Who will be Romney’s VP Pick? Round II

Filed in National by on April 14, 2012

It is time to winnow down the list, check the betting markets, and make some obvious deletions.

Still in the running:

Romney/Ryan: He is already the running mate in spirit, why not make him the running mate in fact? Team Obama likes this pick. (Intrade: 6%)

Romney/Jeb Bush: Jeb doesn’t seem the type to “take one for the team” and yet if he aspires to the nomination in 2016, this could make sense. After this year’s fuster-cluck, the GOP will front load the primary season try to wrap the nomination up as early as possible. Smart 2016 contenders will commence campaigning today. (Intrade: 2.4%)

Romney/Rice: If she gets he jobs of narrowing down the field, she might pull a Cheney and pick herself. While it is true that she’d raise unwelcome reminders of George W. Bush, she would diversify Romney’s base of advisors and some in the media still regard the Iraq debacle as “foreign policy credentials.” (Intrade: 1.3%)

Romney/Rob Portman, the junior senator from Ohio. (Intrade: 12%)

Romney/Christie: The same 2016 reasoning facing Jeb Bush could bring in the GOP’s favorite Governor. I said that he is too smart to hitch his wagon to the Romney debacle, but he may be too smart by half and feel the need to start building his 2016 machine early. (Intrade 10.6%)

Romney/Rubio: He has said flat out that he doesn’t want it, but he checks off a lot of boxes and the GOP is all about checking off boxes. (Intrade: 25%)

Romney/Corbett: I still don’t know much about Corbett. He is like a second tier Christie, but PA has 21 electoral college votes. (Intrade: 0%)

Romney/Kasich: Of the Republican Govornors, Kasich only lags Wisconsin’s Scott Walker in the “Governors I don’t like” department. He has perhaps been too public, too transparent in his attacks on workers. (Intrade: 0.4%)

Romney/Paul (Rand): This would be the pick that reminds everybody about what a bad choice McCain made when he picked Palin. Rand Paul has some standing in Wingnutia, but the stuff they like about him would be baggage in a national campaign. I think Rand gets eliminated in round three unless he makes some kind of overt move. (Intrade: 1.6%)

Romney/Perry: Still the longest of long shots. I haven’t seen Perry out trying to rehabilitate his image. It is possible that the primary experience was a wake up call for Perry, who now knows that he is not up to the job of being President. If that is the case, he is the most self-aware Republican since Barry Goldwater. (Intrade: 0.1%)

Out of the Running:

Romney/Santorum: No. Rick will be looking to 2016 and I doubt that creating “party unity” is going to be on his agenda. 0%

Romney/Huntsman: Too sane.  Also,  an all LDS ticket? Not so likely. 0%

Romney/Bachmann: A crazy conservative woman to make Romney seem sane while winning back women who hate women? 1%

Romney/Gingrich: The most hated man in America? We could only wish for that pick. 1%

Romney/Cain: Cain who? Oh yeah, that pizza guy who cheats on his wife 1%

Romney/Paul (Ron): The Paulites finally get a crumb from the GOP power brokers ?

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Jason330 is a deep cover double agent working for the GOP. Don't tell anybody.

Comments (17)

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  1. Rob says:

    He should pick an unknown with an impeccable record of strength, honesty, wisdom and virtue. Anyone like that will be a very helpful VP.

  2. jason330 says:

    …but wouldn’t be a Republican.

  3. I think it will be Jindal. Rice would be an interesting choice, might get him some good publicity. Rice doesn’t need Romney though if she wants to run in 2016. Most of these guys don’t really, that might be why some are not really excited about being the #2 on the ticket.

  4. For a while I thought Romney and Paul might have a deal to put Rand Paul on the ticket. I thought it could be a way to get the only people with real excitement and commitment into the game. Now that Paul is losing pretty badly I no longer think this will happen.

  5. The ultimate safe bet for Romney might be Pawlenty. He won’t overshadow Romney (like Christie or Ryan would) and he’s a reliable, if not exciting, conservative. Pawlenty would benefit for 2016.

  6. jason330 says:

    Pawlenty and Jindal are both trading at 2.5%. I probably should include them on future lists, but they just leave me flat. I guess I’m not alone in that reaction.

  7. Joanne Christian says:

    Romney/Rice

    Romney/Snowe

    Romney/Whitman

    Anyone else, he can talk to me about first.

  8. jason330 says:

    JC, You are truly the last of the Mohicans.

  9. anon says:

    Romney/Romney Mitt picks his own wife to prove that there is no Republican War on Women and that a housewife who has never held another job is not only qualified to be a presidential economic advisor, but qualified to be Vice President.

    I threw up in my mouth a little bit with that comment.

  10. Liberal Elite says:

    What? No Romney/Palin? That would energize the base.

    They might rescue Scott Brown… pretend he’s not headed for a loss.

  11. Jason330 says:

    I feel like Palin’s star has finally faded.

  12. Rustydils says:

    Some of you guys have a fatal flaw in your vp anaylisis. Many of your are talking about which person would best position themselves for 2016. Not going to be in play

  13. Jason330 says:

    Dils is giving Hilary Clinton even more credit than I am.

  14. heragain says:

    I think he’ll be looking for an elder-statesman, possibly someone from an executive administrative branch, but daringly someone with experience in the judiciary. So you’re looking for someone who served with Reagan’s administration, or Bush the elder, who hasn’t run for office in a long time. He’ll pick an older man to make himself look younger, and a non-pol to cultivate his ‘outsider’ cred.

  15. Liberal Elite says:

    @h “but daringly someone with experience in the judiciary.”

    Oh… Please pick Scalia or Thomas. Please please.

  16. heragain says:

    lol. That would be awesome, but no one would give up that job. Circuit or appellate, from the west, maybe.

  17. jason330 says:

    What about Sheriff Joe Arpaio? He’s make Romney seem sane in comparison.