Romney Running Mate Coming Soon
From an e-mail that just came through from the Romney campaign:
We're getting ready to share some exciting news. Sometime between now and the Republican convention, Mitt will be announcing his choice for VP.
Know what's even more exciting? Every week until the VP announcement is made, one lucky supporter will win the chance to meet Mitt and his choice for VP.
UPDATE: I noticed shortly after posting (as was pointed out in the comments) that the wording of the e-mail is ambiguous enough to suggest that contestants will actually win the opportunity to meet the running mate in coming weeks, not actually meet them during that timeframe (which actually makes more sense in terms of preventing leaks).
And Drudge is now reporting Condi Rice as the surprise candidate "near the top of the list." As of yet, however, there is no sourcing, even on background.
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Comments:
Dec '11
Re: Romney Running Mate Coming Soon
Just what we need, a Mormon candidate flanked by two women. Media won't be doing anything with that.
Anyway, I am less concerned with her stance on abortion than I am with her stance on Roe v Wade.
In 08 my best friend, an evangelical, pro-life republican, wanted Rice in the race or as a running mate. I cautioned him against that, because we don't know much about her domestic issues, and she had never been tested on the campaign trail. Now I'm not much of a social con, so the former doesn't concern me. The latter does, but held against the gold standard of Biden and Palin, I'm sure she'd do fine. She's strong and bright and quick, so I think she'd get up to speed pretty fast.
One thing she might do is head off a potential Obama ticket change. If Obama tried the Biden-Clinton switch AFTER Mitt chose Condi it would be seen as an attempt to catch up, and a sign of fear. Not a reason to make this pick, but its a nice bonus.
In the end, I would be happy with Ms Rice.
Edited on July 13, 2012 at 6:30amSep '10
Re: Romney Running Mate Coming Soon
The Hindenburg analogy applies not to the pick per se but the act of getting cute which gives the appearance of having no convictions at all. The safe pick becomes the cynical pick if you give people the impression that you're full of hot air.
Aug '10
Re: Romney Running Mate Coming Soon
I would like Condi Rice to be chosen, simply because the prospect of a Condi-Biden vice presidential debate makes me wriggle like a puppy getting his tummy scratched. I'm getting out the popcorn already.
I also don't think Rice is an appeaser. She knows what diplomacy is - it's the art of knowing how to say "nice doggy" while you look for a big stick.
May '10
Re: Romney Running Mate Coming Soon
Maybe I'm denser than the average reader, but I still don't get it. What does this have to do with getting cute, and what does getting cute have to do with the Hindenburg?
Sep '10
Re: Romney Running Mate Coming Soon
After seeing John Sununu on Hannity destroy Andrea Mitchell and Juan Williams, I like him.
Apr '11
Re: Romney Running Mate Coming Soon
Jonathan, I'm fascinated by these "young liberal girls" and their views on Condi. Do they actually admire her? What do they think of her politics?
My impression was that liberals saw Rice as a demonic neo-con warmongering Aunt Tom who mindlessly served that war criminal, Bushitler. Of course, I live in San Francisco. Is Rice popular among some less rabid Democrats?
Apr '11
Re: Romney Running Mate Coming Soon
Actually, I am aware of an example of bipartisan support for Condi. Her picture is proudly displayed on the wall of Leslie Knope's office (right next to Nancy Pelosi).
Regardless, I doubt a Romney/Rice ticket would be enough to win Ron Swanson's vote from Gary Johnson, or none of the above.
May '11
Re: Romney Running Mate Coming Soon
It all comes down to polling and turnout. I can imagine that she strips off 15% of the black female vote, a smaller percentage of the black male vote, and perhaps just one or two percent of the white female vote. Will that outweigh any dispiriting of certain conservatives or other potential Republican voters and energizing of the anti-"Aunt Tom" vote? My guess is yes and it will cause O to counterprogram by dumping Biden in favor of Hilary.
Edited on July 13, 2012 at 2:01pmDec '10
Re: Romney Running Mate Coming Soon
Tom Lindholtz
Letting the chips fall where they may is a strategy for failure in any arena of life. If you want to win, ... then you do whatever the situation calls for in order to achieve your objective...or else you make the conscious decision that your objective is no longer worth pursuing.
