Replies

Santorum, iirc, was runner-up to Romney last time around, and he did it on a shoestring budget.

Honestly, though, Rubio keeps the republicans on their same path to victory through Florida and Ohio.

Pennsylvania, though, is intriguing and would change the game. VPs, in my opinion, should be chosen on the basis of demographics gained or electoral votes gained. Ideally, that would also include ideological purity, but that’s not always the case as with Reagan/Bush.

The idea is to WIN.

This time around, I’m not being diverted from that focus. That’s not to say you’re wrong about Rubio, but when I look across the spectrum of those who would make good VP mates, AND bring either a demographic OR a state that ALREADY isn’t in play OR that is Purple, then Rubio is in there, but so is Santorum. Huckabee not so much, although Arkansas could be in play due to the Clinton machine in that state.

Cruz: Texas is a very red, Hispanics
**Rubio: Florida a purple state, Hispanics
*Fiorina: California is a deep blue state, Females
Bush: Florida is Purple, Amnesty pimps
*Kasich: Ohio is Purple, Intellectual WASP nerds
Paul: Kentucky is very Red, Libertarian white guys
**Carson: Maryland, Michigan; Blacks
*Santorum: Pennsylvania is light blue; Italian Catholics
Gilmore: Virginia is purple; WASPs
Christie: New Jersey is light blue; Homosexual advocates
*Huckabee: Arkansas is light red; Evangelicals

Asterisks designate those with VP potential as we measure the drapes a bit too early

I like Santorum as a person and he was on fire in the last candidate election cycle! It is too bad his campaign ran out of money and oxygen before he had the chance to run against Romney in Pennsylvania just to prove he could take a state in the northeast Esp the state where he was defeated for the Senate

I just don't see any energy now in Santorum, I think his ship sailed
His political career is stale and he will always be tied to Arlen Specter and K street to lukewarm bucket of spit conservatives

Trump needs a VP who is NOT an outsider and who has some creds as a political leader. Marco is a young inexperienced weak and flawed man but I think he could fill a Trump ticket by ticking off the “ successfully elected” politician’ box , the youth box, the ‘ state with a big electoral vote’ box, the ethnic minority box, and the “ charisma” box ( yes a pretty face makes a difference, esp when juxtaposed with Sanders or Cankles)

>> Pennsylvania, though, is intriguing and would change the game <<

Kasich was born in PA and keeps in touch with the Steelers fans. He’s a much stronger bet for carrying PA than is Santorum — not to mention the fact that Kasich is very popular among independents and Dhims in Ohio. So I think he’ll be high on Trump’s list of potential running mates.