Romney the best GOP VP pick?

There's more than one big drawback. I can think of 3 others:

1. He brings no geographical leverage. No New England states are in play for McCain. Maybe NH if both of them were on the ticket, but the payoff there is not great.

2. He turned off many Republicans with his flipping and flopping. Nobody knows what he really believes, probably least of all him.

3. The Mormon thing is still baggage. Huge chunk of the population is wierded out by it.

Tim Pawlenty is the man. None of the above baggage, and all of Romney's strengths (and then some).

Romney is the better choice I do agree but, only as an economic covservative, this as opposed to Huckabee's overwhelming pull with the social wing of the party. Right now the convservatives have no other choice but to choose Huckabee. If for no other reason the right allowed a contest for it's party's nomination to occur for as long as it did to stir up the evangelic vote. Would it even make sense for some candidate other than the one who got the MOST FACE TIME AT THE END of the election who can garner the most born again votes to NOT be the candidate? if the right honestly believes it an win an election against an Obama or a Clinton by handicapping itself by excluding the candidate for VP who kept people voting for him in the primary with no actual chance of winning the Presidential Nomination, then they are voting in strict conservative priniple and not seeing their party have the best chance of winning.

Mark, don't look now but no one flip-flopped more in this entire cycle than John McCain: against tax cuts, now for them; for amnesty, now against it just to hit the two biggest issues of the election, illegal immigration and the economy. It's insulting to hear the Romney flip-flop blast since it's based solely on his change from pro-choice to pro-life, which, point in fact, isn't a flip-flop at all since you must go from A to B and back to A again to be a flip-flopper. Plus, the entire basis of the whole debate over Roe v. Wade, the point of it is to convert people. If you reject converts, then why bother with the argument in the first place?

Moreover, if changes of positions are such biohazard, then there's no way Reagan would've been elected as he too was a pro-life convert, once a democrat, did in fact raise some taxes, and appointed two awful and liberal supreme court justices.

I would not necessarily prefer a Romney Vice Presidency and am strictly arguing from the point of principle of defending a record from a media-generated charge devoid of truth or intellectual honesty or accuracy. And full disclosure I dislike McCain and am still trying to conjure up a scenario where I think I could actually vote for him. Having Romney on the ticket would probably FLIP me from How can I vote for McCain to How can I vote against this ticket? McCain, wrongfully but it's what people think, can be the supposed ace on foreign policy in a dangerous world while Romney could exercise is economic expertise and handle domestic issues.

However, I don't want Romney on a losing ticket, and I'm bound to think any McCain ticket is a loser in this election, and probably any election since he's such a typical politician and one who has earned his place by terrorizing his own party. But in any event, there is some validity to the cons you attribute to Romney, but the flip flop label needs to be left out since it really just paints you as either ignorant or a complicit and willing hack and hater.

Romney is the better choice I do agree but, only as an economic covservative, this as opposed to Huckabee's overwhelming pull with the social wing of the party. Right now the convservatives have no other choice but to choose Huckabee. If for no other reason the right allowed a contest for it's party's nomination to occur for as long as it did to stir up the evangelic vote. Would it even make sense for some candidate other than the one who got the MOST FACE TIME AT THE END of the election who can garner the most born again votes to NOT be the candidate? if the right honestly believes it an win an election against an Obama or a Clinton by handicapping itself by excluding the candidate for VP who kept people voting for him in the primary with no actual chance of winning the Presidential Nomination, then they are voting in strict conservative priniple and not seeing their party have the best chance of winning.

Romney is the better choice I do agree but, only as an economic covservative, this as opposed to Huckabee's overwhelming pull with the social wing of the party. Right now the convservatives have no other choice but to choose Huckabee. If for no other reason the right allowed a contest for it's party's nomination to occur for as long as it did to stir up the evangelic vote. Would it even make sense for some candidate other than the one who got the MOST FACE TIME AT THE END of the election who can garner the most born again votes to NOT be the candidate? if the right honestly believes it an win an election against an Obama or a Clinton by handicapping itself by excluding the candidate for VP who kept people voting for him in the primary with no actual chance of winning the Presidential Nomination, then they are voting in strict conservative priniple and not seeing their party have the best chance of winning.

McCain doesn't like Romney?
Fine.
I don't like McCain.
The only way I'd support McCain is if he chooses Romney as his VP.

