Memo to Governor Romney: Make the Bold Choice for VP

By: tooncesthecat (Diary) | August 1st, 2012 at 10:11 AM |

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Dear Governor Romney:

Now that you have returned home from your overseas trip and are in the final days of making your Vice Presidential selection, I wait anxiously to hear your choice. Now is not the time to be timid. Now is not the time to play it safe. Be Bold, Governor Romney. Choose Marco Rubio.

This election is, as Karl Rove put it, “tight as a tick”. With so few undecided voters available, the decision will be likely be made in favor of the candidate who is able to turn out the base. The VP nominee that will excite the base and maximize turn-out in key swing states is Marco Rubio. Yes, all those other potential candidates that you have under consideration are competent and capable. Yes, they have longer resumes and more experience. But, let’s face the facts. They are dull. And what you really need is a VP who is enthusiastic and who will generate enthusiasm. Only Marco Rubio can do that.

Need I remind you that the path to the White House runs straight through Florida. Yes, you might win Florida on your own, but this election is too important to take that risk. Marco Rubio will surely put you over the top in Florida, as none of the other choices can.

And don’t forget Nevada. There is no reason that you ought to be running behind in the polls in Nevada. That state is ripe for the picking. And it is the state that Marco Rubio grew up in. It is his “home” state in the same way that Michigan is your “home” state. Only Marco Rubio can attract the Hispanic voters in Nevada that you will need to win that state. None of the other choices can do that.

And Marco Rubio can make the case for the free enterprise system and the American Dream that none of the other candidates can. We’ve heard him do that, and he has made believers of us. His story is the fulfillment of the American Dream.

Qualified to be President? Of course, he’s qualified. He is a member of the United States Senate and he has served as Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives. He wouln’t be on your short list if he wasn’t qualified. And he has the fortitude to withstand any challenges to his qualifications. He is more qualified to be President than Barack Obama could hope to be.

Make no mistake about it, I will vote for you regardless of who you choose as your running mate. But, I will be a lot more certain of the outcome of this election, if you make the bold choice for your running mate. Show us that you are the risk taker who built Bain Capital into a successful organization. Show us that you are still that man who turned the 2002 Olympics around when others shied from the task. You didn’t get to where you are by playing it safe. Be Bold, Governor Romney. Choose Marco Rubio as your running mate.

COMMENTS

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commonsenseobserver

I certainly hope that Gov. Romney chooses a competent and bold Conservative like him, Jindal, or Ryan.
lineholder

Rubio is okay, but Jindal has some things going for him that could make a dynamite match-up for Romney.

http://www.tooncesthecat.wordpress.com tooncesthecat

Jindal brings nothing to the table as the VP nominee. On the other hand, his background is perfectly suited to be Secretary of Health and Human Services. He is the right man to dismantle ObamaCare and to fix the problems with Medicare/Medicaid. As Director of the Louisiana Dept. of HHS, he took the department from mult-million deficits to surplus when he was only 24 years old. He was the Chief Policy Advisor to the U.S. Secretary of HHS under George W. Bush. Secretary of HHS is the perfect job for him, not Vice President.

commonsenseobserver

And has been a very competent reformer as Governor.

All would be great VPs.

acat

I usually only hear “Asian” used to describe immigrants and their descendents from India and Pakistan from European writers….

In the States, it’s more commonly used for immigrants and descendents from Japan, China, Thailand, etc…. what the Euros call “Orientals”.

I’m only mentioning this because I don’t know how popular Jindal would be in Chinatown .. but I do know Jindal’s expertise on both energy and health care make him an excellent choice for a number of positions including Veep… that job used to mean more than just throwing meat to the base and lurking in undisclosed locations, perhaps it’s time for it to mean more again.

Mew

commonsenseobserver

Yes, of course, that primarily. Though, really, the nature of the job depends a lot on the nature of the person in the job.
naraht

with Rubio as his VP candidate is “Governor Romney, do you consider Senator Rubio to be a Latter Day Saint?”.
acat

. . .
streiff

but out of line. Let’s not pursue this line of commentary in the future.

lineholder

In case you haven’t noticed, one of the biggest up-and-coming issues has to do with the quality of education. Jindal is in the process of implementing what is beyond any doubt one of the most ambitious attempts to restructure how education is offered in this nation.

