Posted on 08/07/2012 6:18:59 PM PDT by Clintonfatigued
Sen. John Thune of South Dakota is being touted as a “sleeper” candidate to serve as Mitt Romney’s vice president, the Sioux City Journal reported.
Thune may be at a disadvantage because he comes from a state with only three electoral votes, South Dakota Democratic Party Executive Director Ben Nesselhuf told the Journal. So electoral strategy might tempt Romney to pick Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida or Sen. Rob Portman of Ohio. Rubio ‘s Florida has 29 electoral votes and Portman’s Ohio has 18. That aside, Thune has qualities to match the job, according to Doug Gross, an Iowa Republican strategist and former candidate for governor.
"[The vice presidential pick] needs to be competent, capable, and respected,” Gross told the Journal. “[Thune] meets that requirement. They need to be capable of being president some day. I think he meets that requirement . . . Thune could really be the sleeper here.”
Gross said Romney likely has Thune in in his top five. “[Romney] doesn't need a Hail Mary pass, so he doesn't need a Sarah Palin-type. In fact, he needs someone who is perceived as competent and steady," Gross told the Journal.
At a recent stop in Custer in his home state of South Dakota, Thune said he would “never say never” if tapped by the Republican presidential nominee Romney to serve, the Journal reported.
“I don’t think you ever rule out or say no to opportunities to public service if you are really interested in making a difference for your country -- you want to put your gifts and abilities to the highest and best use,” Thune said.
(Excerpt) Read more at newsmax.com ...
There is a case to be made for Thune being on the ticket. He’s competent, affable, and an asset in some key Midwestern states, especially Iowa. As for some other possibilities (Bobby Jindal, Tim Pawlenty, Nicki Haley, and Susana Martinez), they can run for the U.S. Senate in 2014.
I don’t know about “sleeper” pick, but Thune will certainly put a lot of people to sleep.
Sorta like a latter-day “Ford/Dole” ticket, huh..?
Hey, now THAT is some pretty electrifying stuff, wow....!!!
Those idiots never learn.
Thune choice makes no sense. Romney doesn’t need S. Dakota. He needs Ohio. No Republican running for president has EVER won without the state of Ohio. Portman.
Plus Thune has morphed with the go-along, get-along bunch.
“[Romney] doesn’t need a Hail Mary pass, so he doesn’t need a Sarah Palin-type. In fact, he needs someone who is perceived as competent and steady,”
Note to Grosse, that would BE Sarah Palin.
He does appear compromised doesn’t he?
” Is Romney a Candidate or a corpse ? “ ( M. Savage - 8/7/2012 ) . Agree with this sentiment . If Romney picks a snoozer / RINO for VP he will confirm my longtime suspicion that the fix has been in for quite some time .
Pretty and a complete empty suit.
The fix was in, his VP choice won’t change that.
STOP IT STOP IT STOP IT!! We need good people in congress VP is a job once called not worth warm spit; Outside of Chaney or GHW Bush - name two vp before Klinton.
Pass.
Allen West for VP! What’s the problem?
Most of you have heard my thoughts on Thune 100 times before.
Hell to the no. Establishment porkmaster empty suit from a tiny safe state is one of the worst picks Romney could make.
Sarah Palin for VP!
:D
Get it over with. Pick Christie.
Crap, if you are going to pick a RINO at least pick one who gives you a chance to wn that state.
Palin’s no Rino!
RINO’s alllllways pick RINO’s —the only exception was when the red-faced screamer picked Sarah.
Hair-helmet is determined to be conventional, and terminally so.
Why can’t ALL idiots make gajillions? Then I’d be set, just like hair-helmet.
For awhile, I’ve been predicting that Mitt’s choice for VP will be a RINO! Too many RINOS are for amnesty for illegal immigrants! How is the U.S. not finished with, either, Barack Obama, or Mitt Romney as POTUS?
No offense intended, but WHO???
Also, we need to energize people which is why I think someone like Allen West, someone able to really fight back is ESSENTIAL to Romney’s campaign. As much as I like and respect Sarah Palin, we’ve already “been there done that”, and unfortunately the Libs damaged her with their sickening rhetoric as McCain tied her hands behind her back when she should have gone with her instincts and fought back then... I’m ready and willing to fight for her again, if for some reason Romney DOES pick her, but I doubt that’s going to happen...
I like Thune and donated in his first Senate attempt, but he doesn’t add any popular votes from a swing state, or a significant constituency.
I think the stealth choice would be Gen. Petraeus.
Obama team can’t criticize him, because they kept and endorsed him.
