Posted on 07/27/2012 9:57:10 AM PDT by Free ThinkerNY
Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell has emerged as one of three Republican officeholders who political handicappers say have the most potential to unify the party and boost the fortunes of GOP standard-bearer Mitt Romney as a running mate in November.
While Mr. Romney has revealed little about his vice-presidential search, Mr. McDonnell, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio are widely seen as reliable economic and social conservatives at a time when the party faces the possibility of factional divisions heading into next month’s convention in Tampa, Fla.
The Virginia governor, experienced analysts note, is a staunchly pro-life Catholic with a fiscally conservative reputation and no known opposition among evangelicals, whose votes have been vital to GOP electoral success and many of whom are skeptical about Mr. Romney’s Mormon religion.
The Virginia governor is considered a competent, and at times engaging, speaker not likely to upstage Mr. Romney — unlike, say, more charismatic figures such as Mr. Rubio or New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
I like what I’ve seen of McDonnell.
Probably a good pick.
Virgina is a must win and McDonnell would play well in the mid-west battleground states of WI, IA and CO.
Rubio is a good pick but FL is probably already a Red State and I’m not sure he could move NM and NV to the Red Side.
That will probably guarantee the loss of well over 100,000 Conservative Republican votes to Virgil Goode ~ and that will probably swing Virginia to the Obama column again.
Romney’s obvious choice, IMHO.
I think McDonnell would be a great pick. He can’t run for governor again, he’s a true conservative, and he can help in Virginia, which Obama is trying to steal. Overall, he’s the best of the lot.
Agreed... and McDonnell has become extremely unpopular here in Hampton Roads with his tollbooths.
My guess is that if McDonnell had chosen to run for President he would have carried Virginia in the primary. So conservative Republicans are supposed to be so angry over not having a chance to vote for Gingrich or Santorum in the spring that they would help Obama get four more years even with a governor they like as the VP nominee? Maybe some will but I doubt it will be 100,000.
Goode's main hope of making an impact is if the Obama campaign funnels money to his campaign.
Obama and Biden will have a field day with these monster middle class tax hikes. Keep in mind these are existing toll free roads and there are no plans to reduce the gas tax to offset these hikes. http://hamptonroads.com/2012/03/virginia-helping-hampton-roads-road-needs
I’m not from Virginia and so cannot criticize those Virginia FReepers who seem to look askance at Governor Bob McDonnell as Romney’s possible VP pick. However, unless McDonnell has some huge skeleton in his closet, his record looks firmly conservative and he seems a reasonable choice. His state being crucial in the election simply gives him an extra bit of an edge. I still like Rubio or Jindal but could support McDonnell, too. I’m sure he could make mincemeat out of Joe Biden in a debate. Then again, who couldn’t?
If the choice comes down to Obama/Biden vs. Romney/McDonnell, it would be the first time that neither major ticket had a mainstream Protestant on it.
And he's there every Sunday. He attends the same church that my daughter does.
Bolling also changed the cut off just a couple of days before the turn-in date.
BTW, none of you guys can prove Romney actually qualified either!
Without the Mittbot nonsense we'd had a regular primary with a lot of candidates, and they would have each gotten more votes than Romney. No one can forget Mitt's pitiful 18,000 votes in the 2008 primary ~ the dude is simply remarkably unpopular in Virginia.
Picking McDonnell will undoubtedly give Democrat crossover voters pause ~ but fur shur it will drive off real Conservative voters.
Good is very popular in the Richmond and Charlottesville areas, where he provided congressional representation for 20+ years and is polling around 10% statewide, a gap Romney has to make up. McDonnell has ruined himself in Hampton Roads (see above example), which is the state’s 2nd largest metro area besides Washington, which will go for Obama. Romney will not carry Virginia if he picks McDonnell because he will need to carry Hampton Roads by a wide margin to make up for Goode being in the race.
And he believes in none of it ~ else he wouldn’t be a Mittbot.
Does not compute.
He’d be a bad pick, but a pick I could see Romney making.
His antediluvian college thesis or whatever it was shows if anything Romney will get it all wrong while supposedly catering to the moderate/independent vote:
McDonnell is someone who would scare moderates on social issue—which is where such voters get scared.
Actually, McDonnell will give that Fluke gal another run at fame.
Who are you to judge what is in a man’s heart and soul?
VA - where Newt was kept off the ballot.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.