In addition, his experiences in LA with both the after-effects of a major natural disaster AND excessive regulations of the energy industry make him a very staunch and knowledgeable advocate in these areas as well.

He also has a superb knowledge of the US Constitution, which could very well go a long way in putting emphasis back on the importance and significance of the foundation on which this nation was built.

And in light of the challenges we’re facing with health care, his experiences and knowledge in this area are just an added bonus.

He has a lot to offer.

acat

Jindal is excellent on education reform .. in addition to health care and energy.

Mew

http://www.tooncesthecat.wordpress.com tooncesthecat

Why waste his talents on sitting around and waiting to see if Romney dies or has a heart attack? Does anyone really believe that the VP actually gets to implement policy? So, my point with regard to Jindal is that he doesn’t generate any extra votes anywhere in the VP slot, and his talents are too important not to be put to effective use somewhere–I propose HHS, since I think Jeb Bush is bound for Education–in a decision-making, policy development role in the administration. He can be just as effective on the campaign trail without being the VP nominee. On the other hand, Rubio is lightning in a bottle as the VP nominee.
lineholder

One of the biggest problems we’re going to be face is attempting to change the way our government works. We live in a society that has become acclimated to the idea of simply throwing money at a problem as a means of trying to solve a problem rather than actually trying find ways to get to the root cause of the problem. That’s the status quo “comfort zone” people have been accustomed to.

Persuading people that it is worth the risk to try to some ideas outside of that status quo is going to be a major challenge.

So having an educated, informed, experienced advocate who can provide a credible argument that supports taking a different approach to the problems we’re facing is going to be very important in this case.

In addition, I agree with what acat mentioned above. Just because the position of VP hasn’t been such to take on a proactive advocacy role in the past few decades doesn’t mean that we should blindly continue to follow that particular model of how the Executive branch works.

In this case, it could work extremely well to take an all-hands-on-deck approach and have the VP become more proactive.
lineholder

Like I said to begin with, Rubio is okay. Jindal’s scope of practical experiences are both broader and deeper at this point than Rubio can claim. For this reason, I’ve come to support choosing Jindal over Rubio.

Education reform , domestic energy policy and health care are issues that span the entire political spectrum. Jindal has strong experience in all three of these areas.

For these reasons, I believe he could bring in a lot of supporters that we might not be able to touch otherwise.
http://www.tooncesthecat.wordpress.com tooncesthecat

Lineholder: I agree with everything that you said. Do you doubt that Marco Rubio is also “an educated, informed, experienced advocate who can provide a credible argument that supports taking a different approach to the problems we’re facing”? Of course, he is.

The difference between Rubio and Jindal is that Rubio actually does attract additional votes. I know that’s not the conventional wisdom, but in this election, with Romney having such tepid support among conservatives and tea party republicans, Rubio will generate more enthusiasm and higher turn-out, particularly in key battleground states. Also, Rubio is the only VP nominee that can cut into Obama’s support in the Hispanic community. And the Hispanic vote will decide Florida, Nevada, Colorado, New Mexico and possibly North Carolina. Oh, and yes I know he’s a Cuban-American and most Hispanics aren’t. Except, of course, in Florida.
lineholder

You’re talking about this in the context of a cultural choice.

I’m looking at it in the context of policy choices and who has the experience to be the strongest advocate for changing policy.

Which choice is best to make in the long run?
http://www.tooncesthecat.wordpress.com tooncesthecat

As long as we’re talking about two candidates who are both conservatives. Or as a friend once told me: “You can’t do good things unless you win.” And this election is still in serious doubt.
lineholder

For myself personally, I find it more than a bit frustrating at times when we decide that what we should do is to make choices on the basis of culture or race. To a certain extent, it underestimates people of varying cultures and/or races. It implies that they aren’t capable of taking policy seriously when in many cases that is far from the truth!

IMO, finding common policy points may be more of a challenge, but the return on our investment to put policy front-and-center could be much greater in the long run than we might think it could be.

But as long as the VP choice is someone who will support pro-freedom, pro-independence from government, pro-free market capitalism….I can live with that.
acat

Give you a hint that this is a trick question….

Mew
http://www.tooncesthecat.wordpress.com tooncesthecat

I would suggest Hillary Clinton, but she’s not on the short list and I don’t really think she’s available. Of course, it’s a trick question, since we can never really know the answer. I know you don’t believe in the polls, but they all place Rubio at or near the top in voter preferences for VP. Rice and Christie are up their also, but they are about as likely to be chosen as Hillary.

