# Pick the Republican Veep **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [January 10, 2012, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pick-the-republican-veep/609068 "2012-01-10T19:08:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2012, 10:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pick-the-republican-veep/609068/61 "2012-01-11T10:57:15Z")
> [@Spiff](#): > > Kills it for you (and for me), but it’s a plus for a hell of a lot of other people in this country. > > It’s just that those are the kind of people that I suspect you and I rarely come across. I do hang out in religious conservative circles (or at least, I did), and I’ve never met someone who was Protestant and against birth control. Even to the point where I’ve heard some Baptists use it as a way to make fun of Catholics. (These are those Baptists who believe Catholics are idolatrous heathens.) ---
**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:** [January 11, 2012, 10:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pick-the-republican-veep/609068/62 "2012-01-11T10:58:20Z")
> [@C4nuck](#): > > For no other reason than I haven’t seen the name mentioned… > > Tim Pawlenty. AKA “The Republican Walter Mondale”, with all the charisma thereof. He brings nothing to the table and so is not likely to be picked. If the Veep comes from the also-ran pool, I’d bet on Santorum to keep the religious right who are nervous about voting for a Mormon happy. No way are they going to dignify Ron Paul with a high-profile position - he’s too hard to keep quiet. Think Biden but with even more offensive outbursts. If an outsider…probably DeMint or Daniels. I suspect they’ll avoid the “let’s get a woman/minority candidate” approach as last time it didn’t exactly get the women voting GOP in larger numbers than usual. ---
**Author:** ![dorsk188](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f05b48/32.png) [@dorsk188](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dorsk188)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2012, 11:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pick-the-republican-veep/609068/63 "2012-01-11T11:27:53Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Do the do a lot of singhing in those ceremonies? > > Seriously, is this something that she actually does, or is this like the Obama is a crypto-Muslim thing? My understanding is that she really does do this. According to wiki, she’s on some Methodist church’s board and claims to be a Christian. Like I said, Democrats won’t make it an issue, so I doubt the awkward details would come up. ---
**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:** [January 11, 2012, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pick-the-republican-veep/609068/64 "2012-01-11T14:15:14Z")
Bob McDonnell might be a good choice geographicly. He’s not overtly pro-Tea Party, but not against it either. He’s solidly conservative, but not batshit crazy. His Lt. Governor is a Republican also, so the VA Governorship would remain in the party. I don’t know how a new Lt Gov would be picked, that might complicate things at the state level. I think he’s done a decent job as Governor, and I say that as a Virginia Democrat. He’s governed more moderately than I feared, although the way some Republicans talk these days anything less than a Theocratic Police State Kleptocracy is a relief. OTOH, if he talks about a “Virginia Miracle” I’ll puke. McDonnell’s campaign had no plan to raise more money to close the state’s budget gap. They might as well have promised to cover the state with bags and wait for it to rain money. Then the Federal Government rained money on Northern VA and the Tidewater area in the form of contracts, consultants, new government programs, defense spending, etc. Economically, Bob McDonnell and the state of VA are exteremly lucky. I have to say, I’d be less disturbed with McDonnell as VP or sudden POTUS than with most current Republican politicians. He’s not that experienced at a national level, but many of the Rs who are experienced are scary. He can’t succeed himself as Governor, and the next Senate election shot is 2014. He’d probably take the job if offered. I haven’t heard of any scandals. If he can bring in the base, he’s a good candidate for Veep. ---
**Author:** ![Jas09](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d07c76/32.png) [@Jas09](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jas09)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2012, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pick-the-republican-veep/609068/65 "2012-01-11T14:22:50Z")
> [@snowmaster](#): > > Rand Paul. > > Southern, more conservative than Mitt. > > As a newly elected senator, can claim not to be an insider. > > All the Tea Party / Libertarian cachet of his dad but with less non-independant-voter compatible baggage. He can be his own man, or, as may be the case, Romney’s man. I saw this idea floated somewhere else, and at first thought it was crazy… But it might be brilliant if for only one reason - it might keep Ron Paul from even contemplating an independent run, and bring in some of his cadre to support the GOP. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2012, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pick-the-republican-veep/609068/66 "2012-01-11T14:40:25Z")
> [@CaptMurdock](#): > > Well, then, you’re using it wrong. :p:D:D:) Yeah, but he’s got an excuse: I don’t believe he’s biologically qualified to use it right. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2012, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pick-the-republican-veep/609068/67 "2012-01-11T14:43:42Z")
