McCain-Pawlenty Looking Better Than McCain-Romney

Romney Tops Pawlenty, et al

This would be a fatal faux paz by the McCain team; he should be learning from Obama's woes in selecting the wrong running mate, and alienting the core GOP base. McCain has to realize that he’s “only as tall as the shoulders he’s standing on,” and that Romney would out-produce any other VP candidate:

* Established Red States see Romney as a known-commodity; he prevents any surprise defections on Election Day;

* Large purple States have shown they don’t don’t trust Obama: they all voted for Hillary. A businesman with a plan for creating jobs — something only Romney has done — could have huge credibility here. (I live in California, and I think McCain-Romney puts the Golden State back in play: McCain appeals to the Hispanic crowd — granted, for the wrong reasons –and Romney appeals to the business/tech worker crowd.)

* Romney is the only VP selection smart/articulate enought go toe-to-toe with a slickster like Biden in the VP debates. The GOP does not want another Bentson-Quayle episode here.

* Romney unifies the GOP, by giving the Right something to get excited about for future years (Centrist McCain doesn’t warm any cockles… but may be the GOP’s only shot at winning in 2008, given the ecomony, gas prices, the Left’s opposition to Iraq, etc.) McCain might be able to grab spurned Hillary voters, while Romney energizes the Right.

* Don’t forget about healthcare… and the fact, as Governor of Masschusetts, Romney helped create the only program in the US under which all citizens were able to obtain affordable health insurance coverage. Even the naysayers at NPR had to praise him for that: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5330854

* Together, they fill-in-the-blanks in each other’s resumes: McCain brings military and foreign policy expertise; Romney brings economic and job creation expertise. (Not proposing a Mr. International/ Mr. Domestic arrangement… but, they do compliment one another well.)

* Romney helps with fundraising… a lot. I know my checkbook will finally be open, if McCain shows he’s taking this thing seriously by selecting a candidate with chops. Not to mention staying power for future election years.

* Yes, he’s done some incovenient flip-flops; but Romney hasn’t outright lied, or said things that are supremely stupid… as Obama, Biden, and McCain all have. He may come off a little too polished, but at least Romney knows when to keep his mouth shut.

McCAIN, ROMNEY AND THE HOUSES

For those of us who want McCain to win, then Romney is his best hope. The overwhelming issue of the country today is the economy, not likely to improve anytime soon. And the overwhelming void in the experience of McCain, Biden and Obama, particularly the latter, is economic. In fact, the only candidate through the entire primary and general who presented legitimate economic bona fides is Romney. Sure, the media beat up his flip flops, which compared to Obama’s today, are minor. (Besides, according to a recent issue of Newsweek, now that Obama has started doing it, flip-flopping is good.) And Huckabee, the one-time key-note speaker at an anti-Mormon conference, went after Romney’s religion. But surveys showed that by the end of the primary season, Romney was carrying as many Evangelical votes as Huckabee. There’s unquestionably a narrow strata of anti-Mormon Evangelicals who still refuse to believe Mormons are Christians, but they don’t like McCain either, surely won't vote for Obama, and with Huckabee’s demise, will likely stay home. The majority of Evangelicals are driven by critical core values that will compel them to the polls, if only to ensure that the next two Supreme Court Justices are not rabid pro-abortionists. Evangelicals understand that there's a lot at stake that will matter long after the next President or Vice President have come and gone. In fact, McCain could use the occasion of selecting Romney as his running mate to take an aggressive and public stand against religious bigotry of any kind. When race, gender or religion are litmus tests for public service, we all lose.

Together, McCain and Romney have a real shot: this is the team - and the only one on either side of the aisle -with the expertise and experience to hit on all cylinders: National Security, Economy, Health Care, Governance, and Family Values. Together, they bring it all to the table. Both are fully vetted, Romney's age is just right -not too young or too old to match McCain, he is seriously smart -- the only candidate recognized with global economy credentials in the entire race, and he is a believable candidate for the position a heartbeat away from the Presidency. They are alike, yet different; they both convey competence and leadership; and, yes, Romney helps a McCain presidency “look” better. Finally, Romney can deliver Michigan and strengthens McCain in other key western states.

America is starting to feel desperate for leaders who can rebuild this nation’s economic stability; a President who made his money writing books just doesn’t instill confidence in me. I want the guy who turned Staples into a global giant, managed to relight the torch of a dying Olympics, and understands how to ensure America’s place in a global economy. Voters don't care how many houses McCain and Romney own; in fact, those houses assure us me that they know how to achieve economic success. This country could use a heavy dose of that at this point in time. Give us our future. Give us McCain/Romney.

If NPR is impressed with Romney

then that's all the more reason to choose Pawlenty.

DNC has had operatives working on SwiftBoating Romney since the primaries. Choosing a dark horse candidate from deep center field keeps Dean and his shameless enforcers off balance, and shows that McCain is a straight-talking ¡MAVERICK! who doesn't always listen to the conventional wisdom, even of his own base. Pawlenty seems like the kind of guy who has changed his own oil lately. He likes CCR, or at least his media consultants do. Team Pawlenty.