To Governor Romney I would say, "Conservatism isn't the cause of our problems; conservatism is the solution to them." If Romney believed that, he'd make the case effectively and he wouldn't choose a (another) non-conservative, Condi Rice, as a running mate. Passion for a subject (conservatism) translates into persuasion, which translates into votes. See Ronald Reagan.
The great counterexample is William F. Buckley. WFB couldn't translate his articulate passion for conservatism into votes in NY. That's because NY was too poisoned by leftism, not because of WFB's deficiencies.
That's what I mean by "let the chips fall..." I'm not careless about this race. It's time to find out if the rest of the country is NY. If it is (and I doubt it), it won't matter much who gets elected.
Apr '11
Re: Romney Running Mate Coming Soon
As a UKIP member with friends who are much more involved with the party, I feel that I can say with confidence that you would not want him to be VP. I can't think of any metric by which Greg Gutfield would not be a superior VP and, while I love Greg, I don't imagine he's high on either of our lists.
Troy Senik, Ed.: One would assume that this had to come from a high-level source to get bumped to the top of Drudge. But it would be surprising for Team Romney to give the store away to an outside source. There's a good chance that they're floating this in an attempt to bump up Romney's numbers with women and, coming right after the NAACP speech, with black voters. ·
This was my first reaction, too, but I'm now with Costa that Drudge's standards were even lower here than I thought; that it's purely bystander buzz.
Dec '10
Re: Romney Running Mate Coming Soon
Why doesn't Mitt Romney believe conservative principles can win? What makes him think he'll outmaneuver liberals on the race/class/gender game board? They've been at this game a lot longer and have built up their street cred. Does anyone else see Sarah Palin as a cynical pick by McCain, especially having seen the way his campaign treated her?
I believe in One God, and for that reason, I believe in the organizing principles of our American founding. Man is fallen. The power allotted to men must therefore be limited. I don't have to believe economic freedom works... I know it. I've seen it over my lifetime. Nothing says, "let there be peace between us" like free trade and a battery of Patriot Missiles strategically located. Sometimes I wonder how many conservatives really believe this stuff.
Instead, I hear things like, "the economy's going to improve (through massive federal spending) by November and, oh my, Obama's going to win." By what objective measure is it possible for Obama's policies to ever produce economic improvement? Federal workforce hires? Our future prosperity is being sucked into the insatiable maw of Leviathan.
Stand up, man!
Dec '10
Re: Romney Running Mate Coming Soon
James Of England
This was my first reaction, too, but I'm now with Costa that Drudge's standards were even lower here than I thought; that it's purely bystander buzz. · 25 minutes ago
Okay. I'm going to calm down now. Mr. C always reminds me never to believe everything I read on the Drudge headlines. He's right.
May '11
Re: Romney Running Mate Coming Soon
The standard of proof of natural born citizen is demonstrably low. A living, breathing, Constitution could be interpreted to mean not born by Caesarian section.
Perhaps Daniel Hannan, instead of crazy Nigel. I can take him to my local Federal building to get a CT social security number just like O has. ;-) While waiting in line, I'll teach him how to say "Comiskey Park", "Nittany Lions", etc.
Plus, he's a white latino.
Edited on July 13, 2012 at 3:27pmDec '10
Re: Romney Running Mate Coming Soon
ctlaw
Perhaps Daniel Hannan, instead of crazy Nigel. I can take him to my local Federal building to get a CT social security number just like O has. ;-) While waiting in line, I'll teach him how to say "Comiskey Park", "Nittany Lions", etc.
Plus, he's a white latino.
I did not know that! He is a white latino!! And he speaks, English, Spanish, and German... at least three more languages than Biden!
Apr '11
Re: Romney Running Mate Coming Soon
Western Chauvinist
To Governor Romney I would say, "Conservatism isn't the cause of our problems; conservatism is the solution to them." If Romney believed that, he'd make the caseeffectivelyand he wouldn't choose a (another) nonconservative, Condi Rice, as a running mate. Passion for a subject (conservatism) translates into persuasion, which translates into votes. See Ronald Reagan.