If McCain chooses Huckabeen as his VP he will loose the election. Huckabeen's record while Gov on illegal immigration is as bad as the Dems. Huckabeen is also guilty of a major flip-flop--first all for illegals in Arkansas and then pledging to throw them all out to get elected to the presidency.
The way Huckabigot and many of his followers treated Mormons, this would be a major liability to McCain-he would loose huge amounts of the Conservative Mormon votes.
And Huckaphony is on Judicial Watch’s list of TOP THEN MOST CORRUPT POLITICANS of 2007. Why should McCain take on this unethical charlatan? Lastly, there is animal abuse in Huckabeen's family--his son tortured a dog to death and Huckabeen didn't seem much concerned about it. McCain, having dogs, a cat, ferret, birds and fish is obviously an animal lover. Huckabeen and his family can't even come close in the mercy and compassion toward all of God’s creature's element.
Get lost Huckaphony. You fooled a lot of Evangicals, but a lot of us caught on in time, thank God!
Romney is by far the best choice for VP, but as a previous poster mentioned, I don’t want him to be on a losing ticket with McCain thereby lessening his changes for a 2012 run.

America is in trouble!

It would definetly be a plus for this country if Romeny was asked and he accepted. One thing for certain, I do NOT trust Huckabee. If ever there was a wolf in sheep's clothing.......

Ugh, Romney. Surely Mc Cain can find a better V.P.. There are many governors, congressmen and senators who have the management credentials to qualify and can bring in votes also. The primaries show that republicans prefer McCain to Romney. So why put Romney in the mix again?

Actually Pawlenty is not widely known throughout the nation, he has not stood up to national press scrutiny, and the majority of Pawlenty's state of Minnesota voted for Romney in the primaries suggesting that Pawlenty's political machine is not all that significant. No one really knows Pawlenty's positions in terms of the average voter because they have not seen him in national debates.

Yet, Huckabee has some some significant influence with the christian conservatives. Unfortunately, that segment is a minority of the GOP and Romney has still done sufficiently well among that segment of the population according to most exit polls he competed for.

Mark,

I disagree that Romney offers nothing geographically. Two of the so-called toss up states that could go for either the Republican team or the Democrat team are Nevada and Colorado. These are both states where Romney beat McCain in the primary and seemingly has strong support. Perhaps his Mormonism actually creates an advantage since both are contiguous to Utah.

Additionally, if the Republicans are to prevail in November, they must take all their stronghold states plus one of the bigger states that lean Democratic. The two leaning states with the most delegates are Ohio and Michigan and it is possible that Romney could help the team take Michigan. He did well there in the primary, he was bron there and his father was a popular governor in the 1960s. He argued quite convincingly that nobody understands or cares more about Michigan's economic woes than he does and he likely could put the state into play.

Tim Pawlenty who campaigned for McCain couldn't even deliver his home state for the guy. Minnesota went for Romney and Pawlenty is not known outside of his state so I don't see why he's even a contender aside from the fact that McCain likes him. Charlie Crist is mentioned too but he has lifestyle issues and Florida is in the "likely win" column for Republicans anyway. When one analyzes the options, Romney is not a bad choice if he'd do it.

Romney is by far the best choice for VP, but as a previous poster mentioned, Romney will not be on a losing ticket McCain thereby increasing his changes for a 2012 run. MCain needs to get over the idea he does not like Romney. With Romney's experience and knowledge we will have a winning ticket.

Romney is by far the best choice for VP, but as a previous poster mentioned, Romney will not be on a losing ticket with McCain thereby increasing his changes for a 2012 run. MCain needs to get over the idea he does not like Romney. With Romney's experience and knowledge we will have a winning ticket.

Romney is by far the best choice for VP, but as a previous poster mentioned, Romney will not be on a losing ticket with McCain thereby increasing his changes for a 2012 run. MCain needs to get over the idea he does not like Romney. With Romney's experience and knowledge we will have a winning ticket.

Romney is by far the best choice for VP, but as a previous poster mentioned, Romney will not be on a losing ticket with McCain thereby increasing his changes for a 2012 run. MCain needs to get over the idea he does not like Romney. With Romney's experience and knowledge we will have a winning ticket.

Romney would definitely be the best choice. One thing that no one is mentioning is the financial side. With the finance laws as they are no one can contribute more than roughly $2,000 dollars to a campaign: Except the Presidential and Vice-Presidential Canidate. If they were ever in a pinch that would certainly help.

