# Handicapping the GOP Veepstakes **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [April 6, 2012, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/handicapping-the-gop-veepstakes/618017 "2012-04-06T17:42:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 11
**Author:** ![Lantern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d26b3c/32.png) [@Lantern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lantern)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2012, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/handicapping-the-gop-veepstakes/618017/201 "2012-07-17T05:31:50Z")
Thanks for the research. Clearly tickets with no DC experience are rare though I am really surprised a major party nominated a candidate with zero political experience of any kind. I glanced through the Wiki entry on Willkie ; he was far behind Dewey in May but as the only internationalist in the field he benefitted enormously from Germany’s dramatic military victories that summer and at the convention in June he won the nomination on the sixth ballot. It must have been really dramatic. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2012, 9:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/handicapping-the-gop-veepstakes/618017/202 "2012-07-17T09:34:01Z")
> [@Nars\_Glinley](#): > > Drudge is reporting (from no source) that Condoleezza Rice is near the top of the list. I can’t imagine that she wants the job. I’m going to take a wild guess, based solely on her statements that she doesn’t want the job, that she doesn’t want the job. See also: Dave Petraeus, Colin Powell. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2012, 11:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/handicapping-the-gop-veepstakes/618017/203 "2012-07-17T11:23:46Z")
The latest rumor is that a decision has been made. My prediction: Pawlenty, to be announced Thursday. In time to get a couple weekday news cycles and make the rounds with the Sunday talking heads. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2012, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/handicapping-the-gop-veepstakes/618017/204 "2012-07-17T16:01:27Z")
> [@Nars\_Glinley](#): > > Drudge is reporting (from no source) that Condoleezza Rice is near the top of the list. I can’t imagine that she wants the job. Time will tell, but in the meantime, it’s worth remembering that Drudge has a long history of getting this wrong. [http://spectator.org/blog/2012/07/12/drudges-terrible-record-of-vp](http://spectator.org/blog/2012/07/12/drudges-terrible-record-of-vp) ---
**Author:** ![Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kolak_of_twilo/32/73_2.png) [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolak_of_Twilo)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2012, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/handicapping-the-gop-veepstakes/618017/205 "2012-07-17T17:57:15Z")
> [@Nars\_Glinley](#): > > Drudge is reporting (from no source) that Condoleezza Rice is near the top of the list. I can’t imagine that she wants the job. I don’t see this happening but I guess I can dream! Having a pro-choice running mate would torpedo any chance Romney has of winning in November. Seriously, at this point it appears the smart money would be on Pawlenty or Portman. Mitt is not known for making bold moves so even with all the talk of a female or Hispanic running mate I think going with the safe choice of a slightly less dull white male is more likely. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2012, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/handicapping-the-gop-veepstakes/618017/206 "2012-07-17T17:59:51Z")
Slightly less dull than who? Cause I can’t imagine someone duller than Romney. Dumber yes, but not duller. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2012, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/handicapping-the-gop-veepstakes/618017/207 "2012-07-17T18:15:34Z")
I guess the campaign bio will be entitled “Dull and Dullerer” ---
**Author:** ![Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kolak_of_twilo/32/73_2.png) [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolak_of_Twilo)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2012, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/handicapping-the-gop-veepstakes/618017/208 "2012-07-17T18:25:24Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > Slightly less dull than who? Cause I can’t imagine someone duller than Romney. Dumber yes, but not duller. Exactly my point. Mitt is so dull I can imagine him looking at Pawlenty and thinking he positively oozes charisma. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2012, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/handicapping-the-gop-veepstakes/618017/209 "2012-07-17T18:28:16Z")
Portman doesn’t exactly light up a room either, but he might help a little in Ohio, I guess, and has tons of Washington experience. He’s smart and grounded, conservative but not a zealot. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2012, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/handicapping-the-gop-veepstakes/618017/210 "2012-07-17T23:06:15Z")
Portman was Bush’s budget director. Think we might hear that mentioned once or twice if he’s the pick? ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Knig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@Typo\_Knig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Knig)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2012, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/handicapping-the-gop-veepstakes/618017/211 "2012-07-18T01:22:25Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > Portman was Bush’s budget director. Think we might hear that mentioned once or twice if he’s the pick? I already pinkie-swore about Condi - we libs won’t say a thing. Go ahead and put Bush’s budget director in the Veep slot. ;D In reality, unless Romney’s pick is a bigger disaster than Palin it probably won’t matter. I think the election will be about Obama and secondarily about Romney. A couple of weeks after the announcement has been made the Veep nominee will just be a name on a bumper sticker. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2012, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/handicapping-the-gop-veepstakes/618017/212 "2012-07-18T01:23:23Z")
It just occurred to me: Portman would already (as would just about any public officeholder these days) have released a lot more of his past taxes than Romney has, which will hopefully lead to the question, “Why do we know more about your running mate’s taxes than we do about yours, Mr. Romney?” Rick Perry today joined the chorus saying that Romney should release his past taxes. ---
**Author:** ![Snickers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Snickers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snickers)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2012, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/handicapping-the-gop-veepstakes/618017/213 "2012-07-18T13:58:09Z")
Pawlenty is definitely whitebread, but while governor of MN he had a theme concentrating on “Wal-Mart Republicans, not country club Republicans” that I think would really resonate with conservative voters. It’s a version of the “main street, not Wall Street” vision of Obama, but obviously more targeted at conservatives and attempts to battle against the perception of conservatives as a bunch of rich white men. He did also stick very closely to his pledge and did not raise income taxes while governor of Minnesota. That doesn’t mean that other taxes didn’t go up - most localities were forced to raise property taxes to cover the costs schools and law enforcement and such, and he left the state’s finances in worse shape then he got them, but he didn’t raise MN income taxes, that is certain. I don’t care for the guy, and I think he had a pretty crap administration, but I can see how Pawlenty is at least a solid choice, with a message that could resonate. ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2012, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/handicapping-the-gop-veepstakes/618017/214 "2012-07-19T22:38:29Z")
I think I have found [the ideal candidate](http://newsfeed.time.com/2012/07/17/cat-marks-15-years-as-mayor-of-alaska-town/), if precedent is anything to go by. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/handicapping-the-gop-veepstakes/618017.md?page=10)