Posted on 06/04/2007 8:54:37 AM PDT by TheNewPundit
Now that Thompson has wrapped up the GOP nomination, the question on everyone's mind is who he will pick to be his running mate. I know we are still months away from the primaries. I am also aware that Fred hasn't actually announced his bid. But let's be honest, he is going to run and he is going to win. He is the most popular Republican in the race, despite the fact he isn't officially in the race.
The Presidential race is more about popularity than politics. Why do you think the two current front-runners are also the most liberal? Rudy and McCain are popular because of their past. The other candidates don't have the same history. Romney is doing well because he knows marketing, or someone on his team knows marketing. But the rest of the candidates, despite their conservative values, have very low poll numbers. Just don't tell the Ron Paul "truthers" that I said that. Internet polls that allow you to vote 100 times don't count, ok.
Fred is popular, mostly because of his time on the television, which interestingly enough started when he played himself. This led to some great movie rolls, and of course his current roll as a conservative prosecutor. All of this has increased his popularity amongst conservatives and has made him a favorite with conservative pundits and blogs. Some trivia for you, part of his inspiration to run was Dick Wolf, the guy who put together the many Law and Order shows.
So, again, now that he has this thing wrapped up, who will he pick as his running mate? We have seen in the past where the candidate picks a former foe from the primaries. There is some speculation that Fred will pick one of the current candidates. Steve Elliott of grassfire.org is expecting a younger governor, thinking that two senators won't play well in the fight against Barack O'Clinton. This is a very good point, especially given the recent record for senators against governors in the presidential race.
I won't speculate myself, but I will tell you what to look for. Look for polls, transformed into pairing people up with running mates. An example: Would you vote for Hillary/Obama or Thompson/Romney or Thompson/Tancredo?
Fred is running because fictional polls that included himself and Newt put the both of them well above other candidates. Fred played this so that he would know whether or not to actually run. He wanted to be certain that the people were tired of the front-running RINOs. And we are tired of them. Fred will find out who makes the best ticket, and he will start this process very soon.
I'm not sure that he can win it all right now. Republicans are very angry, mostly about amnesty, I mean "Comprehensive Immigration Reform"; I mean amnesty. I don't know if this can be saved, but with his popularity, maybe he is the guy who can do it. The pick for VP will play a very important factor here. The democrats will do the same, we could even see another Clinton/Gore ticket believe it or not. My guess is that it will be Clinton/Obama.
Don't screw it up Fred, the country can't afford it right now.
The obvious pick would be Romney. He has all the strengths of Pence plus geographic diversity, but lacks the solid conservative credentials. He would offer Thompson a fundraising dynamo with a great campaign organization heading into the general election. Thompson offers him an opportunity to burnish his conservative credentials in a high-profile position before going for the top job.
You make a good point about Rice and Iraq.
I’ve not got much info on Campbell: is he pro-open border, pro-abortion, or pro-gun control?
None of those positions will fly, even for a moderate.
None of the candidates who have currently declared for President.
I think it is such a close connection that it would be a hard sell to the rest of the country though.
I think that with California having the largest number of electoral votes that the most obvious choice is Hunter.
The gonzo twist transposition of the Hunter S. Thompson name would be too delicious for even some conspiracy moon-bat nut-job wackos to resist.
I can’t quarrel with you in that respect, and you may be right. It may change in the next year, but probably not.
Bret Schundler
J.C Watt.....articulate, bright and black...and very likable. Just a great person to be around...
I never heard of him, but after doing some research I actually think he would be a good choice. Some would question his working with Gary Hart, but I think that was a good thing. First it made him see the light. Second he knows the workings of the Democratic Party which could be an asset. Plus it was over 20 years ago. I think he would be GREAT! Plus a nice family too.
Schundler is one of the evangelical like converts from the Dem party, ( I remember George Will I believe writing an article about him calling him the heir to Reagan).
I have a new name for the FredHeads:
The Dalton Gang! We can wear black hats and infuriate liberals.
East coast West coast balance
Thompson can win, Hunter just doesn't have the numbers, yet.
Eight years as VP and Hunter can easly win the Presidency.
We need sixteen years to get this country back on track / clean up the mess.
He brings to mind the indomitable cowboy spirit of Bill Pickett and the no nonsense common sense of Will Rogers. My Great Grandmother called it "Mother wit."
If this were the Feast of Lupercal, I'd certainly give J.C. a VP's laurel wreath.
Dr. Tom Coburn. Duncan Hunter Secretary of Defense.
NO!,,,I wanna know NOW! 8-) heh heh heh
I agree with Non-Sequitur. It won’t be any of the currently declared (or undeclared in Newt’s case) GOP candidates. Presidential nominees, Republicans anyway, rarely choose a running mate from the list of their primary opponents - those guys get cabinet jobs.
I think Fred will choose someone who is Black simply because Hillary is likely to pick Obama.
That narrows the field:
Condi: Dr. Rice doesn’t want to be president, so she would want to be vice president even less.
J.C.: Former Rep. Watts has mentioned that holding elective office has left a bad taste in his mouth. In addition, the Dems would use his fathering of a child out of wedlock to smear the ticket.
Ken: Blackwell’s service as Ohio’s Sec’y of State was controversial. Although the courts eventually rlued in hius favor, he is viewed as a polarizing figure, not a uniting one. This will be critical in the 2008 general election. So I think Blackwell would hurt the ticket more than help it.
Steele: From a northern blue state and with executive experience, former Lt. Gov. Michael Steele would balance the ticket in several ways. He’s a Catholic who studied for the priesthood, which wouldn’t hurt Protestant Fred at all. He’s a conservative who possesses good communication and oratorial skills, which would help Fred get the conservative message out to non-conservatives in a non-threatening way. Steele is only 49 years old, much younger than Fred.
Steele has good private-sector bonafides. He worked as a corporate securities associate attorney at the Washington, D.C. office of Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen & Hamilton. From 1991 to 1997, Steele specialized in financial investments for Wall Street underwriters, working at Cleary’s Tokyo office focusing on major product liability litigation and at its London office on corporate matters. He has small-biz props also, leaving the law firm and founding the Steele Group, a business and legal consulting firm. He’s signed some paychecks.
He’s got political savvy also. Steele began as chairman of the Prince George’s County Republican Central Committee. In 1995, the Maryland Republican Party selected him as Maryland State Republican Man of the Year. He worked on several political campaigns, was an Alternate Delegate to the 1996 Republican National Convention in San Diego and a Delegate to the 2000 Republican National Convention. In December 2000, Steele was elected chairman of the Maryland Republican Party, becoming the first African American ever to be elected chairman of any state Republican Party. At the 2004 Republican National Convention, Steele got the delegates roockin’ with his “But not John Kerry” speech:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A50477-2004Aug31.html
Steele’s most prominent efforts as Lt. Governor were reforming Maryland’s Minority Business Enterprise program and chairing Governor Ehrlich’s Commission on Quality Education in Maryland. He endured criticism for supporting the death penalty in Maryland despite racial inequities in its administration.
A Thompson - Steele ticket would be a formidable one, IMO.
Hear, hear!
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