Also, as mentioned earlier, Nevada, Colorado, Michigan would definitely swing Republican if Romney was on the ticket. There may even be a chance to take Massacusets.

And anyone who thinks that Huckabee was ever viable for anything needs to wake up. Huckabee was to '08 what Pat Robertson was to '88. Besides, people always talk about all of the support that he got from the Evangelicals but he could not even win South Carolina. Plus all of the southern states are going to vote republican in November anyway so Huckabee brings absolutely nothing to the table.

There is a difference between "being" in a race and "standing" in the middle of one. Huckabee was never in the race from the beginning.

I'd like to see former Governor Tom Ridge chosen as McCains VP, my home state is a swing state and would probably deliver for McCain . (if Ridge wanted it.)

Big problem with Huckabee is the whole bariatric surgery coverup thing.

I agree with many of you, if McCain picked Romney for VP, I would vote for him, but I'm not anxious for him to be on a losing ticket. Reagan changed his mind a lot more than Romney ever has and Romney didn't dump his wife for another woman, either. I think he's better, actually. :) Some of you young people playing this *flip flop* game might want to check your facts and grow up, before you vote for anyone. McCain is more inconsistent and so is Huckabee. Many evangelicals and moral conservatives are also economic conservatives and they backed Romney, fyi. He also won in states that McCain needs and *will not* go to him by default, re: Ross Perot. Remember what happened to GHWB? Democrats have also been turning out in huge numbers, not so Repubs. Many are disgusted. Huckabee brings nothing to the ticket, he has too much dirt in his background that Repubs didn't point out, but Dems will. He won't be chosen. imo Gov Sanford said, "No," he has small children and doesn't want the job. Gov Crist got a bad reputation from what he pulled on Romney in FL and trying to rule the primaries, instead of allowing party rules. Parties are not public institutions under his domain, he is confused.

McCain/Romney is the only way he McCain gets my vote.

Romney can't carry a state. He won only caucuses and states where Mormons were 50%+ of the population. He lost almost every county in Boston, MA...his home town. The only reason he won caucuses was because he was the only one with the resources to have both money and organization there. They were shoe-ins. He came a far third in all of the Southern states...couldn't carry NH, Florida...and didn't win a single important county in CA. He would be a terrible choice.

Why should McCain pander to the right who want to project all of their ideals on Romney once we get into a general election? He needs to carry voters that typically vote Democrat, as well as Republican. McCain's biggest strength in comparison to Obama is that he's shown very strong bipartisanship in the Senate, unlike Obama who has voted way to the left on every single issue. He would dispute that level of bipartisanship by choosing the one liberal Governor from MA who changed his positions on a number of issues to project the ideal, Webster's definition version of a conservative.

If McCain wants someone who is strong economically...I think Rudy Giuliani, Mike Bloomberg or Steve Forbes blow Romney's business credentials out of the water...and have the executive political credentials to match.

Conservatives like me wanted Romney as our next President. I will have a hard time voting for McCain unless he picks a conservative as good as Romney. (In my view this would be hard to do.)

I have over twenty reasons why McCain should pick Mr. Romney for the V.P. slot.

