Posted on 07/05/2012 9:33:47 AM PDT by SharpRightTurn
Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney’s search for a running mate is allegedly entering its final phase, and establishment Republican Ohio Senator Rob Portman is believed to be at the top of the list. Portman has campaigned repeatedly with Romney, and he is flying to New Hampshire this week — where the Romney family is vacationing — to appear at a Republican fund-raiser.
Portman continues to garner plaudits from the establishment media, but most importantly, he is the clear favorite of many establishment Republican insiders.
As The New York Times observed, “he [Portman] is among a select breed of politicians who have a keen and deep understanding of the inner workings of government.” And to the big government Republicans who were Portman’s colleagues in the George W. Bush administration and the House under Speaker Dennis Hastert, this makes him not just a safe choice, but the best choice.
Portman, who was elected to the Senate in 2010 after representing the Cincinnati area in the House for 12 years, has been around Washington for some 30 years. He may be unknown to many Republicans across the country, but in Washington -- where he worked in both Bush administrations -- he is the ultimate insider. He's also the ultimate Bush Republican.
In addition to working in both Bush administrations, Portman campaigned hard for George W. Bush in 2000, dogging Senator John McCain across Ohio, crashing McCain campaign events and contributing mightily to W’s victory in Ohio.
As the Budget Director of the George W. Bush administration, Portman became an acknowledged expert on the federal budget. Indeed, as a newly elected senator, Portman pulled out his own charts and graphs on the Senate floor to analyze the nation’s rising deficits and its then-debt of $15 trillion.
But Portman’s problem on spending is not his knowledge of the budget, it is his failure to actually do anything to end the deficits and debt that are destroying the American dream we just celebrated on the 4th of July.
Portman, like many establishment Republicans, comes across as a basically conservative Main Street Ohio politician -- but he’s no Bob Taft.
If Republicans want to defeat President Obama, and in the process get America off the road to economic disaster, they must reject the big government Republicanism that led the Republican Party to its defeats in 2006 and 2010.
Mitt Romney claims that he is a Washington outsider who was not part of those Republican disasters. If that’s true, he will certainly choose a conservative “boat rocker” like Marco Rubio, Bobby Jindal or Jim DeMint, not the chief architect of George W. Bush’s budget deficit disasters.
Irrelevant, since Obama's likely to eliminate the military altogether.
I completely agree. But Wisconsin is not as critical as Florida or Ohio.
Has Romney Already Chosen Orange Juice for Breakfast?
I recently read the new biography of Eisenhower by Jean Edward Smith. I think the experience of being a general in the U.S. military lends itself well to the presidency. Especially in Petraeus' case, as like Eisenhower, he had to manage a coalition of allies during a period of war, not to mention all the internal politics of being that high up the command structure. Leadership, ability to delegate and to choose the right people that can get the job done are all abilities we desperately need in the White House right now.
Presidents and Vice Presidents do not spend the people’s money — Congress does. This is why I would prefer that Ryan stay in the House and eventually replace Boehner.
The world began to tip over when Pelosi and Reid assumed control of Congress and Bush failed to veto everything they did.
Before he started the "competence" crap, he was up by 17.
People want to be led, not managed. This is the reason Romney was such a poor choice.
It's also the reson he won't pick a leader as VP - might show him up.
Yes.
If Romney wants to win in the next election, and he is not playing around. He will pick Allen West, it is time to get serious about getting this person out of office. Or we will pay for a life time. Along with our sons and daughters.
JBH wecan
Or she has a thing for Hillary.
Well, there's one thing thing in his favor.
How about “Competent Leadership (for a change...)”
And, Dukakis could use any campaign theme in the world and people would still laugh at his “Tank Commander” photo op.
No Senators please, establishment, conservative, or otherwise.
To me the best choice is Jindal. Executive experience, worked on healthcare, young, ethnic, superb academic credentials, pro-life.
The modern president isn’t simply a manager. He’s a partisan who should be leading both popular opinion and Congress on policy. And if he (or she) doesn’t have a strong small-government orientation, the vested-interest establishment will steamroll right over him with ever greater federal government spending and centralization.
The idea that the VP candidate can help carry his/her home state is overrated. Hell, Romney won’t carry MA.
Jindal and Rubio are my first choices as well, however they are both too bright and energetic to hold the dismal job of VP. I think their talents would be wasted as VP.
Romney has said that what it takes to turn this economy around might mean he is a one term president which doesn’t make the VP spot all that inviting. I think Rubio in his many denials realizes this.
If Romney is destined to be a one term president then maybe he should pick a Portman or a Christie or a Pawlenty to go down with him.
I think Romney realizes if he is elected it will be due to a massive anyone but Ubama vote, and it probably won’t matter who he selects for VP.
And someone who absolutely shines as a leader during a crisis. He's not exactly firewall conservative on every single issue, but he's definitely sharp.
And re: Jindal... those who view him negatively based on that flop of a speech he gave after Obama's faux-SOTU in early '09... remember, damn near 75% of the country had gone all Chrissy Matthews for Obama by that point, and any frontal attack on him would've come off badly. Jindal did as well as could be expected with a difficult situation.
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