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.
Presidents approve congressional spending, mightily influence congressional spending and have the biggest bully pulpit out there communicating with the electorate, who influence congressional spending.
Romney will have NONE of that! He spent years and millions attacking competence. And his governorship proved his contempt for American values. He's called Barry lite for a reason and not ONLY because mitt is the grandfather of obamacare - he nurses his own little socialistic Romneycare!
“Choosing Portman would be all about winning Ohio. And finding someone who would not out-charisma Myth. For my money they’d be better off focusing on Florida, bringing on Rubio, and letting the charisma issue go.”
Negatory on that.
Portman is the better choice because Ohio will be a “more difficult win” for Romney than Florida. Romney needs both states to win, but Florida can probably be coaxed to the Republican side without the benefit of a native son on the ticket. Ohio is more problematic, and without Ohio, Romney hasn’t a prayer to win.
Also, there is a VERY good reason why Portman is the better choice than Rubio. It’s a matter of hot contention, but Rubio’s Constitutional qualifications to be president are questionable and will be attacked by the ‘rats and by the media. And… there are many conservatives who are of the opinion that, regardless of his smooth external appearance, Rubio isn’t really very “conservative” at all, and is an amnesty suppporter in his heart.
My opinion only, yours is different. But I sense that in the future, Rubio is going to be just one more disappointment to the conservative cause.
another RINO?
where is he on homosexual based marriage? if he support it then he is out.
Does he oppose the federal marriage amendment? if not then he is out.
This UN small arms anti-second amendment treaty?
Obamatax?
Portman is not even on the f-list let alone the a-list.
he might win Ohio but at what price? it might be a pyric victory.
I can't imagine a single Ohioan who wouldn't have voted for Romney suddenly getting excited enough about Portman to pull the lever for the pair of them.
Good point.
Yes, truly the Stupid Party, but Mitt could do worse. I shudder to think of the RINOs he might choose!
Well she certainly looks excited to be standing next to Hillary.
And vice-versa...
I can see the banners now:
ROMNEYCANOE AND PORTMAN TOO!
Is anyone surprised?
So, all of the soldiers, sailors and airmen who thought Patton and Marshall were superior leaders over Eisenhower should have gone AWOL instead of fighting the Nazis when Eisenhower was named Supreme Allied Commander in Europe?
You are talking about men who loved and served our country, I’m talking about a man with NO military background but sought out four draft deferments, and his 5 boys and none have served and neither did his father.
They TAKE from America and all she has to offer has done NOTHING FOR America. Patriotism is zippo w/the Romney’s w/their appearance of “that’s someone else’s job they do FOR THEM.” Bunch of faggots!
If you believe that serving in the military is the only way to serve your country then you are beyond hope.
The primaries are over. The forces of conservatism could not produce a candidate that could beat Romney. Now, there is only one practical and legal way to remove Obama from office and that is to elect Romney. Period.
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