Source: McCain Vice President Search Now Focuses on Pawlenty

Pawlenty better than Jindal

I like Pawlenty. He seems popular in relatively liberal states and has pretty broad appeal. Jindal is too unknown and I think he'll have a hard time helping McCain win over the racist vote.

hrs of CT @ Jun 20, 2008 14:30:44 PM

My eye is on California

The big prize wouldn't be Minnesota, but California. Historically, California is more likely than Minnesota. I don't know if McCain could win in California, but I think that the kind of candidate it would take to give that a try would also serve McCain well in New Mexico, Colorado, Nevada, Florida, and Texas.

Although the governator can't run, he could help the right kind of Republican candidate, there and nationally. What is needed is someone who is strong on free trade and market freedom. And it wouldn't hurt to seek some diversity. I think a freedom-loving, free-trading, hispanic candidate could be an excellent choice. At the bottom of the immigration issue there are some simple questions like, "Do you like to eat?", "Do you want to eat food grown on American farms?"

I think that people generally like Republican policies, but don't like Republicans. That is, they want market freedom and property rights, but the kind of person who goes into politics to support market freedom tends to be far less charismatic than the kind of person who goes into politics with the "if only we could get everyone to..." persuasive mentality of the socialist.

And Obama has started off his national campaign by demonizing McCain personally rather than addressing issues on which they differ. (Probably, that is because Obama's positions on oil, taxes, and property rights are all losers for him, maybe even on Iraq.) So Obama is desparately trying to invent some beyond the pale attack by McCain on his wife or some other way to portray McCain as running a dirty campaign. This tactic worked against Clinton, but only because issues didn't really matter against her. McCain has been scrupulous.

I think that Republicans need to run with someone who can articulate their governing principles, and yet also open to compromise in the face of overwhelming national concerns. For example, there is an overwhelming national concern about the environment, so I think that even the most ardent supporter of property rights has to take that into account. Conversely, there is an overwhelming concern about energy, so even the most ardent environmentalist ought to take that into account. Those Republicans who can both stand for principles and balance these concerns (such as the governator) can do well in California. I think that is why McCain won the nomination.

In this race, I think that the South is the big challenge. I think that many people underestimate the likelihood that Obama will pick up traditionally Republican Southern states particularly Virginia and North Carolina. The proportion of black voters in the South is very high, as is the proportion of traditional Democrats. This will, in at least a few Southern states, outnumber the Southern voters who have gone Republican on issues like gun control, taxation, free global trade, religious liberty, and property rights. Obama may lose the South, but the idea that Obama will lose the South because he is black is very wrong.

Mazzula of VA @ Jun 20, 2008 13:07:35 PM

Pawlenty offers no bounce

Pawlenty has approval ratings of around 50%. Contrast this with Sarah Palin who has approval ratings of 80%-90% in a state the Dems are targetting in the Senate rate. Too much focus on which groups/states a VP can bring in clouds the issue. The last VP who delivered a key state was Lyndon Johnson who delivered Texas for JFK, and that was in 1960!

Of all the competent pols who are acceptable to Republicans as a VP candidate, the most popular with voters - by far - is Sarah Palin. Any other choice is madness

Danno @ Jun 20, 2008 07:55:09 AM

Pawlenty NOT a good choice...

It has to be someone with national name recognition like Guliani, Lieberman or Bloomberg, and someone who is moderate enough to help with the independent voters. Despite their grumblings, the conservative right wing will come out to vote...there's no need to pander to them specifically with the VP pick...there's no way they will stay home and let the most left-wing, liberal Democratic candidate in memory (Obama) take the presidency.

Cy Brown of GA @ Jun 19, 2008 22:13:39 PM

Poor Choice

Can't think of a more unexciting, uninspiring choice -- and I do not think Pawlenty will bring in either Minnesota or Wisconsin. He will be a complete drag on the ticket -- but I guess he honors the first rule: He won't do any harm -- other than the harm of McCain foregoing on a more charismatic VP choice.

voter of NY @ Jun 19, 2008 21:57:34 PM

Sports to trump sense?

This would be "good news" for the Democrats, compared with McCain picking a woman, such as Condi Rice, Heather Wison or Carly Fiorina. Because if John picks a woman, Barack will have to pick Mrs. Clinton----and we ARE trying to get past the Clinton era if possible.

As for trying to win by attaching to sports analogies and wooing sports fans, that sounds very much like something inane that McCain could easily dream up.

Go, go, go for it------so issue voters can get on with beating "team" voters.

Daniel David of @ Jun 19, 2008 15:42:12 PM