The real question is who has “narrow” appeal that will impact the election, since the election will be won by the movement of a small percentage of voters in a very few states. Hands down, I think the answer to that question is Rubio.
acat

You’re right, I don’t believe the polls.

I think Condi is a bad pick. First, she must find a way to pass the pro-life litmus test… and so far, she’s failed it. While she’d be awe-inspiring on 2nd amendment issues, she’d also let Obama run against Bush all over again.

I think Rubio is a tremendous speaker, and would make a decent 101st Senator .. but he lacks any executive-government experience. Further, many of the Rubio fans overestimate the appeal to “Hispanics”, failing to note that Hispanics do not move as a bloc. Rubio would have to work just as hard as any “boring white guy” (or Condi) to win over non-Cuban “Hispanics” .

Jindal has the real government-executive experience that Rubio and Condi lack, he knows what a swamp is and how to drain it, he’s great on education, health care, and energy, and .. nothing says the veep has to lurk in undisclosed locations and throw meat at the base. That’s how Cheney did it … but there have been veeps in the past with more active roles. Further, there’s no indication Romney has trouble delegating.

Mew
lineholder

I hope he delegates every government function we can’t get rid of into the private sector!

Not only would it decrease spending, but it would improve both effectiveness and cost-efficiency for the job functions that are kept. And government also gets a higher return on their investment through increased “fair share payments” (i.e. taxes)
http://www.tooncesthecat.wordpress.com tooncesthecat

Let’s see: Biden? Gore? Quayle? Okay, maybe George Herbert Walker Bush. Mondale? Rockefeller ? Agnew, for God’s sake? LBJ was detested by JFK. Ditto with Nixon under Ike. Truman was totally unprepared to assume office when FDR died. How far back to we have to go to find this VP with an active policy making role? VP’s have died while in office and not replaced. There is nothing that Jindal can do for Romney as VP that he can’t do as a Cabinet Secretary or White House policy advisor.

And your question was “broader appeal”, as in winning votes. Heck, I’ll take one state: Florida. Show me how Jindal (or anyone besides Rubio) adds 29 electoral college votes to the ticket.
tnfriendofcoal101368

if you want Florida – Jeb Bush is more a positive factor than Rubio. Don’t be fooled either, Jeb would crawl over Bush 41′s back and kick Bush 43 in the groin to get the nod. (oh Jeb isn’t my first choice).
lineholder

I don’t think you’re comprehending what acat and I have both been saying. Education, health care and energy policies span all age groups and all race/culture demographics.

I’m going to pull a recent Gallup poll into this.

http://www.gallup.com/poll/156347/Americans-Next-President-Prioritize-Jobs-Corruption.aspx

Top three issues are jobs, corruption in government, and the deficit.

Romney’s business experience combined with Jindal’s scope of experience in education, health care, and energy.

Primary focus:
America’s choice…we can either tax ourselves into oblivion, cut spending to the bone (which means losing our safety nets), or we can unleash the creativity and ingenuity in the private sector (providing jobs and increasing revenues at the same time) by taking as many government functions as we can find and transfer these to the private sector (moving towards reduction of deficit and eliminating corruption in government by reducing size/scope of government) Regulations would have to exist, but they would be minimal to provide as much opportunity to succeed as possible.

Possible platform:
Education: Are there ways that we could unleash the private sector to increase quality of education while reducing costs of education? Yes, there are, and that’s how Jindal has been approaching the issue in the state of LA. Unleashing the private sector means a higher potential to generate jobs. Shifting the costs to the private sector means reducing spending/deficits and curtailing special interests/corruption. (No cultural boundaries; applies to all cultures/races)

Health Care:

Pulling in some info on the upcoming doctor shortage
http://articles.latimes.com/2010/jun/07/health/la-he-doctor-shortage-20100607

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/29/health/policy/too-few-doctors-in-many-us-communities.html?_r=4

The key point on health care is to stress that health insurance coverage does not equal health care. We’re facing a massive doctor shortage either way we go, but if we unleash the private sector, our chances are greater by far that a way can be found to alter methods of health care delivery while maximizing access to care. (Affects all demographics, but especially seniors)

Energy:

http://www.redstate.com/dhorowitz3/2012/07/31/mitt-romney-fans-the-flames-of-free-market-energy-policy/

Combined with Jindal’s experiences as it pertains to government intervention in energy policy.