If I were in the Romney camp, I’d be thinking DeMint. 1. He’s gotta pick someone with serious wingnut chops. 2. It can’t be someone who’s going to look stupid the moment they step onto the national stage. 3. It definitely can’t be one of the other clowns currently running. They’re all bozos on that bus. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2012, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pick-the-republican-veep/609068/68 "2012-01-11T15:07:40Z")
What does it matter? Whoever the Republicans pick for any role, they are heading for a massive defeat against an unpopular Democrat incumbent. Presumably the next election will be the beginning of the end for the Republicans. Surely they will lose some of their own states even though people don’t want to vote for Obama. ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2012, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pick-the-republican-veep/609068/69 "2012-01-11T15:14:32Z")
> [@don\_t\_ask](#): > > What does it matter? Whoever the Republicans pick for any role, they are heading for a massive defeat against an unpopular Democrat incumbent. Presumably the next election will be the beginning of the end for the Republicans. Surely they will lose some of their own states even though people don’t want to vote for Obama. I thought 2008 was the beginning of the end of the Republicans. ---
**Author:** ![Ichbin\_Dubist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/51bf81/32.png) [@Ichbin\_Dubist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ichbin_Dubist)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2012, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pick-the-republican-veep/609068/70 "2012-01-11T15:42:55Z")
> [@dorsk188](#): > > He gave a goofy speech where he dismissed key scientific endeavors. He also took stimulus funds and fumbled the Deep Water Horizon disaster. He’s an exorcism-believing Catholic and he’s got brown skin. I forgot his response to the oil spill. That’s what happens when you don’t have cable. I think at some point the brown skin is going to become a positive, for a VP candidate at least, but you don’t want to confuse the primary voters with the whole demon-haunted Catholic thing. I also keep forgetting that Newt is Catholic. There hasn’t been a lot of fealty-to-the-Pope talk, has there? I guess it’s clear where Newt’s fealty lies, but doesn’t a hard-line Catholic like Santorum make your average fundamentalist Baptist nervous about the Pope’s armies marching down Pennsylvania Avenue? The current _New Yorker_ has a pretty interesting article in its current issue detailing soem problems with Marco Rubio as a strategy for bagging the Hispanic vote. Looking through the list of governors to see who’s getting forgotten as a possible VP candidate, I think they should nominate Idaho governor [Butch Otter](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C._L._Otter), because he’s a pro-life, hard-line fundie named Butch Otter. Plus, Willard and Clement, who can resist. (A surprisingly huge number of Republican governors have not been in office for very long.) ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2012, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pick-the-republican-veep/609068/71 "2012-01-11T16:38:23Z")
If you think Santorum would ever willingly play second fiddle to ANYONE, you don’t know the man. He’s an egotistical jackass. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2012, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pick-the-republican-veep/609068/72 "2012-01-11T17:42:03Z")
> [@](#): > > Quoth **Enlightening Meditation** : > My recommendation as a hypothetical paid consultant would be Mike Huckabee. Y’know, on thinking about it, he’d be a great choice. His politics are in some ways rather extreme, even by Tea Party standards, but they seem to be genuinely-held, and they won’t be as much of a drawback for moderates, in the VP slot. And on the other hand, he’s genuinely likable, and seems to be a basically decent person. And he should certainly appeal strongly to the evangelical crowd, and also add some geographic diversity to the campaign if anyone still cares about that. ---
**Author:** ![The\_wind\_of\_my\_soul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecc23a/32.png) [@The\_wind\_of\_my\_soul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_wind_of_my_soul)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2012, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pick-the-republican-veep/609068/73 "2012-01-11T17:48:39Z")
I agree that Huckabee would be a good choice, but I have my doubts about his willingness to be vice president. It seemed to me that a lot of the reason why he didn’t run for president was because it would have meant giving up his job with Fox News. Being VP would require the same thing of him. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2012, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pick-the-republican-veep/609068/74 "2012-01-11T18:56:02Z")