The great counterexample is William F. Buckley. WFB couldn't translate his articulate passion for conservatism into votes in NY. That's because NY was too poisoned by leftism, not because of WFB's deficiencies.
That's what I mean by "let the chips fall..." I'm not careless about this race. It's time to find out if the rest of the country is NY. If it is (and I doubt it), it won't matter much who gets elected.
Sometimes you face a tough game; NY was too tough for WFB, for instance. Sometimes your opponent isn't prohibitively superior to you. Under those circumstances, you need to fight as hard as you can. I don't think Condi is my answer, or Mitt's answer, but who helps win is definitely a part of the question.
Dec '11
Re: Romney Running Mate Coming Soon
Is it not possible that he wants Condi (or is considering her) on her merits? If he wanted an ethnic or female veep, there are lots of possible choices, but none with her credentials. She would bring a weight and respectability to the ticket that few others would, would balance the ticket with her strong foreign policy experience, and there is no doubt she could take the big chair if it came to that. Her biology is only the gravy, not the meat.
Nov '11
Re: Romney Running Mate Coming Soon
Romney Rice?!?!?
If Romney wins, that's what they will call the meal served daily in the New Hoovervilles. Why would anyone want to be president next time? He'll get all the blame for the deepening economic crapslogs we can't avoid ploughing through. Obama alone deserves that blame, and that's one more reason I hope Romney loses.
And that's why Condi would be such a great pick . . . because she would guarantee a Romney defeat.
Aside from what Morgan Freeman might say about her complexion, on her own merits Condi really would be a terrible pick.
As the primary foreign policy guide of a president who failed to understand Machiavelli's first rule of politics (Nobody lives, or holds office, forever), Rice bears grave blame for the complete disasters that Afghanistan and Iraq are about to become, blame for not finishing that work before Obama could ruin it. (Sorry, you can't blame Obama for not finishing Bush's job for him.)
Random thoughts:
Is Romney still trying to exorcise religious demons?
Many evangelicals would stay home in November.
In a debate, Biden would unnerve Rice because she simply doesn't understand how to deal with irrationality.
Edited on July 13, 2012 at 5:09pmJul '11
Re: Romney Running Mate Coming Soon
Mark Wilson
The vice president has next to zero influence on abortion policy. And at the chance that she would unexpectedly become president, she's not a pro-abortion ideologue (as far as I can tell) who would use that as a litmus test for Supreme Court nominees. So I don't think that's something we should put much emphasis on. · 14 hours ago
Supremes are decided at the Presidential level, not the Vice President.
Personally, I hope she is the pick. She could probably melt people by brainpower alone, and she would totally clown Biden in a debate. She brings diversity to the ticket. Her foreign policy experience would be invaluable with what the U.S. is about to face. She's totally a power babe in heels, as this picture shows:
I say pick her.
Dec '10
Re: Romney Running Mate Coming Soon
Only a few people have made glancing references to whether selecting Ms. Rice (no insult on skipping the Dr., I just only use "Dr." to mean MD) would depress base turnout.
May I remind folks that Ron Paul will have somewhere between 300 - 500 delegates at the Convention? May I further remind folks that Ms. Rice is one of the architects of the foreign policy these people loath?
Does anyone here think that she will attract more votes than she will alienate within the Republican party? Is the support of the Ron Paul contingent assumed? I suppose that is an open question, but I will put my money where my mouth is on this one:
The nomination of Condoleeza Rice as VP would lead to Gary Johnson securing over 2% of the vote. Thereafter, Mitt Romney will lose the popular vote by 2 - 4 points.
Aug '10
Re: Romney Running Mate Coming Soon
It's rather depressing that everyone instantly starts talking about race and gender identity politics, as if this would just be a cold political calculation.
Romney is a businessman. I think he is going to pick a VP candidate the way he would pick an executive team in business. He's going to look for people who would make the most improvement to his administration. Condoleeza Rice is much admired in the world, and has excellent foreign policy credentials - an area which is the most lacking in Romney's resume.
Not everything is about gay rights and abortion. It's a very difficult world out there these days, and the next four years are likely to be riddled with tough foreign policy challenges - especially if Romney plans to re-position the U.S. as the world leader. He'll need the best people he can get, and anyone would put Rice near the top of the list in foreign policy.