Archive » February 21, 2008

FROM THE RIGHT

By Harris Sherline, Contributing Writer

McCain’s veep

Although more than five months remain before the two major parties meet to select their respective candidates for President of the United States, the ultimate contestants already are known. For the Republicans, John McCain, will be the party’s nominee, while the Democratic standard bearer will be Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton.

For Senator McCain, selecting his running mate will be a crucial decision. He will need someone who can balance the ticket by helping to offset his limited background in economic matters as well as to help secure the party’s conservative base. “… Mr. McCain likely will go for someone from outside Washington — most probably a governor … that would offset his 25 years in Congress, muting a target for the Democrats – his Washington-insider status. (“Running mate guessing game begins,” by Joseph Curl, Washington Times, Feb. 12, 2008)

Mike Huckabee “… on the ticket would be a disaster. The former Arkansas governor has a record of raising taxes and increasing spending.” (“McCain’s Veep Options,” by Pat Toomey, The Wall Street Journal, Feb. 8, 2008)

Following are some of the potential running mates for Senator McCain:

Mitt Romney may be the leading contender, assuming he wants the vice presidential slot. He would bring significant managerial experience to the ticket, including having been governor of Massachusetts. He also is a bona fide conservative, although not to the degree that the party’s conservative base would like. And, he would bring significant fundraising ability. His negatives appear to be the fact that he is Mormon and that McCain apparently doesn’t like him.

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Lindal: at 36 and from the South, Mr. Lindal, whose parents emigrated from India, has strong conservative credentials. He also could help blunt the issue of age for McCain, who will be 72½ on Inauguration Day.

South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford: has demonstrated a commitment to economic conservatism, willing to fight against his own party to curtail spending. Having inherited a $155 million deficit, he vetoed 106 spending initiatives. And, at 47, he could also help offset the negative of McCain’s age. U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C.: “… a strong believer in the power of free-market solutions, has introduced a number of bills to restrict the federal government’s reach.” (“McCain’s Veep Options,” by Pat Toomey, The Wall Street Journal, Feb. 8, 2008)

U.S. Rep. Mike Pence, R-Ind.: “… has established himself as a principled, determined conservative.” He voted against the McCain-Feingold campaign finance bill “and led the fight against the ironically named Fairness Doctrine, designed to limit the speech of conservative talk radio.” (“McCain’s Veep Options,” by Pat Toomey, The Wall Street Journal, Feb. 8, 2008)

Steve Forbes, CEO of Forbes, Inc.: Has unparalleled business and economic background that could be a great asset to McCain’s ticket.

U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas: A strong conservative, could potentially offset the Democratic advantage of either the first woman or first African-American candidate. “She is ardently pro-Second Amendment, has a solid pro-life voting record and is fiercely anti-tax.” (“Running mate guessing game begins,” by Joseph Curl, Washington Times, Feb. 12, 2008)

There are many other potential candidates, but as Kin Hubbard noted, “We’d all like to vote for the best man but he’s never a candidate” (“The Best of Kin Hubbard,” 1984, Variant) Republicans should remember that “Politics is the art of compromise.” The vice presidential nominee usually is selected to help offset the weaknesses of the party’s presidential candidate. The problem, of course, is identifying the best person for this role.