Posted on 08/16/2008 4:27:49 PM PDT by Clintonfatigued
Some of my fellow RedState contributors and I were discussing via email today why it is that a certain segment of the population is determined to push Condi Rice for Veep, as though it would be a good idea for the entire executive branch to run like the State Department currently does. During the course of this conversation, which inevitably turned to potentially *good* choices for Vice President, an unexpected name came up: Rhode Island Governor Donald Carcieri.
More below...
I was initially very skeptical of this suggestion. I didn't know much about Carcieri's record, and so I just automatically assumed that a guy who got elected twice in statewide Rhode Island elections had to be pretty moderate, especially if he survived the slaughter of 2006. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that I was mostly wrong.
It turns out that, among other things, Don Carcieri is pro-life. The comments attributed to the Governor and his wife in that article were positively shocking to me for their strength. He has also taken strong stances in favor of traditional families. Carcieri is also a much stronger opponent of illegal immigration than is McCain, which might help to offset McCain's biggest weakness with the Republican base.
(Excerpt) Read more at archive.redstate.com ...
This is an interesting idea, and Carcieri has been a very good governor. I’m not posting this to promote, but to get an idea of how Freepers would react to such a ticket.
A 65-year old Roman Catholic from RI? I think not.
I don’t know much about Carcieri, but I do know that RI isn’t MA; I hope he’s a true conservative. If he is, then I’m fine with him.
Don’t know of him either, but if he is a legitimate conservative, that can only HELP McCain with the Republican base. In any case, if he claims to be a conservative, his public record better show it (and that means more than having a picture-book wife and 2.5 kids).
FReeper fieldmarshaldj has been mentioning Don Carcieri as a good conservative Republican, worthy of the Veep slot.
Sounds like a winner to me.
Also, I wouldn’t be shocked if Obama names his VP pick tonight during the lovefest with Rick Warren. Making the second hour with McCain a lost endeavor. LOL
Is he a woman? Is he a Jew? Is he a Mormon? Is he black? Is he Indian?
If no to any of these.... it probably ain’t going to happen....
It is called the John McCain Veep Test.... but the mormon thing does not make a VP alone.... so is his name funny... like Mitt... or Lance, or Glove, or Dagger?
Why not?
Well th is guy just really irritated the pro-immigration forces in RI, so he would shore up McCain with the anti-immigration faction of the base where he certainly needs shoring up.
Pass the crack rock around please ..
I wouldn’t be surprised if McCain picked someone that none of us would of even have thought of. Maybe someone he’s worked with during his 26 or so years in Washington. Never know.
I thought Don Corleone had him hit.
Carcieri sounds like an outstanding Gov., but he’s not from a critical swing state, is unknown nationally, and might not be seen as the future of the GOP, as McCain may not be willing or able to serve 2 terms). Gov. Sanford, on the other hand, would strengthen the ticket. (Just my opinion, I could be wrong).
But if the person is a dark-horse, they BETTER have a solid and verifiable record, or they will simply not be trusted (even if the person is fine).
We vividly remember David Souter (from nearby New
Hampshire), so there will be suspicion. Finally, whoever McCain chooses could EASILY become president, should McCain not make it through his first term (or second term), or could become our candidate in 2012 or 2016.
We are very nervous...McCain needs to calm us.
Obama/Carcieri
Thank you for explaining your answer.
Conservative have more than 1% trust in McCain. I’d say it’s closer to 15%.
But you’re correct in that his choice for VP is of the utmost importance this year.
Yea - I was taking a bit of liberty there...McCain has built himself up with the base quite a bit since he got on the right side of drilling and stopped talking about Global Warming.
In order to win the election, McCain needs to win MI, CO and NV (not to mention OH).
Romney.
B+ rating from NRA from 2002.
No clue now.
It is my understanding that many in the Portuguese-American community (who form a plurality of the population in Bristol County) were very ambivalent or hostile due to memories of harassment that supposedly occurred to immigrants from said community back in the 1960s and 1970s.
There is a large Dominican and Puerto Rican population in Providence, but most of them are legal. I'm sure, however, that Rogue's Island has plenty of illegals from other countries, however.
Isn’t Carcieri himself of Portuguese decent?
I just don’t think little Rhody is taken seriously nationally, but he sounds acceptable: maybe another Spiro T. Agnew without the graft.