‘Nuff said on that.
http://www.tooncesthecat.wordpress.com tooncesthecat

You want Romney to pick Jindal for VP. I want two things. First, for Romney to win the election. And second for Romney to choose a cabinet of governors who will proceed to drain the swamp department by department. It just seems to me that Rubio helps the most with the first task, and Jindal (as well as McDonnell, Pawlenty, Daniels, Christie and Jeb Bush) with the second task. And voters aren’t going to take the time to follow your links.
lineholder

It’s fairly obvious that you believe this will be more about popularity than substance of policy. So be it, then.

It’s possible that Rubio’s popularity with Hispanics could swing some votes our way (although it’s questionable given the differences in culture between those of Hispanic descent and those of Cuban descent)

After the whole leaning-to-the-side-of-amnesty episode that took place not long ago…not sure how much that would hurt or help Romney with the Conservatives. Amnesty is just touchy issue right now.

I still think we’d be better off sticking with policy front-and-center….

But we’ll just have to wait and see.
http://www.tooncesthecat.wordpress.com tooncesthecat

on your iphone, because I have. I Have my bumper sticker order in also.
lineholder

Didn’t even have a cell phone for years. Just got a new one today. Don’t have the slightest clue to what to do with the entire app thingys.

I’m fairly tech-savvy in other ways. Just not phones.

I’m sure word will be out online in the blink of an eye, though.
acat

Rubio doesn’t even help any more with Mexican-Americans, Guatemalan-Americans, Argentinian-Americans, or Colombian-Americans than any boring white guy.

I would not have a problem with Romney picking Rubio, although I’d prefer he run for Gov. FL and then for the White House direct .. but I have a rather large problem with people advocating him on faulty grounds.

Biden and Quayle were useless putzes. Gore had a couple high profile projects – he started his global warming thing by converting the D.C. insiders. (he’s not that dim a poodle…) H.W. Bush had a more active role, as did Rockefeller… at least after he was out.

Let me put it another way. If you’re right and the veep is going to be a useless position, what does it say about Rubio if he takes the job?

Mew
lineholder

(Cringing!!!) Glitz and glamor will bring in the votes. (Seems like we’d learn after a while, doesn’t it?)

Seriously, though, I do happen to think Rubio has his share of promise down the road. He’s made a few minor errors perhaps, but nothing he can’t recover from in time.

Also, if Romney wins and something were to happen to Romney, would Rubio be ready to lead our nation?
acat

then I think he could. If he takes the job, I have no idea… and I won’t have a chance to form an idea before being asked to vote for him in 2020.

That’s the trouble – Rubio isn’t exactly gonna be tested as an executive while he’s in the Senate. …

Mew
lineholder

He won’t get executive experience in the Senate.

What would suggest as an alternative? Do you think he’s ready for the position of VP?

I’m not going to deny my partiality for Jindal. The man may not be as good with words as Rubio is, but actions can speak louder than words…and Jindal’s actions having been speaking rather loudly lately.
acat

Jindal, for all the reasons you mention… Ryan for the reasons RWM52 and I discussed below.

Mew
tnfriendofcoal101368

who wouldn’t stab their father in the back and then pop their favorite brother in the privates to get the job are named George Bush. They all want it as a springboard to the top job (as Britt Hume pointed out).
Melody Warbington (rwm52)

I can’t explain why, but I was listening to NPR on the way home from church tonight and heard an interview with a guy who wrote an article on Paul Ryan for The New Yorker. It was all about how Ryan has taken over the GOP, all for his eeevil purposes, of course. Like his plan to cut discretionary spending which includes things like meat inspection.

Anyway, the interview got so ugly, I turned it off, but it made me wonder that if the libs are putting out a hit piece on Ryan like this one, do they know something we don’t? Like maybe Ryan is at the top of the short list?

The article is here.
acat

Paul Ryan’s roadmap helped define and lock the debate about the size of government .. including effectively limiting how far to the left the GOP POTUS candidates could go….quite a feather.

He’s also been in the House for a while, so knows how to operate in a legislative environment… and as the 101st Senator, the Veep needs this more than executive experience.

Further, Ryan is from Wisconsin .. and Wisconsin is one of the five States that are going to determine our next President. Picking a favorite son from a State where the Dems are already demoralized, and who reinforces the idea that the campaign is about the economy makes a lot of sense.

