Rudy's a natural choice and a good one. But Pataki? Why not showcase our younger guys like Santorum et al?
I think the key for Bush/Rove, from this convention, is to not give any of the WhiffleBalls, CrossDressers, and Larry Queen Live talk shows any fodder to hammer the GOP on.
Parading very popular moderates like Guiliani and Arnold out there is the best way to achieve this. Arnold has some baggage, but everybody is sick of that.
It's not going to affect the conservative base like some people think it will.
By the time November comes around, social conservatives won't be holding their nose saying, "I'm not voting today because Arnold was at the convention". That will be long and forgotten by social conservatives who are smart enough to know that it's extremely important to keep the #1 and #4 Senate liberals out of the White House.
The grassroots campaign organized by Rove and the GOP has been extraordinary. No real social conservative is going to be staying home Nov. 2nd out of spite. Trust me.
Pataki is the governor of the state that the convention is being held in; it's SOP.