I think he could deliver RI - but that's just 4 EVs. He would be a competent VP and a decent campaigner, but lacks charisma.
You want to explain that ?
He has an Italian last name (Rhode Island having the highest % of Italian Americans in the union), but I don’t know his entire heritage. I myself have a Polish last name, although mom’s name ends in a vowel. ;-)
“It turns out that, among other things, Don Carcieri is pro-life.”
That is a MUST!
“That is a MUST!”
That is so true.
Whoops I posted this is a non-VP related Carcieri thread,
Only downside is the LT Guv is a rat.
I doubt that Carcieri is on the short list.
He sounds like a conservative but Romney or Pawlenty would bring more to the ticket.
Carcieri is a pseudo-Republican.
He just barely beat Fogarty.
RI MA and CT will still vote Democrat.
Carcieri’s only base of support outside of RI is the rather small group of Wall St people who vacation in Newport.
People in NY, NJ, ME and NH probably have never heard of the guy, let alone people from anywhere else in the country.
I lived in RI for 20 years. Left there in 2007. Carcieri’s got the right creds, as far as I’m concerned. He’s conservative — not a picture perfect textbook conservative (if there’s even such a thing) but solidly conservative, nonetheless. He has survived run-in after run-in with the antagonistic RI state legislature, a timelessly corrupt, overwhelmingly pro-illegal-immigration Democrat controlled body beholden to teacher unions and public employee unions. He’s had to deal with an obnoxious, antagonistic capital city mayor, David Cicciline. Cicciline is about as San Fran Dem as can be.
Carcieri’s survived them all, and actually beaten them on several major issues. He’s been re-elected Governor several times, no small feat in a solidly blue state. He’d do well as McCain’s wingman. Unfortunately, he’ll never get the gig, since no one really cares about goes on in RI and he has little name recognition. Four electoral votes? They’ll end up in Clinton’s column, especially since RI is a hive of old line, working class Dems, rich leftists and lefty college students.
If McCain wants to go with a dark horse I’d rather he looked west, at Jon Huntsman of Utah.
“A 65-year old Roman Catholic from RI? I think not.”
Barack Obama has problems with Catholic voters, and Carcieri has a proven record of winning blue-collar voters. The age thing could be a problem, but not a fatal one.
Although there's no gurantee he'd put Rhode Island in the GOP column, he's so popular there that he'd probably at least put the state in play... and I'd kill to see the Dems have to throw away money constantly and exhaust resources in a region of the country they normally win without blinking a eye.
If you could merge Pawlenty's winning electoral advantage with Palin's conservative star power, you'd probably get Carcieri. That alone would place him in my Top 5 choices for veep if I was vetting McCain's list.
He certain brings more to the ticket than say, John Thune. (who BTW, no one seemed to notice is part of the infamous "gang of 10" that Lindsey Graham, as usual, gets crusified for) Yep, Thune the "true conservative" who would "excite the base"... at least those with complete amnesia about his actions in the Senate since defeating Daschle.
Too old, no deal
For President -------------------------------------------- For Vice President
Like Reagan, huh ?
Seriously? You want a guy from a ultra-Republican safe western state picking a guy from another ultra-Republican safe western state that borders his? That's like the Dems trying to win nationally with a Massachuttes-Connecticut ticket of Ted Kennedy/Chris Dodd.
Reagan didn't get vetted for VP. He ran for President outright. So the age issue is irrelevant.
In 1948, the Truman/Barkley ticket (consisting of a 64 year old and a 71 year old) handily the beat the much younger Dewey (age 46) / Warren (age 56) ticket, so how is running a 71 year old and a 65 year old any different than running a 71 year old and a 64 year old?
However, I actually agree the age issue could be a problem, if the two people running come across as tired, elderly looking, senile guys that would be better off running to a nursing home than running for Presidnent (i.e. Frank Lautenberg types). McCain doesn't fit that image, and neithre does Carcieri.
I’m considering competence and accomplishment here. 65 isn’t ancient. If McCain buys it in office or doesn’t run again, Carcieri will be the same age as Reagan by the time he runs for or becomes President (69).
Barkley may not be the best example, since he was never going to run for President after Truman (he did, however, return to the Senate, where he died shortly afterwards).
I'm thinking of a guy who is well qualified for the presidency should it become necessary. And someone who might help keep New Mexico and Colorado.
Interesting that you should mention Rhode Island...
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