I’m genuinely curious as to who everyone thinks is going to be on the ballot along w/ Dubbaya this November?
Cheney? Nothing wrong with Cheney, other than his 4 heart attacks, pacemaker and questionable ethics?
But really, will Bush make a change or go w/ what worked?
Giuliani? I’d be stunned if it happened since Giuliani is a liberal Republican, is not a good ol’ boy, and he’s an Italian-American (one of them ethnic people) from NYC. He’s also had 3 marriages and an affair, which would make him a hard sell to Christian conservatives. On the flip side though, Bush is loved by the Christian conservatives, so that may appease them and take care of that problem.
If the Republicans are worried about losing NorthEast Republicans to Kerry and/or the overall scumminess of the Bush regime, then I guess Giuliani makes some sense. He’s incredibly well-respected, has a spotless background (other than his love life) and has kind of a tough, don’t-fuck-with-me aura to him. He also would counter a lot of negativity of the post 9-11 era and the war in Iraq, since he was so strong and capable in the 9-11 aftermath.
Plus, the Republican convention is in NYC, that would be a blockbuster of an announcement.
What about Pataki? Solid, moderate Republican from NY, also w/ a spotless background. Not spectacular but then neither was Cheney.
Powell? Also has a spotless background, is well-respected, and African-American.
I have a feeling that Cheney is staying put. He’s said so himself in recent interviews, and it seems as though his health hasn’t been a problem at all in recent years.
On a semi-related note, as a Republican I absolutely LOATHE the fact that the culturally conservative, Bible Belt wing of the GOP controls the whole damn party. Could a smart, incredibly capable, articulate, well-spoken, Northeastern Republican clean house against ANY Democrat in the general election? Hands down. Would the Republican party ever nominate such a person? Hell no. Giuliani would destroy any Democratic challenger in a presidential race, and would be a huge boon to the Bush ticket as VP. McCain also would’ve cleaned house had the party nominated him. (I know, he’s not from the Northeast, but he is a smart, articulate, non-Bible Belt Republican. Same thing). Why the HELL is this party run by these idiots??? Sorry for the off-subject rant.
If Cheney doesn’t stay put, I would think Giuliani or Condoleeza Rice – just for the upside in this election.
BTW, Sonny, I don’t think there would be any problem with Giuliani with 99% of Republicans based on his ethnic heritage, and I think his 9/11 accomplishments would erase any character questions.
However, Giuliani would have some of the similar drawbacks that Cheney possesses – namely, his age and health. Giuliani is a cancer survivor and not a young guy. The best the Republicans could do would be to pick a dynamic younger VP who could carry the standard in 2008 against Hillary (or whomever).
Unfortunately, there aren’t many people who spring to mind. Jeb Bush is one, but obviously politically unpalatable because of the fact he is George’s brother, which would bring up too many “dynasty” arguments [not to mention zany conspiracy theories]. Powell would be good, but he has not shown the desire to get into the political fray. Pataki is a non-starter – he has no support from fiscal conservatives. Mitt Romney might be a good choice, especially to balance out the current ticket from a regional perspective with a popular guy from a Blue State – but he promised to stay put in the governor’s mansion (or at least that’s the general impression he made – I’m sure he could come up with a reason why it wasn’t an iron-clad guaranty). Schwarzenegger would be good, except he is foreign-born and thus Constitutionally disqualified from the Presidency.
Perhaps there are some other young governors out there who would be good – Colorado’s, for instance – but they don’t yet have a national profile and/or aren’t from states big enough or generally hotly contested enough to give a big boost to the ticket in this election.
Actually, I think a lot will depend on what Kerry does. Depending on how things look, we might see Cheney “voluntarily” step down, citing health reasons. Then Condi can step up to the plate. Can you imagine the looks on the faces of the Democrats if the so-called conservatives run a woman for VP?