The fact the dems can’t fire at him, may be worth more than swing states or voting blocks.
If those 2 considerations reign, then the only choice is Rubio.
Aint it true, and he showed so much promise early on.
I agree that Thune would put people to sleep. On the other
hand Pawlenty and Portman would put folks in a coma.
They all do, until the DC Glitz and want to be liked in the Cocktail party circles, not counting Lobbyist, get a hold of them.
He would be ok I guess. I don't see any grand advantage of picking him though. While I think SD would get another R senator, if you are going to go white bread, Romney should just go with Pawlenty. Keep Thune in the Senate, Minnesota is bigger and may Pawlenty may help in MN, IA, and WI.
Didn’t say she was.
My misunderstanding.
:D
Romney is stuck at dead center. This might move the poll needle: I think that Romney should SEAL his Federal and State Tax Records when he announces who his Veep will be.
That would give The Media a double surprise with maximum Media audience.
Romney’s got to choose someone Thuner or later.
Thune is a big squish. He was the perfect Bush Republican and he will make a perfect Romney Republican, whether he is picked to run with the most liberal governor in history or not.
Romney-Thune doesn’t sound (literally) like a winning ticket to me.
“Outside of Chaney or GHW Bush - name two vp before Klinton.”
Lessee - from memory *, Truman, **, Nixon, Johnson, Humphrey, Agnew, Ford, Rockefeller, Mondale, then we get to GHW Bush.
I’m forgetting two names thatour kids just studied for the 4th of July and will have to look them up. Here they are:
* Henry Wallace - 2nd term VP under FDR was too far left for Roosevelt’s 3rd run and had pro-Soviet leanings which he later repudiated
**Alben Barkley - his grandson coined the term VEEP. Returned to Senate after truman’s term, and died while giving a speech....
Quayle
That was to easy, was going to say same thing, as probably hundreds of others as well, you beat us to the punch...good on you
Thune will not be picked but he would pout if he wasn't mentioned at all.
Condi was never going to be picked but they needed her to prove they seriously considered a woman.
At least that's my read. Hard to understand Mitt sometimes.
Picking Thune would make me wonder what is wrong with Romney that he can’t get somebody who is well-known, from a state with a lot of electoral votes, to run with him? It would be like he had been turned down over and over until he finally got a date for the prom.
Romney-Thune doesn?t sound (literally) like a winning ticket to me.
___________________________
That’s what I said about Obana-Biden.
:>(
Richard Nixon, Lyndon B. Johnson, Spiro Agnew and Gerald Ford. Ha! I named four.
Does anyone else suspect that Romney is doing everything he can to avoid picking a Tea Party candidate who can help him win?
It is so obvious to us, it must be to them, as well.
Allen West would be the wise choice and for the following reasons:
1) He’s a REP from FLORiDUH - a huge swing state for the election.
2) He’s a bright, smart, conservative and he articulates the right views very well.
3) He’s a MILITARY man.
4) He would give the African American community an alternative to Obummer - yes, I know its the VEEP position, but still on the ticket no less...
I disagree. No upside to picking Thune.
Portman? Might as well pick a cigar store Indian. Same personality.
On the plus side, from reading the comments on this thread, it looks like freepers are FINALLY starting to sour on empty-suit pretty boy Thune (took them long enough), or at least his fan club hasn't discovered this thread yet. I got really tired of them telling us how he deserves a promotion because he beat a Democrat 8 years ago and looks physically attractive.
Gotta love how Thune's fan club (and conversely, the Chris Christie haters) break their OWN rules about how "RINOs are acceptable in BLUE states... we should focus on making sure our Republicans in RED states are loyal, solid conservatives... blah blah blah"
Now that’s worth repeating!
If you mean by go-along, get-along, I suppose so.
>> affable <<
As long as he's fed his daily diet of pork. Take away his precious pork and he'd drive over his own mother to get the upper hand.
>> and an asset in some key Midwestern states, especially Iowa. <<
I disagree. I don't think his presence on the ticket affects a single electoral vote. I really don't think the midwest is the kind of area inclined to vote as a bloc for someone because he's from their region. If he's a "favorite son" running in his "home state", then yes (not that this will matter in South Dakota), but I don't think Wisconsin, Michigan, Iowa, Missouri, Ohio, etc. give a cr@p that a guy from South Dakota is on the ticket or not.
Just kill me now.
As for me, if Rubio, Jindal, or any other person with similar heritage factors is selected all the case/arguments against Obama’s eligibility gets thrown under the buss or out the window. Surly there are choices that avoid such a folly. Lt. Col. West is such a choice for me.
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