1)There is widespread agreement that if John McCain loses this year, Gov. Romney will run in 2012. If Gov. Romney were on the ticket as V.P. next in line for the GOP nod in 2016, Mr. McCain would not have to worry about whether Mr. Romney would work as hard as possible for a McCain/Romney win this year.
2)Governor Romney is very intelligent, and I think would be very comfortable dealing with foreign dignitaries.
3)Governor Romney is very rich and has a well-oiled fund-raising circuit that would be very beneficial to Mr. McCain.
4)Governor Romney would bring expertise to economic matters that Mr. McCain seems to be lacking.
5)Governor Romney would bring executive experience as a Governor to the ticket.
6)Governor Romney would bring almost all of his supporters to help with a McCain/Romney ticket, thereby assuring that his supporters aren’t trying to bring him attention to a potential 2012 run, nipping such conversation quickly, before it takes root and is hard to break apart.
7)Governor Romney appeals to social, economic and defense conservatives, bringing the whole Party and most of the Conservative Movement - including talk radio - on board with the ticket.
8)Romney supporters are very enthusiastic and dedicated. You cannot buy this kind of endearment, but McCain would be able to pick up his supporters, and their already-in-place organizational and other skills they would have to offer to the ticket.
9)Romney would help John McCain in purple states such as Michigan, Nevada and Minnesota, and could even put Massachusetts in place in November.
10)Governor Romney brings all the necessary ingredients to John McCain’s campaign that he so desperately needs to succeed against Hillary - and especially - an Obama Democratic opponent.
11)You cannot buy loyalty like Governor Romney has with his supporters. You have to EARN it. By giving Romney the nod for the V.P. slot, McCain would be showing the Conservative Movement in America that he will not abandon them in the future. If he does this, he will almost be unstoppable in the fall against the Democrats.
12)Governor Romney is now widely seen as heir next in line to be the GOP nominee if McCain were to be defeated, or if McCain served two terms, then 2116, if Romney stays in the game that long. The move to make Romney V.P. would silence many evangelical and social conservatives who now would support Gov. Romney, including Dr. Dobson and others. This would shore up support among Mr. Huckabee’s supporters to Mr. McCain, endearing McCain as the one who actually DID bring the Party and Conservative Movement together to defeat the Democrats and take BACK both Houses of Congress!
13)Gov. Romney was the clear “change” candidate - and ran on that theme. The move to make Romney V.P. would be a tough ticket against a Hillary/Obama ticket. Change wins almost every time. We would now be able to bring that on-the-ground message IMMEDIATELY!
14)As the man who actually did something about - and has earned him wide recognition of - healthcare reform, he is the ideal man to blunt the Democrat’s BillaryCare proposals. This item would essentially be OURS as Republicans, which would deflate much criticism against the Republicans for not adequately addressing this critical issue thus far!
15)By picking Romney, we come out a totally unified Republican Party AND Conservative Movement - ready to fight against the Democrats NOW!
16)McCain IS [would be] the President-elect. He WILL be the Commander in Chief. McCain WILL be the boss - apple sauce -non debatable. McCain will get his way on very many things. But, Mr. Romney can still use cabinet meetings and gestures to try to persuade Mr. McCain to go all the way toward Ronald Reagan’s principled road of social, economic and military-might conservatism. Mr. McCain will ALWAYS win. But, Romney will be RIGHT there to balance McCain as needed.
17)Romney would be good for McCain, since Romney is NOT a “yes” man. Romney is a principled, determined conservative who is GRACIOUS -yet stern when applicable - who can turn the other cheek when needed, after his opinions are known and rejected. He PROVED that by bowing out graciously and promising to work hard for Mr. McCain as the GOP nominee-to-be. Mr. McCain does NOT need a “yes” man, but rather someone who can keep his temper and political wavering’s from right issues in check. This would help blunt criticism about his temper.
18)An informal straw vote among those present to see who they might prefer for President after the CPAC convention showed Romney winning it with 34%, followed by John McCain at 33 %, and Huckabee way down at only 14 percent. This vote proves that adding Gov. Romney to the ticket would quell the right, and go along way toward making sure they aren’t complacent on election day.
19)If McCain does not pick a well-known conservative for V.P., it may take MONTHS for the Republican electorate to get know and accept him, as was the case with Gov. Romney. Conservatives now know that Romney is “one of us,” after his gracious exodus speech at a stunned CPAC convention. People cried. My wife cried. I cried. You CANNOT buy that kind of endearment! Governor Mitt Romney EARNED IT!
20)John McCain is old, grey, and not very attractive overall. A V.P. pick that is younger, more handsome, and without so many grey hairs will help McCain with some voters concerns about such things. Romney fits-the-bill here.
21)No other governor fits as many specific criteria that a V.P. should have than Governor Romney. A pick that is OTHER than a governor for the V.P. slot isn’t as attractive to some voters. Executive experience does matter, and Romney can balance a McCain ticket in this way.
22)A V.P. pick should already be politically battle-hardened so that there won’t be embarrassing moments for the campaign. Romney took punches from virtuously everyone - and still stayed a gentlemen under pressure.
23)A V.P. pick MUST be a scandal and corruption-free pick that under the intense scrutiny of the media’s microscope, will not be a negative for the campaign. Romney is about as pure as new snow as one can get. His first and only wife, along with ALL his children, are fine, upstanding citizens with no baggage to bring to a McCain campaign.
24)Many Romney supporters feel like they were shafted by McCain due to his mis-characterization (some say lied) of Romney’s stance on time tables and troops withdrawal from Iraq right before the Florida contest. Romney supporters are keenly aware of the extreme distaste McCain and some of his supporters have for Mr. Romney, and this is feeding a movement for him to run in 2012, ceding the 2008 election to the Democrats. If Romney becomes McCain’s V.P. choice, most of this talk, including the movement, would stop, with Romney supporters instead working hard for the McCain/Romney 2008 ticket.
25)Many Mormons feel betrayed and bitter about what many see as Mr. Huckabee’s overt anti-Mormon bigotry. The history of the Republican Party and Mormons goes back many years, and Mormons have ALWAYS been a strong, reliable source of strength for our Party. By putting Mr. Romney on the ticket, they will feel that Mr. McCain is really not going to let our Party leave them feeling left out, possibly losing this constituency for a long time to come. Let’s be a party of inclusion that the voters approve of, not of the bigoted few that only divide us to eventual ruin.

