McCain VP Watch
- Posted by Beth on April 2nd, 2008 filed in 2008 election, Candidates, General, John McCain, Politics, Video
Via Blogs for John McCain, video from MSNBC News discussing McCain wanting to get started getting names together for evaluation:
CNN has video from McCain on the trail speaking of the process.
The presumptive Republican nominee said on his campaign bus that the list has approximately 20 names on it, but said it will take “weeks if not months” to narrow the list down.
“It’s the same process that has been used by Democrats and Republicans,” the Arizona senator said. “It’s not an unusual thing. You put the list together and then you just could do a cursory kind of a look that I guess you could do on Google.”
McCain also said he hopes to name his running mate before the party’s convention in September, as has been the practice in several recent presidential elections.
The media’s all atwitter at a “dig” on Dan Quayle (their interpretation, not mine).
But McCain said he did not want to rush the process, hoping to avoid what he said were mistakes past nominees had made in choosing a vice presidential candidate. Specifically, McCain singled out the first President Bush’s selection of then-Sen. Dan Quayle who had “not been briefed and prepared for some of the questions.”
That’s a dig at Quayle? Whatever. Gotta make that story have some kick, I guess. Ha ha.
So anyway, I’m still hoping for Chris Cox. Rob Portman has been getting some chatter lately, and Mitt Romney’s been making the rounds lending support to McCain.
You know those three are on The List; add to those Mark Sanford, Tim Pawlenty, Tom Coburn, Haley Barbour, Steve Forbes, maybe Newt (but that’s not gonna happen). Real long-shots: Kay Bailey Hutchison (age 65 or so, and not particularly popular with conservatives), Sarah Palin (too new), Carly Fiorina (a real outsider)? No to Bobby Jindal; Louisiana needs him now, and his time will come later.
Who else?
Lord Bitememan says:
Much as I loathe the man, I think in the end Mitt Romney would probably be a solid choice. At the very least if this round doesn’t go well, Romney will be heir appearant in 2012 and can set up Jindal for 2016 or later by naming him as vp.
PaulW says:
JC Watts has been added to some lists as he has a history of working with McCain, and he’s a solid conservative with some name recognition even as he’s been retired all these years from Congress. Florida’s Crist has also been mentioned.
I do think because of McCain’s age they are going to look for someone in their 40s to 50s, young enough to be heir to the GOP White House race in 4-8 years but also old enough to have racked up some experience in either lege or executive activities. I’ve got Sanford from South Carolina on my betting pool.