I wonder if he can put New York and New Jersey into play. Even if he does not win them if he can be competitive it would force Hillary to divert a lot of resources in what should have been safe states.
I don’t know if he can win them, but he can put them into play. And time and money Hillary has to spend defending blue territory is time and money she doesn’t have to compete in purple territory.
If he picks Scott Walker he can put Wisconsin in play, that would be a big help.
Not to mention the value of flipping a few congressional and state seats here and there. I believe ~7 of the 29 seats in NY in 2008 went to the Dem column by less than 5%, while Obama won 63% of the popular vote in the state. Just a small % swing across even the bluest of states can mean dozens of additional Rep reps in the new Congress.
Trump has presented a very nuanced message. He says he is conservative, but he’s saying he’s not necessarily “A Conservative”. This could open the door for him for New York and New Jersey.