Who do you WANT McCain to pick? / Who do you think he WILL pick?

[hiaasenrocks]

I'm trying to think of the possible VP running mates that would be best for our party to run against, but I'm also trying to think logically about who he really will pick.

I wish he would pick former Senator George Allen in an effort to placate the right-wing. He would be easy to run against. But I know McCain won't, so...

I'm thinking McCain will pick another so-called moderate Repub, maybe a governor of a state he will need in November. Is Crist a relative moderate? What about Pawlenty?

Thoughts?

[Unsane]

1. David Duke/Haley Barbour

[countingbluecars]

2. Gingrich or Allen

would please the "true conservatives".

[Zueda]

3. I want him to pick Cheney but my guess is Huckabee.

[Zueda]

4. I want him to pick Cheney but my guess is Huckabee.

[LibDemAlways]

5. He won't pick Allen. Damaged goods. I'm thinking

he'll go with the Huckster. He doesn't want the wingnuts to stay home.

[SteppingRazor]

6. Crist is an excellent call.

Definitely a moderate. I'll go so far as to say the dude's my favorite Republican, and I live in his state. He could turn off some GOP voters, though, what with all the rumors about his personal life. But, he'd also probably give FL to the GOP.

[bluedog]

13. have to agree

I like him as Gov here...he's alot better than ol Jeb.......

[bear425]

7. Florida Governor Charlie Crist n/t

[livetohike]

8. Just spoke with my brother in law in MN about this

He says Pawlenty is courting McCain and that with the Republican convention in MN this September that Pawlenty could very well be the VP candidate.

I'm afraid he might pick Rick Santorum in order to appease the fundies. Either case, we will beat the ticket.

[rateyes]

9. Joe Lieberman.

Perfect couple of losers.

[griffi94]

10. joe lieberman

he'll get more independents and conservative democrats that way...also will be able to claim bi-partisan support

[onenote]

17. zero chance

The repub base would implode if someone who is pro-choice was named to the ticket. Joe is a jackass of the highest order, but he does have a fairly solid pro-choice record.

[RL3AO]

11. Pawlenty is the head of McCain's campaign I think.

It wouldn't surprise me.

[Blaze Diem]

12. I'm guessing Jeb. The Bush /Rove crime family will live on in

our political system until the New World Order promised by Bush Sr., is complete.

McCain will be granted his dream of "President" (finally), by his promise of continuing the Bush legacy in the White House.

--------just a creepy thought.

[onenote]

15. zero chance of that.

McCain will be spending his time running away from bush. He won't have a bush on the ticket.

[Musty]

29. Jeb

McCain will definitely pick Jeb, and soon after his stolen election to the Whitehouse, McCain will be found to have died in his sleep.

[Blaze Diem]

30. self delete

dupe

[Blaze Diem]

31. Wonder if John Mc read the fine print when he made that deal with Bush/Rove?

Sold his soul to the devil for his dream of being President John McCain. Only one condition..Jebbie gets the Veep Job.

Quick & painless.

[onenote]

14. Crist (FL) or Perry (TX) are possibilities: Romney is the dark horse surprise choice

Crist doesn't do much to reach out to the fundies, but he helps the repubs in FL. Arizona/Texas ticket doesn't provide provide much in the way of regional diversity.

Romney...I think he'd take it in a heartbeat if it was offered.

[PermanentRevolution]

16. Depends on his strategy

If he's going to court the base, he needs someone like Huckabee on board for the evangelicals. If he's going to go for broad crossover appeal and hope that enough of the base holds their noses and votes his way to avoid a Democratic victory, then he might go for someone like Crist. That would pretty much guarantee Florida, since Crist is popular here even among Democrats. Plus, Florida recently changed its resign-to-run law, to exclude federal campaigns so he can remain governor while running for VP.

What I'd HOPE is for Zell Miller. Maybe we could get some good dueling...

[nomorewhopper]

26. Powell/Huckleberry/Sanford/ Clint Eastwood (LOL)

most Presidential nominees have the support of thier party already, and can choose the VP based on some desire to rein in some particular demographic such as a particular state, a minority voting bloc, or a voter bloc that supports a certain cause.

mccain doesn't have the support of economic conservatives, evangelicals, or basically anybody else.

