ERIC ( DAVID ) CANTOR slay the MSM, Liberal, Democrat giant.Posted on 08/26/2008 2:17:50 PM PDT by MeanWestTexan
John McCain is set to make his vice presidential announcement within the next three to four days. Names speculated to be on his short list includes Mitt Romney, Tim Pawlenty, Tom Ridge, Joe Lieberman, and Congressman Eric Cantor. Most pro-life conservatives want Ridge and Lieberman removed from the list because they favor abortion rights. If McCain wants to keep social conservatives content, he'll have to choose either Romney, Pawlenty, or Cantor.
McCain has two crucial considerations to make before choosing a running mate. Could that running mate attack his counterparts with the same gusto as Joe Biden? The other consideration is whether his vice presidential pick would hinder his chances of winning on election day.
Let us first examine how each of those three match up against Biden. Romney has the invaluable experience of running a national campaign and participating in over a dozen debates. He knows the issues like the back of his hand and few things could stump him at this stage. He has also proven that he can go negative when necessary. In fact, Romney is so used to going negative that a slugfest with Biden might be right up his alley. Romney speaks with a high degree of confidence and is virtually impossible to ruffle. Tim Pawlenty, on the other hand, appears to be a bit green. He even struggled in a debate with Evan Bayh on an August 17th edition of Face the Nation. If a slow witted snooze like Bayh can give him trouble, a polished attack dog like Joe Biden could eat him for lunch.
Eric Cantor is a relentless and confident debater. He has proven during his interviews with Chris Matthews, Laura Ingraham, and CNN's John Roberts that he can masterfully defend conservative positions without even blinking an eye. He can also effectively attack his opponents when prompted. Cantor would be a thorn in the Obama Campaign's side.
In regards to who would do the least amount of damage to the ticket, Pawlenty and Cantor seem to hold an advantage over Romney with little elaboration necessary. Mitt Romney has the reputation of being a flip-flopper. His pro-choice positions of yesteryear are still bothersome to Evangelicals. Romney is also a Mormon. And even though this is the 21st century, Romney's religious faith is still problematic for many voters. It is unfortunate because Romney is immanently qualified to be president.
Pawlenty and Cantor would be inoffensive selections for McCain. Tim Pawlenty is an Evangelical Christian and Eric Cantor is Jewish. Both of them are pro-life. Eric Cantor's voting record in Congress earned him a 100% rating from the National Right to Life Committee and a 0% rating from NARAL.
For those keeping score, Eric Cantor fared well in both categories. Pawlenty and Romney presented problems for McCain.
Does that mean that Cantor is the best choice? It's tough to tell. Romney has credibility in economics during a time when the economy is a central issue. A McCain-Romney ticket brings with it expertise in foreign relations and economics. But McCain also can't ignore that Cantor has experience in business. Along with his law degree, Cantor holds a masters degree in real estate development. He also did work for several years in his family's business. Such experience gives him first hand insight into the small business world. Along with his credentials in economics, he also proposed the Middle Class Jobs Protection Act earlier this year. So while Romney would help McCain win over voters who have concerns over the economy, Cantor's experience might also attract the same voters.
A Romney selection would give McCain a chance to win Michigan, but a Cantor selection could put Virginia in the McCain column. Pawlenty, though an inoffensive choice, would still not be able to deliver Minnesota to the Republicans.
Out of the three candidates previously discussed, Cantor is probably the lowest on McCain's list. Romney is heavily favored to be McCain's running mate. But don't count out Cantor. He's a viable alternative to Romney.
Cantor, 3 new articles in 10 minutes!
What’s that I see on the horizon?
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
Ah, wouldn't a better consideration be whether his pick would help his chances of winning?
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
Cantor doesn’t have any baggage from the 2008 primaries. IMO he would be satisfactory to a very large swath of the GOP while alientating very little.
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
ERIC ( DAVID ) CANTOR slay the MSM, Liberal, Democrat giant.Hmm....it's getting interesting! :-)
Victory for Conservatives?
Well, if people are worried about someone like Palin not having enough experience I don’t see how Cantor is a step up in that department.
I still favor Palin, she would be a much better asset in the campaign.
And though I supported Romney in the primary, I would rather McCain pick someone who will command attention in a “getting-to-know-you” type of deal. Nobody wants to know anything else about Romney. People would be interested in learning about a Palin, Jindal, etc.
Comments like yours make my blood boil. Since when are conservatives looking at someone based on factors other than how well he or she can do the job? Why should someone be vetoed as a prospective running mate for McCain simply because he was born to a white Christian family?
My only problem with Cantor is the lack of a varied ticket. Two lawmakers already make up the Democratic ticket. Where is the executive experience?
Second, what does Cantor bring to the electoral table? Jewish voters? Doubtful. Women? Probably not. Being conservative is great, but being conservative on a ticket that loses is useless.
From the set of qualified people, choose the one most likely to help win the election. It's like looking for geographical balance on the ticket.
Cantor will bring this campaign the enthusiasm our side is truly lacking. If the race was a dead heat before, imagine if McCain gave us a running mate we could get excited about.
Here’s a game. Put yourself in the shoes of a Democrat and find ways to attack Romney. Easy (old, flip flopper, rich white guy, health care plan similar to Obama’s, creepy). No do the same for Pawlenty (boring, horrible debator). Now Cantor. (crickets chirping)
...Eric Cantor is a relentless and confident debater. He has proven during his interviews with Chris Matthews, Laura Ingraham, and CNN’s John Roberts that he can masterfully defend conservative positions without even blinking an eye. He can also effectively attack his opponents when prompted. Cantor would be a thorn in the Obama Campaign’s side.....
Pawlenty and Cantor would be inoffensive selections for McCain. Tim Pawlenty is an Evangelical Christian and Eric Cantor is Jewish. Both of them are pro-life. Eric Cantor’s voting record in Congress earned him a 100% rating from the National Right to Life Committee and a 0% rating from NARAL.....
ERIC CANTOR!!!
I think it may well be Cantor. All of the other trial balloons that have been floated have been greeted with negative reaction by various factions within the party. The only negative reaction to Cantor has been that he’s relatively unknown. That problem will be solved once he’s nominated.
I agree. Palin or Cantor. We need young, dynamic conservatives who embrace all three legs of the conservative stool. Because of Palins persoanl story she would energize pro life youth like nobody has ever done before.
Cantor is also young, dynamic, pro life and exceptionally bright.
I'm with you here. Go bold!
I guess I don’t get what there is to be excited about Cantor.
What I’ve seen of him is ... b o r i n g.
I think there are plenty of people out there able to get Conservatives excited (and I think McCain is actually doing a good job if this now anyway).
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