Posted on 05/04/2012 2:56:52 AM PDT by Libloather
GOP voters want Santorum, Rubio for VP
By Jonathan Easley - 05/03/12 04:32 PM ET
Republican voters would like to see Rick Santorum or Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) standing at Mitt Romney's side this fall, a new poll found.
A Reuters-Ipsos poll released Thursday found Santorum and Rubio are the top choices among Republican voters to be Romney’s running mate.
Republican voters were presented with a list of 19 names, and a plurality, 18 percent, said Rick Santorum would be the best candidate to fill out the GOP ticket, while 17 percent went for Rubio.
Rubio was by far the most popular candidate with Tea Party supporters, and the only potential vice presidential pick to pull more than 20 percent with any of the groups represented in the poll.
In addition to being from a swing state with a large delegate prize, Romney might find Rubio’s Tea Party support appealing as a running mate, since he has struggled to win over some conservatives. Santorum came in second among Tea Party supporters with 16 percent.
But if Romney hopes to appeal to independents, Rubio performs dismally, pulling only 4 percent of their support. Santorum led among independents at 16 percent, and was followed closely by New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R).
Christie and Bush tied for third among Republicans in the poll, each pulling 13 percent, with former Arkansas Gov. and GOP presidential candidate Mike Huckabee taking 12 percent.
A number of potential VP picks who seemed to be gaining momentum recently barely registered in the poll.
Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), the author of the House Republican budget, campaigned with Romney in his home state last week but logged only 4 percent in the Reuters-Ipsos poll. Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell, who appeared with Romney at a campaign stop in his home state on Thursday, didn’t even register in the poll.
Ohio Sen. Rob Portman, who many believe to be the safest pick, and therefore the likeliest, also failed to register in the poll, finishing behind Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal and former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty.
The Reuters-Ipsos poll of 579 Republicans has a 4.7 percent margin of error, the poll of 308 independents has a 6.5 percent margin of error, and the poll of 317 Tea Party supporters has a 6.4 percent margin of error.
Some of us long-time freepers (myself, March 1999) ....have become sadly disappointed with how we were treated by choosing Santorum over Gingrich.
I agree with cripplecreek here....
..if Romney wins the nomination.....who cares about the vp...
...Romney/Obama.....one is just a faster exit for our country than the other
“..not a Natural Born Citizen and therefore ineligible for VP or Presidential candidacy.”
Can you show us where in the Constitution that Rubio is ineligible to run?
Mark Levin, a Constitutional expert, said Rubio IS eligible.
I’d like Rick Santorum to be the VP (since Santorum can’t be POTUS now), but what’s right is right.
A Vice-President pick has to be someone who would be ready to lead the country on Day 1, if anything happened to the president, and that would be Rick Santorum.
Santorum’s experience on national defense alone would make me sleep better.
Some of us long-time freepers (myself, March 1999) ....have become sadly disappointed with how we were treated by choosing Santorum over Gingrich.
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As another long-time FReeper (since 2000) I can tell you this. If you really want to be berated, ostracized, called a liberal-loving faggot and all sorts of nasty names, just dare to suggest that we’re stuck with Romney and that we have to play the hand we’ve been dealt and put our differences aside and unite to get Obama out of the White House before he destroys this nation. They will verbally abuse you like nothing you’ve ever seen.
I was a Newt supporter. I tried to support Santorum but he got too wacked for me. He was Pat Robertson on steroids. I got tired of him having to explain, every day, what he meant when he opened his mouth yesterday. None of us can help it that the good Conservatives, WHO ARE EVEN REMOTELY ELECTABLE, did not have the ‘nads to run this year.
Santorum is the best choice for VP. The country will not vote for a baptized mormon in addition to Romney. Rubio has not denounced his early years as a mormon, thus no way can two mormons win. At least 20 percent of all voters have polled they will not vote for a mormon, imagine two mormons on the ticket, it will mean Obama gets back in.
I believe that a Natural Born Citizen is someone born in the USA, or USA controlled Territory, BOTH of whose parents are American Citizens at the time of the child's birth.
This is hardly a radical, or new thought. NB, I say, "BELIEVE" Since I am not a Supreme Court Justice, I cannot define the term, NBC legally.
However, since neither are you, Mark Levin, or Bark Hussein Obama, Jr., my belief or opinion is just as valid as your belief.... or anyone else's.
The Supreme Court of the United States needs to decide between us. The issue has been before them a good dozen times now, in completely acceptable form. They have chosen to ... by their own admission ... to escape and evade the issue.
Until they choose to hear the issue on its merits and offer an opinion, they leave the American public to its own differing opinions. They are thus, in dereliction of their duty and weakening our Constitution.
In politics, the perfect is the enemy of the good.
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