Will the GOP pick a woman or an Hispanic for the number two spot on the 2112 ticket or will they pick another ORWG (old rich white guy)?
The question arises by a recent report from WISH TV in Indianapolis that Hoosier Governor Mitch Daniels will not rule out accepting the second chair on the 2012 ticket.
With both Michele Bachmann and Herman Cain now for sure out of the running, that means all the GOP nominees are white men (once again). Naturally everyone has been speculating that the GOP will likely pick a female or an Hispanic for a running mate in order to appeal to minorities. But will the nominee pick a minority?
Now, usually a VP candidate is chosen for one or both of two reasons. Either he is an also ran in the primary race, or he brings along with him the possibility that a section of the country that the presidential nominee does not appeal to will come to vote for the combined ticket. (It should also be noted that a president and vice president cannot be from the same state.)
Some say that the appeal that needs to be added to the ticket is one aimed at bringing minorities to the ticket. Marco Rubio of Florida has been floated repeatedly as the VP nominee for just this reason. Such notables as Susana Matrinez, Meg Whitman, even Herman Cain have also been floated as VP picks. And it should be remembered that last time John McCain picked a female, Sarah Palin, to fill the number two seat.
But let’s face it, Mitch Daniels could also bring a lot of gravitas to the ticket. No matter which of those that are left attain the nomination, Daniels brings a lot of people that have been put off by the current nominees. Further he is a solid midwesterner and brings a section of the country that neither Romney, Santorum, Paul nor Perry bring to the ticket.
But will the GOP put up a totally white bread ticket against the first black president and his former Secretary of State — er, I mean former Senator Joe Biden — as vice president?
(H/T Hot Air)
January 6th, 2012 at 3:45 pm
Chicks aren’t minorities but I get your point and it is really important to consider how to counter a possible Obama-Hillary ticket.
Is there a woman out there with enough respect not to get Palanized? Geraldine Ferraro took it on the chin too, so nominees have been burned twice when picking Ladies.
Marco Rubio is Catholic and so is Santorum. Given the apparent Mormon bias, will evangelicals turn out for a Mormon-Catholic ticket? And is Marco Rubio really a social conservative? To my mind he is known as a fiscal conservative.
January 6th, 2012 at 4:57 pm
Rubio has said repeatedly that he does not want to be a VP. Condi Rice has been floated as a possible VP for Romney. Daniels or Chris Christie would make more sense. Even Rick Perry would be a better choice, IMHO, to be a Romney Veep than Santorum.
Santorum is riding high at the moment because he became the default Any-One-But-Romney option in the final week of the Iowa campaign. Its barely been 3 weeks since Herman Cain flamed out. He needs at least two really big name Conservatives to endorse him and quickly. Right now, I just do not see that happening until after South Carolina, if at all.
January 6th, 2012 at 5:00 pm
Yes, Patrick, your serious Baptists and such must be scratching their heads wondering what to do at this point? Other than Rick Perry, they do not have anyone left in the game.
January 6th, 2012 at 5:03 pm
Heck, I’m still shocked that people seem willing to vote for a Magic Salamander-worshipper for president!!
January 6th, 2012 at 5:14 pm
You mean a Liberal?
If so, I certainly hope not.
January 6th, 2012 at 11:03 pm
I didn’t know the GOP picked the VP. I thought that was up to the GOP Presidential nominee.
January 7th, 2012 at 9:20 am
Seton, hilarious!