Katherine:

You are quite mistaken. The primaries showed that Republicans do NOT like McCain, though independents and liberals do... If McCain wants Repbublicans to vote for him he is going to have to find someone Republicans deem acceptable, because many absolutely LOATHE him....

I'm a lifelong conservative Republican and I don't think there is ANYONE who could persuade me to put McCain in the White House.

Here it is, pure and simple, if Huckabee were McCain's VP choice, the Republicans would lose in November. If it's McCain and Romney, they have a better chance. The media hadn't even started on Huckabee, and he carries far more baggage then Romney ever had. Romney weathered the storm fairly well, Huckabee never moved beyond a narrow group of evangelicals.

What's more important: Winning the election?, or... Satisfying various "wings" of the party? Neither Huckerbee or Romney can make that happen against either Clinton or Obama. They need to appeal to the Independents to overpower the liberal-left. Anybody ever given Liberman any consideration? He has the courage and experience to go up against party-insiders and still WIN!

Pink Elephant:

I don't know where you get your news, but Romney won 11 states before he dropped out, and only 1 of these was a highly Mormon state.

He came in 2nd in most other races until AFTER he dropped out, which was the only point where he dipped to 3rd and 4th place. Many insisted on voting for him when he wasn't even a candidate....

Denny,

I agree with much of what you say but when one reviews Romney's credentials, the undeniable conclusion is that it should be a Romney/McCain ticket. I know that won't happen because the electorate (Independents and Democrats mostly) has given McCain the top slot but McCain would make a perfect VP with his military experience and in that slot his questionable temperment wouldn't be such an issue. Romney is clearly the more Presidential of the two with superior intellect, morals, grace and a demeanor better suited to the Oval Office.

I really think we've got it backwards but alas, a McCain/Romney ticket is the only way it can be now. The big negative to Romney as VP is he really
would overshadow the President which would be hard for McCain to accept.

Happy Birthday to Mitt tomorrow and here's to hoping he's the next VP and then the the President after that because I believe the country missed the opportunity to elect this outstanding man as President in '08.

Mr Romney is by far the best vp choice. Thats all. He would be better on the top spot. There is allways 2012. Go Mitt

Yes, Kessler, the business-savvy Mitt Romney would make a good running mate for the economy-disadvantaged John MacCain.

But look at the disgrace that has befallen Barak Orama for his religious associations. The same would surely happen to Romney when the news media picks up on the racist doctrines of the Mormon Church.

As narrated in the Book of Mormon, the good guys, the Nephites, were a fair-skinned people, whereas the bad guys, the Lamanites, being descendants of Cain, were punished by God with a dark skin. (Nephi 5:21, Alma 3:6) According to the Mormon prophet and leader Brigham Young, the “flat nose and black skin” of African Americans were likewise the stigma of Cain. It wasn’t until 1978 that an African American was accepted into the Church priesthood. Then there’s the Church’s history of polygamy and sexism, still much part of the Later Day saint culture in rural Utah and Idaho. Only two women figure in the Book of Mormon, and only in minor roles.

So how is Romney going to explain that to mainstream Christians?

Carlos Navarro
http://gadfly26.blogspot.com

Just say what some evangelicals said about Romney: " Don't vote for Romney because his weird believes are diferent from our WEIRD believes" and call that fair.

It's Romney for me. I was so diappointed when he dropped out. I think it's our one chance to fix the economy. He's really smart and squeaky clean. I do not see the Mommon religion as a problem. Somehow I don't see O'barma talking about any person's church: he really shouldn't do there. I'll be really disappointed if he's not on the ticket. It would put Romney in a good place for 2012.