Mew

p.s. Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio .. these are the battleground for this election.
commonsenseobserver

I read somewhere that since Obama will be hitting the budget anyway, people in Team Romney thinks that picking the person who can best defend it and reinforce his case for balanced budget, free market Conservatism would be an antidote, in a way.
http://www.tooncesthecat.wordpress.com tooncesthecat

According to people who don’t know anymore than the rest of us. The problem with Ryan is that the election would totally be about the Ryan Roadmap, which can be easily demagogued. Portman was a Bush insider, so Team Obama will try to make this a referendum of W. My Money is still with Pawlenty (see diary last week), but my heart and my head are with Rubio.
acat

Romney *wants* this election to be about the economy.

Mew
acat

Ryan’s 42 or 43.

That means in 2020 he’ll be 54 or 55.

Good age to run for the White House.

Mew

(note – Jindal is 41 or 42, so .. same applies. Portman, on the other paw, will be nearing 70 in 2020… I can see “boring white guy” but not “old boring white guy”)
tnfriendofcoal101368

but can you imagine a Christie/Biden debate? What would be the over/under on how many times Christie would say: “Are you stupid?”.
commonsenseobserver

In London’s mayoral election, Boris did this:
“confronted Livingstone in the post-show lift, calling him a f*cking liar.”

One wonders what Christie would do… sit on Joe?
tnfriendofcoal101368

The one thing picking a Ryan or Jindal would do is destroy the meme: “Romney doesn’t want to run on ideas” because those two don’t know how to do anything except run on ideas. If Romney should no nothing else (with the current lie that his plan raises taxes on middle income family to give those eeeviiillll rich people a tax cut) is Obama is going to try to hang the Ryan plan on him might as well have Ryan defend it. I encourage everyone to look at this video, Debbie Wah Wah rose up in the House to play a little mediscare but Ryan made her look like an uninformed idiot.
ffc99

Minnesota isn’t a battleground state this election. If we win it, or for that matter come close to winning it, Mitt wins comfortably nationally.
acat

One map I’ve been fiddling with is here.

I’m starting with the 2008 default map. I’m assuming Indiana and North Carolina flip back to the GOP – 2010 shows Obama’s wins there were not permanent shifts.

I flipped Florida to the GOP as well – trends show it’s slipping through Obama’s fingers. If Florida gets a decent GOPer running for the Senate, it should go Red.

I’m also assuming Colorado and Virginia don’t flip to the GOP – too many Californians and D.C. drones respectively, these may be long-term shifts. I also assumed Nevada would remain with the Dems, although this isn’t necessarily how it’ll really work out… Nevada has a high concentration of Mormons, after all…

To replace the electoral votes from Colorado and Virginia, Romney needs comparable sized States where he could win.

I picked Ohio and Wisconsin; the former because of the economy, the latter because of Walker and the economy.

I didn’t move Minnesota to the GOP, although Mark Dayton (D-MN Gov), as with Bev Perdue (D-NC Gov) seems to be trying to.

I’m interested in where you think Romney is going to find the EV to win this, ffc99. Show your map.

Mew
ffc99

have neither the time nor interest (some of us can’t devote as much time to Redstate as you do). I simply pointed out that Minnesota really doesn’t fit the definition of a battleground state. Virginia’s still a battleground state. Minnesota is a state that we only win in a rout.
acat

That idiot, plus the general state of the MN, MI, WI economies, mean that Minnesota is in play.

Mew
ffc99

factored Dayton “in” to my analysis. I’d say the same thing if the current governor was Arne Carlson, Jesse Ventura or Tim Pawlenty.
ffc99

And I’d recommend you take a look at unemployment rates in the three states you mention above. You’ll find that Minnesota is doing a lot better than WI and MI.
tnfriendofcoal101368

If Obama gets the same turnout in Virginia – he got in 2008 – he’ll lose it because he is going to be looking at a massive turnout from Roanoke south to Tennessee and West to Kentucky and Wes Virginia. Now where is Obama more hated than that area. Rick Boucher had won 14 elections in the Virginia 9th, voted against Obama Care in an effort to protect his skin, and was defeated by a guy who admitted he didn’t live in the district (ok it was just a few miles out). All it took was this one ad to take him out. There are a lot of Dems right now who are terrified of being “Rick Bouchered” right into a real job.
acat

I’m sure the non-Alexandria, non-Annapolis areas will be all fired up, but I question just how many of the new bureaucrats in the D.C. Metroplex – did you know D.C. is the only real estate market that *hasn’t* had a major down-shift? – are going to vote for Romney.

