Views From RonPaulChronicles.com
columnist: J Monroe

Topic: Presidential Campaign 2008
Armchair Politickin’ Pt 2 - The VP Nod

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Who should John McCain pick as VP to try to get GOP credibility?

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by J Monroe
(Libertarian)
Sunday, February 10, 2008

Since even Ron has conceded that there will be no brokered convention for the GOP (boo!), we can now move on to discussing who McCain will pick as his running mate. The pundits have been batting around both Thompson and Huckabee as contenders; I think both choices have their pros and cons. Let's discuss them, shall we?

Mike Huckabee

I'll start with Mike, because he's still actually in the racekinda. Mike is a great social conservative. He supports Constitutional bans on abortion and gay marriage, family values, the whole "conservative" shtick. At 53, he's got enough years left in him to alleviate the concerns over whether there will be someone fit to step in if McCain can't complete his 4 years. Huckabee's likeability would also be an asset; he would be able to "soften" the ticket.

The downside to Huckabee is that while he's a social conservative, his fiscal conservative cred isn't quite up to snuff and his views on immigration are not conservative enough to balance out McCain. He also has a bad habit of saying the wrong things to people with microphones. Plus Chuck Norris would not be pleased about a McCain/Huckabee ticket, and I certainly wouldn't want Mr. Norris to be angry. He might go on a baby-punching rampage, and nobody wants that.

Overall, I don't think Huckabee is a bad option, but I don't see where McCain would gain much by choosing him. The evangelicals will vote for McCain anyway, especially if their other choice is Clinton or Obama, and Huckabee isn't going to help McCain win over the base.

Fred Thompson

Ah Fred, the neo-con's savior. Nobody can question the fact that he is conservative. If you do question this fact, he will send minions to beat you down. Seriously.

Okay, on a truly serious note, Fred would give McCain the conservative cred he so desperately needs. He brings with him the one thing McCain doesn't have; the approval of "the base". With Thompson on the ticket, 75%-80% of hardcore conservatives will suck it up and vote for McCain. Thompson and McCain are also BFF, so choosing him would work out great for McCain on both a professional and personal level.

However, there are downsides to McCain choosing Thompson. Fred will in no way, shape, or form, soften the ticket. In fact, choosing Thompson might turn off some of the moderates that McCain is counting on to win. There is also the age factor; at 66 Thompson is no spring chicken. Combine that with McCain's 72 years and you get a grumpy old man ticket. If they have to run against Obama, that's going to be the kiss of death. It'll be JFK vs. Nixon all over again.

Who do I think McCain should go with? He should go with Thompson. McCain is going to need the base eventually, if not to win the election then to make the ensuring 4 years go smoother. McCain has quite a few enemies within the GOP Senator and House Rep ranks, which choosing Thompson might help to alleviate.

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2008 J Monroe, all rights reserved.
Published: Sunday, February 10, 2008
Last modified: Thursday, February 14, 2008

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