Plausible! I still think it'll be Nikki Haley, but McDonnell's gotta be on Mitt's short-list.
He does seem like the kind of up-and-comer Republicans like to pull for VP, and he does seem to follow their hymnal in most to all regards, but wouldn't nominee Romney be in need of someone a bit more obviously frothing?
someone a bit more obviously frothing
Cuccinelli? Although apparently he's planning on running for governor in 2013.
Why not Barbour?
Not at all appealing to swing voters.
Nikki Haley is unpopular within the South Carolina Republican establishment, isn't she? I dunno - the profile is right, but she had underwhelming results in a Republican wave year, and if I were Mitt, I wouldn't want to chose someone who seemed like they might make unforced errors. (Susan Martinez strikes me as the choice he might make if he really wants a woman on the ticket; Rubio, McDonnell, or Thune are the picks towards the top of my mental list.)
I think Barbour's got a bit too much of a Boss Hogg crossed with Flem Snopes thing going to play well nationally. But I have no confidence in predicting how the GOP will play it--who's made a hit recently with conservatives on a cruise ship? Ah, here you go, an Alaska Governor with initials SP (Sean Parnell).
I would so vote for any slate that had a good Boss Hogg on it. It would have to be a morbidly obese guy in a white suit wearing one of those ribbony necktie things. No half-measures.
7: Rubio's not very popular in his home state. Other than that, though, I think you're right: Thune is a real possibility, and Martinez could be a good choice. That said, Haley's pretty good on the stump, has an interesting biography, and the fundies supposedly love her.
Regardless, I think I mentioned the other day that I'm always surprised by veep choices, so what do I know. And in the end, I'm more interested in who's going to run with Obama. I find it very hard to believe that Biden stays on the ticket.
Parnell would be a much more plausible VP pick than Palin was; he's a regular boring Republican, nothing at all like her. I don't see any evidence that he's angling for the nod, though.
And in the end, I'm more interested in who's going to run with Obama.
I think Biden has been doing a fine job. He hasn't said anything really stupid in years.
12: And that's a big fucking deal.
He's not even 70 before the election.
I don't know much about Susana Martinez except that my mom hates her with a passion. She's made a big deal about being anti-immigration, which combined with her status as a Hispanic woman would probably make her look good as a VP pick. I just had to look up who the Lt. Gov. is to see what the implications for NM would be if she gets chosen (and wins); it turns out to be the equally odious John Sanchez, so the state's probably not going to be any better off without Martinez than it is with her.
12: Biden has been just fine. But I'm not sure he brings much to the ticket, certainly not as much as Secretary of State Clinton would.
Also, it's funny because it's true.
I'm sure Obama has a team out looking for someone who is both liberal and successful in a centrist or conservative state, whose replacement would be a Republican, and who would nearly disappear after being chosen.
16: I don't see what Clinton brings to the ticket for an incumbent that she didn't bring in 2008. I suspect that she doesn't want to be VP, possibly because no blotter is thick enough to let her touch the desk without wondering how many times Al and Tipper's butts were right where her hands are.
Or less absurdly, maybe she doesn't want VP because she has already held a position defined mostly as a subsidiary role to the president. State is something that balances her resume by adding a bit of executive experience.
19: have you seen any pictures of haley barbour? I say the repubs suddenly bring the palin to get some passion on the mitt-bot's ticket.
If Perry hadn't run himself, it would be him.
I can't imagine O switching out Biden.
Someone agrees with me on the internet.
Nobody who's popular within South Carolina is viable outside that state. Virginia Foxx? Joe Wilson?
Nobody who's popular within South Carolina is viable outside that state
Alameida.
I think I mentioned the other day that I'm always surprised by veep choices
I am, too, but it takes real skill and commitment to find a way to be surprised by Obama's pending choice of Biden.
Alameida may have been the only sane person in that state. Was she popular?
Its not like Mitt will need help carrying South Carolina. Someone from Pennsylvania would make more sense. I'd say Santorum, except the dude lost his last PA senate race by 17 points.
Someone from Pennsylvania would make more sense.
That is not my experience of people from Pennsylvania.
Virginia Foxx?
Much to my chagrin, she's from North Carolina.
Alameida may have been the only sane person in that state.
There's Andy Dick.
My prediction is Rick Scott. He's more the right mix of crazy, awful, inexperienced, and recently successful that Republicans seem to like when searching the field.
I think they will only go with someone like Rick Scott if they think they need to go for the Hail Mary (their recognition of the need to do so was correct in 2008--it ended up working as well as most desperation moves do).
Pretty certain it won't be Rick Scott.
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A matter of limited, if any consequence, except perhaps to the trustees of Baylor University: Is Ken Starr not implicitly admitting to being a churchgoing atheist/agnostic here? Careful parsing suggests he is. NTTAWWT.
"In my own life, I have drawn great strength from my religious practices and, according to the teachings of my faith tradition, I intend to continue to keep in prayer those who are chosen to lead our nation." [Emphasis added.]
I just found it ironic, considering the moral outrage he was able to summon at Bill Clinton for misleading with carefully formulated, technically true statements.
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37: I found it hard to get past honorable statesmen of steely commitment to America's constitutional principles. being applied to Joe Lieberman.
At first I thought you were way over-thinking it, but on reflection it is clear that he is not choosing much simpler constructions such as "my religion" and simply "my faith". Doing a bit of searching, I suspect his care in choosing words has more to do with walking a fine line with regard to Christian denominational questions rather than subtly revealing a crisis of faith:
One interesting talking point related to Starr's selection is his church membership. Like Baylor's immediate past president, John Lilley, Baylor's new president is not currently a Baptist. As near as I can ascertain, he was raised in the home of a Church of Christ minister, spent most of his adult life at the evangelical and dispensational McLean Bible Church in Northern Virginia, and briefly returned to a Church of Christ congregation while at Pepperdine. Yet because Baylor is affiliated with the Baptist General Convention of Texas, Starr is expected to become a Baptist, which he has indicated he has every intention of doing.and
Ken Starr, the new president of Baylor University, recently joined a Baptist church without even being present for the service.At a place like Baylor they care about shit like that. And he is in fact an utter snake, one of the top ten most ethically-challenged Beltway practitioners of the '90s along with Newt. Lieberman was probably more of a second-tier liar, although not through lack of trying.
Nobody who's popular within South Carolina is viable outside that state. Virginia Foxx? Joe Wilson?
Stephen Colbert?
If McDonnell is tapped and somehow they win, then Bolling becomes Governor. Is there a procedure for replacing Bolling? If not who breaks the ties in the VA Senate (it's 20-20 Republican-Democrat)?
Would Romney care?
It would be the greatest moment in history if the Republicans tapped Colbert, thinking he's one of them.
Works going peachy, incidentally. So focussed.
Link may be sabotaged. Cut and paste this: http://www.baylor.edu/lariat/news.php?action=story&story=17383
I read something recently suggesting that Condi Rice is a potential Republican VP pick. I must say that never occurred to me.
I read something recently suggesting that Condi Rice is a potential Republican VP pick. I must say that never occurred to me.
That sounds like the pen-spurtings of Broder-clones.