Mew
ffc99

this again. Are you suggesting that Mark Dayton is unpopular in Minnesota and that that unpopularity is a factor in favor of Mitt Romney this November?
acat

Yes, I’m saying he’s unpopular, and the ads to tie him to Obama, who is also unpopular, darn near write themselves.

It’d attract more $$$ if the MN-GOP had a solid candidate to run against Klobuchar, but the opportunity to bleed Obama’s campaign budget a bit should not be overlooked.

Mew
ffc99

it really wasn’t very nice of me to let you walk into a trap like this… I should have posted this above, but I couldn’t resist seeing if you really didn’t know what you’re talking about.

http://blogs.citypages.com/blotter/2012/05/mark_dayton_very_popular_mngop-controlled_legislature_about_as_popular_as_kick_in_the_pants.php
tnfriendofcoal101368

http://www.minnpost.com/politics-policy/2012/06/poll-shows-shift-toward-no-gay-marriage-ban-reversal-real

Down to 49% (from PPP – DKos’s polling firm) and if anything SurveyUSA is worse than DKos favorite PPP.

In addition, what you attempted to pull is etiquettically speaking equivalent to go over to someone’s house and taking a leak in the kitchen sink.
ffc99

he’d have some slippage after the stadium stuff. ~50% job approval still isn’t bad at all. And trust me, he’s a damn sight more popular than the Republican legislature up there.
acat

a blogger I’ve not heard of on this?

Show me the cred, eh?

Mew
ffc99

a link to the poll, acat. This isn’t hard stuff…
acat

there are to {copulate} up a poll?

Get serious.

Mew
ffc99

when called out for your lack of knowledge, divert and attack the pollsters. Yup, the two outfits that have polled on Dayton are not my favorites. But even assuming some error and adjusting his numbers downward, his favorables are still higher than his unfavs. I usually would not characterize a politician as “unpopular” (as you have done) who has better favs than unfavs. And there’s no question the Republican legislature is really, really unpopular. To be fair, I wouldn’t expect you to follow Minnesota politics (I only follow it occasionally) but since you don’t it would be to your benefit to read up on it a bit before opining…

Oh, and have you looked up the unemployment numbers as I suggested above?
tnfriendofcoal101368

was 50-50 in Wisconsin sets Dayton at 49 (which on the raw) means 51 are committed to yeah. If you drop in PPP’s normal bias that puts him at 44, which means 56 are saying nay. For a sitting Governor or incumbent, there is no such thing as “don’t know” – they are either with you or agin’ you as Devil Anse Hatfield might say. About 55% of Minnesotans are agin their Governor; practically al of them think the legislature are idiots. If I were an incumbent in Minnesota – I’d be nervously looking at the doors – no matter my office. Of course, these are the same folks who elected Jesse Ventura as Governor and Stuart Smalley to the Senate so who can predict how they’ll vote.

PS: Lou Ann says hi – she’ll see you in the House of Representatives
ffc99

that there are three answers in polling on job approval. Figuring in your PPP bias he’s at something like 41% approve, 36% disapprove, the remainder undecided. Not great numbers, but I’m not sure that would lead me to call the guy unpopular, more like folks are kind of lukewarm on him. Now you want to know what group is unpopular in Minnesota, Republicans in the legislature…

That was nice of Lou Ann… Tell her I’m watching out for the Sharia takeover of our judicial system (well, watching out for it in the same way that OJ was looking for the real killer).
tnfriendofcoal101368

More than 1 year into his term. To believe so is akin to belief in the Easter Bunny. Undecided = he stinks but maybe things will improve. After 4 years it means = he stinks and he ought to be fired and is equivalent to saying I aint voting for him. Are you pregnant – only has two answers; do you approve of Mark Dayton only has two answers: undecided and no are the same answer.
ffc99

that’s really not true, but feel free to go through life believing that. I’ve seen plenty of governors come back from abysmal first years (on the job approval front) to not only win reelection but do so with very high job approval numbers.
tnfriendofcoal101368

and his numbers have declined and he was US Senator before that so it’s not like the folks in Minnesota “are just getting to know him”.
ffc99

and while I have no brief for PPP, their final poll on the Wisconsin recall was 50-47-3 (undecided) in favor of Walker, which wasn’t terrible. Others did better but they got the right winner and just about nailed Barrett’s total.
tnfriendofcoal101368

dead even? 400 basis points is a pretty significant miss.
ffc99

actually 53-46. And at least they had the guts to poll in the final days of the recall….
tnfriendofcoal101368

when they intentionally oversample Democrats and write misleading reports for DKos. I guess some good did come of it…we were treated to this spectacle.

