Who Will Be Dick to McCain's Bush?

Of course, few vice-presidents have had the influence that Mr. Cheney has, but then again, few vice-presidents have been significantly more intelligent and strong-willed than their president.

John McCain has a ton of options to weigh in making this choice, and is carefully considering two competing political philosophies. On one hand is the Maverick, moderate image that has given him success in hypothetical matchups with Democrats, and overall popularity with independents and conservative Democrats. To reinforce this centrist position, McCain could choose another moderate and really compete for the middle of the spectrum (and especially Clinton supporters) with Obama. On the other hand is the Karl Rove strategy, which proved to be successful in two Bush campaigns: swing hard to the right. Be conservative, apologetically so, and guarantee that every last right-wing nutjob in the country shows up on November 4th and votes for you. With the base up in arms, you can simply show up more than your opponent, and win on the backs of hardcore right-wingers, instead of consensus.

On top of these two options, there is the age issue. With McCain being older than Coke in a can, the VP will quite importantly be "a heartbeat away" from the Oval Office. Thus, he needs to pick (1) a younger politician, someone who looks youthful and vigorous, like Obama, and not crotchety and aging, like McCain and (2) someone whose possibility of occuping the Presidency will not scare 50 million voters into voting for the other guy (see the second guy down the list).

At the same time, McCain is concerned that the base of his party (Bible-thumpers) doesn't trust him (although they have no reason not to). Plus, the Libertarian end of the party is up in arms, and being infected with RonPauxia, their candidate (Bob Barr) has a very real chance of sabotaging McCain unless he demonstrates his small government credentials.

So with all these political decisions swirling, does it matter at all if his choice is qualified? Remember, McCain has foreign policy covered, but is seen as weak on the economy and healthcare. Choosing a candidate with strong credentials in these areas would help exponentially. Here they are:

--> Former Governor Mitt Romney (R-MA): McCain's chief opponent in the primary, Romeny has been actively campaigning (behind the scenes) for this job. His economic experience (running the Winter Olympics) could benefit McCain's chances, but he has the same chance at turning Massachusetts blue as Obama has turning Idaho red. He could mollify the conservative base, and bulk up McCain, but doesn't really bring in any new supporters or states.

--> Governor Mike Huckabee (R-AR): No one would appease the Christian conservatives more. He's a very smart politician, and very popular in the south (would put it in the bag for the GOP). However, the possibility of someone this religious being separated from the American Presidency by John McCain's immune system is probably too terrifying for most Americans to imagine. Plus his joke at the NRA about Barack Obama being shot would probably be an awkward source of interest on the campaign trail. But this is where the list of former McCain opponents ends, and the list of scary potential begins.

--> Governor Robert Jindal (R-LA): At only 37 years old, Jindal is on a rapid rise to the top of his party the same way that Obama was four years ago. He's an eloquent politician, someone who expounds the true principles of the Republican Party in a way that makes people listen. Plus, he's one of the highest-ranking Indian-Americans in U.S. political history, and his place on the ticket would probably make some liberals and moderates take another look at the generally pasty GOP. He's a mainstream conservative that would reassure his party and reassure voters concerned about McCain's age. However, he's new to this game, and might be best served waiting a few years before making his grab at the big time.

--> Governor Charles Crist (R-FL): McCain owes this guy a big favor. His endorsement a week before the pivotal Florida primary could have very well delivered him that big, crucial win over Romney that sent McCain to the nomination. Besides loyalty, Crist has a few things going for him. He'd lock up Florida's 27 electoral votes for the Republicans, and allow McCain to focus his limited resources elsewhere (read: Ohio). Unfortunately, Crist would not reassure the conservative base of his party - he disagreed with federal intervention on Terry (and actually considered mobilizing the Florida National Guard to prevent federal troops from entering the hospital - talk about states' rights). And he's a bachelor without children - not exactly the poster boy for family values.

--> Governor Tim Pawlenty (R-MN): Another young, intelligent, rising star of the Republican Party, this guy would get a hero's welcome as the VP-nominee at the GOP Convention in Minnesota this fall. His youth would reassure voters, his blue-collar attitude would appeal to undecideds, and his time for the spotlight may have finally come. However, he's been a relatively divisive figure in Minnesota politics, and as another strong conservative, he may not bring the independents into McCain's camp that he needs to.

--> Senator Joe Lieberman (I-CT): This would be a dumb choice for McCain. Democrats would make the Bush-Cheney comparison (with the VP as the real puppetmaster pulling the strings), and although this assertion would be false, we could cite the video of Lieberman whispering the correct answer on Sunnis and Shi'ites in McCain's ear as evidence. He also wouldn't win Connecticut (in a rematch of 2006, Lamont would beat Lieberman today). Also, he'd completely alienate any Democratic allies he might still have, and he disagrees with McCain on everything except foreign policy, so I have no idea why he'd join him. However, he's clearly in his camp, so you never know.

Other News of the Day: Not much. Hillary gave a terrific speech last night, and I'm looking forward to her vigorous work on the campaign trail this fall. The party is falling into line behind our nominee, realizing that the possibility of President McCain is too scary to ignore.

Also, let me know if you're reading this thing. Let your voices be heard, and tell me what features you like, don't like, would like to see added/more of.