
Posted by:Fred

#19  Joe Lieberman - just cause I want to read the Daily Kos the day after he's nominated. And then again after the inaugeration.
Posted by: DMFD   2008-03-13 22:37  

#18  

Check the bit at the end of shi speech about "Hope" and change. Certainly cuts to the core of Obama. Actions, not words.
Posted by: OldSpook   2008-03-13 21:36  

#17  I don't believe McCain will choose Huckabee. His advisers can look at the demographic numbers. McCain already has the non-black southern vote sown up. Huckabee would be redundant. Michigan born Romney made his name and fortune in the Northeast where McCain is weak. It's all about luring the tottering states into McCain's vote column.

There's one other thing I like about Romney. I believe he is the most intelligent of all the candidates. He knows how to evaluate risk-reward and follow the course to achieve the most gain. In one video I saw Romney wanted to beat an abusive reported to death. I could see it in his eyes, but he kept his cool, his words kind, but was slightly menacing at the same time. I like that. The cool, even cold, demeanor is a welcome contrast to McCain's public hothead image.
Posted by: ed   2008-03-13 21:32  

#16  Steele is good. Solid conservative record, solid conservative credentials, and well liked in almost all areas of the party. He is erudite and well spoken without sounding elitist or condescending.

Not to mention I think he was Chair of the RNC for a while, so he is "connected".

McCain-Steele 08.
McCain retires declining a second term
Steele-Jindal '12
Jindal 2020!
Posted by: OldSpook   2008-03-13 21:29  

#15  I was waiting for Jesus to come back. Think how bad *I* feel. But like the man said, you go to vote with the candidate you got. (and yes, McCain/Feingold bites the big one)
Posted by: SteveS   2008-03-13 21:09  

#14  wx - so vote for the candidate more conservative than McCain. You can't, dumbshit, cuz there isn't one. If you stay home to pout like a little girl, you just avoided cancelling a vote for the Donk/Socialist candidate because your feelings are hurt. I preferred Hunter. He didn't win. I got over it. You should too. I'm tired of listening to you piss and moan. Man up or shut up
Posted by: Frank G   2008-03-13 20:57  

#13  This may shock some of ya, but conservatives want a conservative President. McCain has a gapping hole in his cridentials....McCain/Feingold. We have been fed a long string of puppets since Reagan. We, and I speak as a conservative, want to pick our own candidate or we ain't gonna play. Stupid McCain has yet to make amends, and he is far to arrogant to. So, lose you ass. The Republican Party has sold it's soul to the special interests. Maybe McCain can be elected by the racist donkeys crossing over. Years ago, I was among the masses leaving the donkey party because they didn't represent me any more. Now I am among the masses poised to abandon the trunks. This country is spiraling into third world status no matter which party has the watch. The rude awakening is that they really don't care. They make bullshit excuses for globalism, while those of us with a brain realize that globalism means decline for the US for the advancement of the rest. Remember the UN ? Well, that is an example of who benefits from our losses. Having saved them a number of times, we owe them nothing. Now our 'leaders' are selling us down the river to cury favor among those scum. There's no logical reason to commit such suicide.
Posted by: wxjames   2008-03-13 20:53  

#12  Steele is great. Can you imagine Steele/Jindal 2012? The Donks' heads would explode!
Posted by: Frank G   2008-03-13 20:40  

#11  I kind of like the idea of Steele - but then I used to think C. Rice was pretty sharp.
Sadly, race will be an issue (probably THE issue) if Obama gets the nomination. And sadly, I suspect there are a lot of Bubbas who would stay home or vote for McCain rather than vote for Obama, just on the basis of race, and these same people would also stay home rather than vote for a ticket with Steele as VP.
I wonder how Steele would fare as a 'life insurance' policy for McCain, should they get elected? You want somebody your worst enemies hate even more than you. Hmmm.
Posted by: Glenmore   2008-03-13 18:14  

#10  Michael Steele would be an excellent choice. Smart, a good natural politician, solidly conservative, young, has executive experience (as Md. Lt. Gov.). It gets even better if (as a lot of people are speculating) McCain might not want to stay in for more than one term. That would make Steele the presumptive nominee in '12.

If, contemporaneously, Obama is crushed beneath the wheels of the Hillary juggernaut at the convention, leaving black voters disillusioned with the Democratic Party, so much the better!
Posted by: Mike   2008-03-13 17:55  

#9  Plus, McCain has shown every indication of waging a "high road" campaign. But Steele could give it a little "personality" without being a hitman.

And then there are all those Maryland electoral votes at stake.
Posted by: Nimble Spemble   2008-03-13 17:47  

#8  Fred is right on and so is remoteman. Romney and Huckster-bee have shown that they do not have what it takes to win. Why recycle things that do not work. Mike Steele has good credentials, and he can add breadth to the ticket. Obama has no substance other than changechangechange. Shrillary, well look what hubby bill did to the country in 8 years. Moral fiber......heh. The trunks need some dynamic candidates, and McCain can ride to victory on a Salt and Pepper ticket. And McCain is old, and it would be prudent to have a good backup. No jesting on this. Image and substance, a very unusual combination in corrupt Wash DC.
Posted by: Alaska Paul in Thorne Bay, AK   2008-03-13 17:37  

#7  Fred, I really like your suggestion. I think it is critical that the Repubs get out front on demonstrating the inclusive nature of our party. A true conservative black man as VP would be an IDEAL way to do that. I don't think either Romney or Huckster would be good choices and I don't think either of them would improve McCain's chances of being elected.
Posted by: Remoteman   2008-03-13 16:15  

#6  From my recollection of what I read a while back --

Problem with putting Mitt in charge of the RNC is that when he was governor and chair of the Republican Governors' Committee, he went around to help other Republican candidates. He was willing to do it but the quid pro quo he asked for was too open and too out front. He ended up upsetting a lot of people, and they didn't forget.
Posted by: Steve White   2008-03-13 13:21  

#5  If McCain takes Huckabee, it is a guaranteed loss for the Republicans this year. I could vote for McTraitor if he took a solid conservative for VP. But if he takes a liberal-light there is no way I'm voting for him.
Posted by: DarthVader   2008-03-13 12:00  

#4  A nod for Gomer Pyle / the Huckster will send this particular voter into a serious dilemna re: voting this year.

I can stomache McCain. Not so for Huckabee. JMO
Posted by: lotp   2008-03-13 09:25  

#3  Conservatives' tempers are still smoldering over the McCain-Huckabee double-teaming job they did on Romney. A nod for Gomer Pyle for VP would not be a shocker.
Posted by: doc   2008-03-13 09:09  

#2  Governor Romney can run for president in 2012; he need feel no pressure to get into the White House just now. I like Fred's idea of making him chairman of the Republican National Committee. It gives him the chance to work with the key Republicans at the national level, both on the fund-raising side and amongst the non-governor politicians. Truly it would be a growth experience, and would help him navigate his next attempt at the presidency.
Posted by: trailing wife    2008-03-13 02:52  

#1  This word is for Mccain. Romney should be President.

A Man of class like that stating this in the respectful what he has, I know you don't like him, but he IS more than qualified.

Shoot your choices there, see what a veep could get you. Hard to swallow pride, but easier to run countries without it. Why not, Clinton had no morals, pride, fortitude, or scruples.

At least you could get a veep.
Posted by: newc   2008-03-13 02:22  

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