Bigg Eddie needs a hug

It’s the end of the world as we know it
http://www.tooncesthecat.wordpress.com tooncesthecat

is that it depends on New Hampshire, New Mexico and Wisconsin. There is no margin of error. I think that Nevada and Iowa are more likely to go into the Romney column. I also think Romney should make a big push in Michigan with its 16 EV’s, because it’s a home state and is also trending his way.

But now let’s think about this in terms of VP’s. Rubio helps in Nevada, which is a home state for him, and in New Mexico more than any other VP choice. Why? Obama carried 67% of the Hispanic vote in those states and if he repeats that, he will win them again. The Hispanic vote is why Harry Reid is still in the Senate, because Sharron Angle dissed the Hispanic community. Yes, Rubio is a Cuban-American, but he would be campaigning side-by-side with Brian Sandolval and Suzanna Martinex, who are both Mexican-Americans. This would be a huge statement to Hispanic voters in those two states.

As for campaigning on ideas–that’s exactly what Marco Rubio does. He doesn’t campaign as an Hispanic American. He campaigns as an American. He won in Florida because he campaigned on ideas–smaller government, free enterprise, lower taxes. Rubio, in fact, articulates those ideas to voters better than any of the other possible choices. I assume you’ve seen him speak.
http://www.tooncesthecat.wordpress.com tooncesthecat

Yes, I know the correct spelling for Sandoval and Martinez.
acat

There is no “Hispanic bloc” !

Mew
acat

the map “depending” on a couple small States .. I copied one that I’ve been using in a separate argument rather than writing one just for you.

I notice, by the way, that you haven’t supplied your hypothetical map.

Mew
http://www.tooncesthecat.wordpress.com tooncesthecat

But my map (which still has toss-ups) does look a lot like yours, except I have New Hampshire, Wisconsin and New Mexico (which you give to Romney) and MIchigan, Virginia, Iowa, Nevada, and Colorado (which you give to Obama) as the toss ups. If I had to do a final map, just for fun, I’d give Romney Wisconsin and Iowa with Obama carrying the rest, which yields a 269 – 269 tie, with Romney winning in the House of Representatives vote.
lineholder

I think there’s a strong chance that NC will go red this November, but it’s iffy right now. If you remember, the Presidential race was extremely tight in NC in 2008. Obama won this state by only 0.3% of the vote. Turnout from black voters and young voters was high, which definitely made a difference in the outcomes where NC is concerned.

Couple of factors to consider…if the DNC includes LGBT in the Dem platform, it is possible that this could turn some voters away, particularly in the black community. It isn’t simply a matter of religious beliefs either. This state has a strong history where civil rights is concerned. There are quite a few people in the black community who are put off by efforts of the LGBT movement to co-opt civil rights as the basis for their claims of equality. These voters won’t necessarily vote R, but it could cause them to simply not vote at all.

Another consideration is dependent on the economy. Everyone keeps talking about how an incumbent President who is facing an economy that has gone downhill during their term has the cards stacked against them in getting re-elected. Even though that may be true for the most part, a lot depends on who the challenger is, what the platform is, and how the challenger presents that platform.

I’ll try to explain what I mean…we have a lot of people in the black community in NC who do fall into category of living below the poverty line. If a R candidate expresses “cutting spending” and “entitlement” in the same sentence, that’s like telling these folks that they won’t have anything to rely on financially and it scares the wits out of a lot of them. It can also leave the situation wide open to be manipulated by the Dems with stunts such as “pushing Granny off the cliff”. If that’s the message these folks get, they’ll vote D and it could trigger a high enough turnout for Obama to win here again.

On the other hand, if the challenger says “We’re going to reduce government spending and deficits by shifting some of the job responsibilities of government to the private sector, re-evaluating duplicate programs in a way that eliminates waste”, etc., that isn’t quite as scary.

