Nah . . .from the NY Observer:
The 45-year-old Cantor, who won his seat in 2000, owes his place on John McCain’s list not to the insistence of a House G.O.P. leader, but rather to what seems to be the legitimate interest of the candidate himself. This makes sense for several reasons.
For one, McCain is in the exact opposite position as Obama when it comes to the VP risk factor. McCain, sort of like Mondale in ‘84, is a known commodity, and voters need little reassurance that he has the necessary preparation and seasoning to lead. He can afford to team up with a running mate whose main experience involves seven years in the U.S. House. Cantor’s (relative) youth would bring energy to the ticket, and his Jewish background would also attract considerable attention. On the whole, picking a wild card like Cantor would attract attention — something McCain, to his immense frustration, has struggled to do.
Cantor would help in two other specific ways. First, his prodigious fund-raising skills would bring in some badly-needed cash — this in a year in which Obama could spend $300 million. And he could boost McCain in Virginia, a state that Obama is furiously targeting — and that could tip the whole election if it flips to the Democrats for the first time since 1964. Cantor only represents a small part of the state, and his presence probably wouldn’t add more than one percent to McCain’s statewide total (if that) — but have you seen how close the polls are there?
Cantor’s prospects are further aided by the dearth of top-tier options for McCain. Mitt Romney looms as his most logical selection and Tim Pawlenty has been the subject of plenty of speculation. Pawlenty would bring very little to the ticket, while Romney might be helpful in Michigan and with money. But his negative ratings are high and there could be some lingering resentments from the primary season. Beyond those two, there are no other obvious prospects for McCain to consider. If he’s looking for a non-Romney/Pawlenty option, why not Cantor?
Cantor sounds like a solid choice. We need someone youthful and vigorous. He speaks well and I think he would be good in a debate. Going up against a dreary speaker like Evan Bayh would mean a sure debate win for Cantor. Would he lock up VA for McCain though? I’m not sure but I hope so.
What’s wrong with possibly choosing either Sarah Palin or Bobby Jindal as his final VP choice? There are advantages to choosing a Governor as VP. IMHO, Eric Cantor’s main weaknesses is that he’s a white male who isn’t a Governor, but, other than these two things, I would be happy with Eric Cantor as McCain’s final VP choice. McCain would also seriously improve upon his chances for victory if he would name his “ideal cabinet” in a McCain administration. Most formal ‘08 Republican Presidential candidates would probably be willing to serve in cabinet positions in a McCain administration, if asked by McCain.
IMHO, the only other disadvantage of McCain picking Eric Cantor as his final VP choice, besides Cantor being a white male who isn’t a Governor, is that Cantor’s Congressional seat could seriously go to a Democrat.