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Tuesday, June 19, 2012

2012 Romney's Vice Presidential Pick Will Probably Be a Boring White Guy

Posted by Paul Constant on Tue, Jun 19, 2012 at 10:10 AM

Teabaggy Florida Senator Marco Rubio has been at the top of most folks' lists for the Republican vice presidential pick. He's young, of Cuban descent, popular in Florida, and charismatic. But ABC's Jonathan Karl says a Romney/Rubio ticket is probably not to be:

...knowledgeable Republican sources tell me that Rubio is not being vetted by Mitt Romney’s vice presidential search team. He has not been asked to complete any questionnaires or been asked to turn over any financial documents typically required of potential vice presidential candidates.

Although it is possible that Rubio may yet be asked to go through the vetting process, it has been nearly two months since Romney named his long-time aide Beth Myers to run his vice presidential search. The fact that Rubio has not been asked to turn over any documents by now is a strong indication that he is not on Romney’s short list of potential running mates.

The Romney team will do anything they can to avoid another Sarah Palin, and that means only seasoned, hardline Republicans will be considered for the job. I bet whoever gets picked is going to be a former Bush Administration figure, because Romney's national credibility is thin and he needs someone with federal experience to back him up. They'll also probably be dull as dirt when it comes to speechifying, so as not to show Romney up. Rob Portman is a big favorite right now, but I think Tim Pawlenty is probably high up on the list, too. Unless this Rubio thing is a leak intended to throw the press off the scent of a wildcard option—Condoleezza Rice would certainly be dramatic, but she'd be a dumb choice in the long run—we're looking at a Republican ticket of Boring White Guy 1/Boring White Guy 2 for President 2012.

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Vetted? No. How about strapped to the roof and driven around at high speed? Yes!

Posted by Anastasia Beaverhausen on June 19, 2012 at 10:34 AM

Romney's vetting process for Rubio will be to chase him down a hallway, calling him "beaner" and trying to cut his hair.

Posted by Urgutha Forka on June 19, 2012 at 10:47 AM

We in Louisiana are hopeful he'll pick Jindal, because it will get him out of the state for at least a few months this fall. Of course, Jindal spends more time out of state at fundraisers than he does in the state as it is, but maybe if he is occupied elsewhere he'll stop inventing new and exciting ways to give public money to religious organizations.

Posted by Sheryl on June 19, 2012 at 10:54 AM

I suspected that Pawlenty was promised to be up for strong consideration for the VP slot when he played nice with Romney in the early debates.

Posted by neo-realist on June 19, 2012 at 11:02 AM

the governor of indiana, mitch daniels.

although it doesn't make willard any more competitive in a swing state.

Posted by Max Solomon on June 19, 2012 at 11:15 AM

It won't be Pawlenty. Pawlenty basically appeals to the same demographic that Romney does, only less so. Romney needs someone who will shore up his perceived weak areas or who can hand him a swing state.

My guess is that he will pick a social conservative, much like Bush (41) picked Dan Quayle. Not a loose cannon like Palin, but a safe social conservative.

Posted by Reverse Polarity on June 19, 2012 at 11:20 AM

@5 - Mitch Daniels has accepted the presidency of Purdue Univ according to reports this AM, so not likely to be the Romneyette.

Posted by sperifera on June 19, 2012 at 11:29 AM

Or he could be a boring black guy, are you being racist Paul?

Posted by Phoebe in Wallingford on June 19, 2012 at 11:32 AM

They're all pricks, but I'm betting on John Kasich, Governor of Ohio. He's conservative, a money man, and much loved in the most crucial of all swing states.

Posted by Gurldoggie

on June 19, 2012 at 11:50 AM

My goodness I'd love to have Rick Perry back in my life on a regular basis.

Posted by mikethehammer on June 19, 2012 at 12:23 PM

The Palin pick was an intentional sabotage. The higher-ups in the GOP were well aware of the seriousness of the dirty bomb threat. In the early 2000s the experts were saying there was a thirty % chance that it would happen in the next 20 years. Do you think it's just "business as usual" that we suddenly have a black president named barack hussein obama?? Do you think theres any chance he would be elected if 911 didnt happen? Court appointments aside, O hasnt done anything in his first term that mcain, bush or romney wouldnt conceivably do. The threat of neo-terrorism is way more influential and scary than most people are [understandably] willing to acknowledge.

Posted by porchedge on June 19, 2012 at 12:41 PM

Not saying Rob Portman's boring, but I seriously clicked on the link, saw his picture, and yawned.

Posted by LogopolisMike

on June 19, 2012 at 2:16 PM

How can Mark Rubio be so popular? I saw an interview with him and the Mrs. recently, and he was sort of a Teabaggy Howdy Doody. Maybe a little brighter than Dan Quayle, but not by much.

Posted by Bauhaus I on June 19, 2012 at 3:45 PM

Condi, a dumb choice? She's a heavyweight (with foreign policy experience!) in a party full of teabaggies. The one-eyed man in the land of the blind, she would be king; if Romney wins, expect Cheney II.

If she doesn't run, it's because she doesn't think much of Romney as a boss, and is biding her time for her 2016 run.

Posted by woof on June 20, 2012 at 7:15 AM