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| February 11, 2008 6:00 AM
McCain’s Veep
The right No. 2 could help John McCain.
By Lisa Schiffren
Because he is not the first choice of the conservative base, and enthusiasm for his candidacy is, to say the least, weak, presumptive GOP nominee John McCain should use the occasion of choosing his running mate to show us he cares. Instead of the verbal bouquets he’s begun tossing, the ideal Valentine should be something more solid — like picking a real conservative to round out his ticket. In the interests of balance, his running mate should not only be a staunch conservative: he or she should be younger; be more ideas-driven; boast an executive record; and — ideally — have the capacity to carry a major swing state or region. This year, race and gender could also be factors to consider.
What’s good for the GOP ticket today is good for America tomorrow. A running mate who performs well either becomes vice president — a job in which he or she may influence the administration considerably — or, if the ticket loses, becomes the presumptive candidate in 2012.
I asked Corner readers to suggest “a rising star who is likely to be a good vote-getter, a solid conservative, and also good at the policy areas (at least a few of the central ones, like the economy) where McCain is weak.” I also urged that “it has to be a governor with some talent, charisma, and regional respect.” On second thought, it doesn’t have to be a governor — though they do get extra points. And, to quote a reader, “we don’t want two old white guys up against Clinton or Obama.” Nope. Sure don’t.
The biggest vote-getter was Bobby Jindal, after only a month in office as governor of Louisiana. As one reader noted, “Bobby Jindal fits your vice-presidential criteria nicely. He could even defuse the HillaryCare's centrally planned health care with his experience.” Another reader said he “would be the smartest guy at any meeting in the White House.” Almost everyone who mentioned him seemed certain that he will be president sometime soon. He is obviously a star, but he is young and should wait for a more propitious year. And let’s see how he does in Louisiana.
Governors Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota and Haley Barbour of Mississippi tie for second place, though Pawlenty is edging ahead even as I write.
Pawlenty supporters are convinced that he has a big future. One reader wrote, “He’s young, energetic, has a good grasp of policy, and won re-election in a blue state in 2006.” Another: “He appeals to the vast majority of the conservative grassroots while bringing in moderates, and he’d shore up support in important Midwest swing states like Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin.” “He won’t alienate the media. He has co-chaired McCain’s campaign since the beginning and remained loyal in the dark days of autumn.” Furthermore, unlike McCain, Pawlenty is sound on immigration; and “his wife, an articulate former judge, is a Baptist and he attends her church.” (A professionally accomplished wife is a big plus in my book.) And “Pawlenty has held the line on fiscal conservatism and kept his ‘no new taxes’ pledge, vetoing more than 50 bills sent to him by a tax-and-spend Democratic legislature.”
As it happens, the current conventional wisdom among strategists is that Pawlenty is the man. To win this year, the GOP will need to hold all the states that Bush won — unlikely — or to bring over some that he narrowly lost. Minnesota tops that list. His downside is that he has no national presence. I couldn’t pick him out of a line-up. Now would be a good time for him to start raising his profile.
Another reader enumerates Haley Barbour’s assets: “He’s a bit younger than McCain, and is a southern governor with a strong pro-life record — and he was the only competent elected official in the midst of Hurricane Katrina. He’s also strong on taxes and spending: He balanced Mississippi’s budget, and he vetoed a cigarette-tax increase and vowed to veto others. Barbour would be a perfect balance to McCain by addressing his southern problem and his conservative problem — and he is credible enough that Americans would be comfortable to see him being one heartbeat away from the Oval Office.”
I, personally, have seen Haley practice the dark arts of politics up close, and emerged with great respect for him. He’s a Reaganite. He is also immensely charming (you can’t win if people don’t like you) as well as very smart. (Imagine if Trent Lott had been really smart.) Barbour may be top-of-the-ticket material in the future. The downside may be that this is not the best year for a lobbyist or a genuine (if upper-crust) good ol’ boy.
Governor Mark Sanford of South Carolina is a rock-solid choice. He is sound on all of the important issues, and has an extraordinary record on budget cutting. Corner readers described him as an “economic libertarian” — an excellent thing to be. In fact, in his three terms in Congress, he occasionally veered from the GOP majority to vote with Ron Paul. He has an American Conservative Union score of 92. Sanford distinguished himself recently by writing a moving op-ed about the burdens upon southerners on the matter of race. On top of that, he is young, with a young family, and — dare I say it? — good-looking.
Governor Sarah Palin of Alaska, who came to office in the wake of Alaska’s GOP financial-corruption issues, is certainly an intriguing option, and a potential GOP star. While Corner readers perceive her as a dark horse, she got as many votes as Mark Sanford, nevertheless. The “youthful, attractive, conservative, smart, and tough” 44-year-old is thought capable of “neutralizing Hillary.” In office, she has been a strong budget-cutter, and, like Sanford, is described as an economic libertarian. She is a member of “Feminists for Life,” and opposes gay marriage — but has been sensitive on other gay issues, including partner benefits. Palin’s husband is a commercial fisherman, they have four children, the eldest of whom recently joined the army. In addition, she was a former Miss Alaska.
This might not be her year, though. Like Bobby Jindal, she hasn’t been in office long enough to garner solid experience — and like Tim Pawlenty, she needs to raise her national profile. What’s more, her state is small and reliably Republican. But she should be on the short list of candidates to watch for the future.
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