Approach can make a difference, and in NC where the race was so tight in 2008 it definitely is likely to have a direct impact on the outcomes.
acat

Especially when compared to NC 2010….

Mew
lineholder

The state shifted strongly to the right in 2010. I don’t deny that. But at the time of the midterms, we weren’t looking at 41 months of unemployment greater than 8% either.
http://www.tooncesthecat.wordpress.com tooncesthecat

NC 2008 was an outlier. I lived there for my first 58 years, and trust me it’s in Romney’s column this time around. Since you don’t read the polls, Rasmussen has NC +5 for Romney today. Margin will get wider once all the crazies get to Charlotte for the convention.
tnfriendofcoal101368

when Obama gives his big speech in the stadium – how will it look when more people show up for John Edwards, I mean Slick Willie (I keep getting my serial philanderers confused)?
lineholder

I do. Things may be moving in the direction of supporting Romney, but just based on word-on-the-ground info, don’t count it as an absolute just yet.
http://www.tooncesthecat.wordpress.com tooncesthecat

10 years ago. Bought a bigger house and cut my property taxes in half.
Viet71

The convention will be fun. Clinton and Warren (couple of liars). No doubt some Leftist-OWS-type protestors in the streets (they hate both Clinton and Obama). Lots of fun.

rightlane1111

Kitty…I love you…but here is your blind side. People in the USA go for not just smarts…but some glitter. Maybe that is the wrong choice of words….but America is too caught up in appearance rather than accomplishment. Kitty…you have to agree with me on this one. For the most part…we are becoming more and more shallow. American doesn’t look for accomplishment…it looks for “feeling good”…ask any Independent…and then ask…how the heck did Obama get in. It certainly wasn’t accomplishment OF ANY KIND.

I like Bobby Jindal…but he cannot gin up the base. He is doing a great job in Louisiana….but when he gives a talk…it does not inspire people, i.e., the glitter remark.

Three swing states in play…Ohio, PA and Florida. Marco Rubio can inspire…Marco Rubio will pull FL. Marco Rubio is the picture of success…and yes…Latinos do identify with him.

Again…it is your blind side. You make a distinction between Latinos and Cubans. I understand that…most people on this board understand that…BUT MOST AMERICANS DON’T. Go ask the average American how many people sit on the SCOTUS…they couldn’t tell you. But….IF THE person they are listening to inspires them…WOW.

Jindal gave a reply to one of Obama’s speeches early on as a Republican voice. It was very pragmatic…very thoughtful…but the press painted it as bland and typical GOP…i.e., boring…their words not mine. Who controls the press?

Now…tell me..fellow Redstaters…who is a more inspirational speaker? It sure isn’t Romney. So…we need an ace and that ace is Rubio.

Since we have Romney…wouldn’t it just be the headline for the GOP. ‘WHAT AMERICA NEEDS IS A LITTLE R & R”. How’s that? We’re beat up an tired and we want to hear positive, uplifting words. Rubio speaks Spanish…do you think that tickles the egos of Latinos? I do…it bought votes for GWB. Besides we need a counter action to Obama’s buying off that voting block. We need to win…come h*ll or high water.

In closing…in the past…not now…I could never understand why people did not understand about RE. Why…because I knew it…and that was my blind side. I had to remember that other people have other talents and in their case, RE was not one of them. We’re a unique group of people and we know what is going on. Most of America doesn’t and we need an inspirational VP to balance out our nominee.
superpatriot

…did’nt Jindal say on multiple occasions that he is totally content with his position as Governer of Louisiana and that he would decline an invitation for VP????

Romney/Rubio

westcoastpatriette

as far as I know he is still in the running and has never expressed resistance to accepting the position of offered.

Ned Reck

“Make the Bold Choice for VP”

Shhheesshhh… hehehe… good grief.

You… are scheduled for a great… disappointment. It’s not in’im.

Ned

streiff

1. Romney is going to be our candidate. Deal with it.

2. Your posting history stinks so I’m assuming this account isn’t all that important to you. Ergo, it is suspended.

Hit the contact button if you think you can put on big boy pants and play nice with others. If that is too much work, fine by me.

http://libertynews.com/ mbecker908

He can actually contribute a lot in the US Senate. Carrying around a warm bucket of piss isn’t much of a contribution to the national interest.
Freiheit (ZachV)

The wait is killing me.

RS

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