> [@Typo\_Knig](#): > > OTOH, if he talks about a “Virginia Miracle” I’ll puke. McDonnell’s campaign had no plan to raise more money to close the state’s budget gap. They might as well have promised to cover the state with bags and wait for it to rain money. Then the Federal Government rained money on Northern VA and the Tidewater area in the form of contracts, consultants, new government programs, defense spending, etc. Economically, Bob McDonnell and the state of VA are exteremly lucky. Is that lucky or a calculated risk that if the Feds start spending assloads of $ to prop up the economy, then No. Virginia will get a nice chunk of change. The more I read in this thread, the more I’m convinced McDonnell will get the VP nod because he is a safe choice and won’t lose the election for you. I think he has a slight edge over Christie because having McDonnell on the ticket helps you in the “It’s the economy, stupid” part of the debate. Other than being tough on crime, what does Christie bring to the table? ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2012, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pick-the-republican-veep/609068/75 "2012-01-11T19:02:47Z")
Missed the edit window. To Typo Knig, a new Lt. Governor of Virginia would be chosen by general election. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2012, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pick-the-republican-veep/609068/76 "2012-01-11T22:19:09Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > Is that lucky or a calculated risk that if the Feds start spending assloads of $ to prop up the economy, then No. Virginia will get a nice chunk of change. > > The more I read in this thread, the more I’m convinced McDonnell will get the VP nod because he is a safe choice _ **and won’t lose the election for you** _. I think he has a slight edge over Christie because having McDonnell on the ticket helps you in the “It’s the economy, stupid” part of the debate. Other than being tough on crime, what does Christie bring to the table? Well, just as long as _something_ loses the election for Romney, I’m not much fussed about what exactly it is. ---
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2012, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pick-the-republican-veep/609068/77 "2012-01-12T03:41:41Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > They won’t pick Rubio. Many Hispanic Americans resent Cubans for the special privileges they have enjoyed over the years. The belief that he will appeal to Hispanics simply because he comes from a Spanish speaking background reflects more of our Anglo ignorance than anything else. Also, he has several solidly closed doors in his life, a number of which may have the rustlings of skeletons behind them. I frankly doubt he would survive a severe vetting. So a Tio Tomas? Of course the hysterical ultra-left organizers who rile up the Hispanic masses in the cities will be fanatically against anybodyh who even points out the fact that illegal immigrants, are well, illegal. I think the Hispanic middle class vote can be in play though as seen in 2004. > [@Jas09](#): > > Barbour is another somewhat interesting thought, but I think he burned his bridges by [pardoning 4 murderers](http://www.cnn.com/2012/01/09/justice/mississippi-murder-pardons/index.html) yesterday (including one that shot his wife in the head while she was holding their baby). Southern-fried Michael Dukakis definately won’t cut. > [@Rhythmdvl](#): > > What about Huckabee? He seems to have a lot of checked boxes. Southern, deep conservative credentials, Fox News darling, engaging and charismatic. Doesn’t the Tea Party like him as well? Some people hate him because he defended the First Lady in her anti-child obesity initiative. My short list (assuming a Romney nomination): Newt Gingrich Jon Huntsman Nikki Haley Bob McDonald Chris Christie Mike Huckabee Tim Pawlenty Lisa Murkowski (Another lady from Alaska but moderate) Marco Rubio Bobby Jindal Kay Bailey Hutchinson ---
**Author:** ![C3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/c3/32/3108_2.png) [@C3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C3)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2012, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pick-the-republican-veep/609068/78 "2012-01-12T04:29:20Z")
> [@Ichbin\_Dubist](#): > > I also keep forgetting that Newt is Catholic. There hasn’t been a lot of fealty-to-the-Pope talk, has there? I guess it’s clear where Newt’s fealty lies, but doesn’t a hard-line Catholic like Santorum make your average fundamentalist Baptist nervous about the Pope’s armies marching down Pennsylvania Avenue? I don’t think anyone thinks Gingrich is _really_ Catholic - he only converted to make his mistress-turned-3rd wife happy. Newt is better described as “Catholic”. > [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](#): > > Some people hate him because he defended the First Lady in her anti-child obesity initiative. Jesus wept. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2012, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pick-the-republican-veep/609068/79 "2012-01-12T06:32:46Z")
> [@C3](#): > > Jesus wept. While Gingrich laughed at him. ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2012, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pick-the-republican-veep/609068/80 "2012-01-12T06:58:26Z")
Romney isn’t merely a Morman, he’s a [former Morman priest](http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/16/us/politics/for-romney-a-role-of-faith-and-authority.html?pagewanted=all). I’m surprised evangelicals haven’t given this more airplay. Anyway, pairing him up with another man of the cloth -Huckabee- might mollify the fundamentalists. Also, you want your VP to be a team player, which counts out Gingrich and perhaps even Huntsman. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pick-the-republican-veep/609068.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pick-the-republican-veep/609068.md?page=5)