That makes it way up for play.

I'd say the following guys might have a chance:

Colin Powell - probably would have been a stronger candidate if Obama wasn't in the picture. The black vote is going to go Obama for sure if he's running. (it would have gone Dem anyway but I digress). Colin is perceived on the right as having stood up to GWB and having been against the war (behind the scenes). He's got foreign policy cred and defense cred, but I don't think those are McCain's true weaknesses.

Huckleberry - a true social conservative. I just cannot see McCain pandering that far to the right, it wouldn't be his style. strong with evangelicals, huckabee is frankly, terrifying to the majority of this country and thus has big negatives with the independents that mccain is courting.

Sanford - the Gov of SC, Marc Sanford might be the closest thing McCain would want in a running mate. Strong on "familiy values" and an economic conservative, he is also from a southern state where the republicans must think twice about winning due to the expected enthusiasm among southern blacks.

Clint Eastwood - I throw this out there because it's an unusual year. What if McCAin decides to fight star power with, well, STAR power. Grab some gunslinging Hollywood man's man and have him be the VP. tricky strategy, but you never know!

[leftynyc]

18. J,C. Watts

I don't give a shit who he picks but this would be a good choice for him. I'll vote against whoever he picks.

[SteppingRazor]

20. I think that'd be open for backlash, though...

with Obama in the race, it'd look like he's pandering, not like he's making the best choice for VP.

[leftynyc]

22. The guys a solid conservative

and that's what he's going to need to pull the conservative vote. First he has to shore up his base before he can go for independents. Watts will do that for him.

[DiamondJay]

21. better yet, ALAN KEYES

the walking joke of American politics.

[leftynyc]

23. Keyes would be a joke

Watts will not. He has a sold rep with the conservatives.

[DiamondJay]

25. that would wreck the GOP base worse

because the southern conservatives will not vote for JC Watts. its enough they have mccain. and these are the same conservatives who joined the GOP strictly because of the southern strategy, and because they thought the dems liked black people too much. they would run a States' Rights Republican party if McCain pulled that.

[leftynyc]

27. I don't think so

although I will say it was a northern republican who loved this choice. She said McCain needed a solid conservative from a southern state (I guess if TX is considered southern, so is OK) but someone who wouldn't scare independents (like Huckabee). She also liked Santorum (chance at turning a blue state red which I think she's dreaming about).

[nonconformist]

19. Jeb Bush would be great

He'd seriously hurt that ticket, and I've heard his name floated out (although, it's probably just a rumor).

I think it's possible that he'll pick Huckabee (for the religious vote) or Romney (to get conservatives on board).

[onenote]

32. other than by folks here at DU, I haven't seen Jeb's name floated

you got a link? As far as I can tell, the only people floating it are folks here who (a) realize it wouldn't happen but hope it would (sort of like hoping he picks cheney or keyes or someone else that would be a drag on the ticket) and (b) tinfoilers who are so out of touch with reality that they think its not only within the realm of possibility (which it isn't), but that its a done deal.

[nonconformist]

33. It is a rumor out there on the internets, not just DU, but...

I doubt it's really going to happen.

The OP asked who do you want McCain to pick and who do you think he will pick. I'd love it if he picked Jeb, but that is unlikely.

[DrDan]

24. Tom Delay or Trent Lott

either would be a powerhouse combo

[Norwood]

28. I think he'll pick Huckabee

As scary as it sounds, a McCain/Huckabee ticket would be a very formidable one. It would be hilarious if he decided to pick someone like Alan Keyes or Tom Tancredo though.

[Straight Shooter]

34. I haven't given much thought to it, but if he's smart he'll pick Gordon Smith of Oregon.

Gordon Smith comes across as smooth and pleasant, he's quite nice-looking, not foaming-at-the-mouth, spoke briefly against the strategy of the occupation but not the occupation per se.

He's also quite in danger of losing his Senate seat. A lot of people will look at McCain and wonder if he's going to croak within a couple of years. Gordon Smith would be a big draw. I disagree with many of his policies, but it's very hard not to like the persona that Gordon Smith presents.

Whoever his veep is, it would be nice if it were someone who would cause him to lose, and yet if he won, it wouldn't be someone that would be a walking disaster. Kind of hard to find someone like that in the right wing.