CR Nation

With Senator McCain grilling hamburgers and hot dogs with three individuals vying for the Vice Presidency, it makes one wonder who would best fit the job among the three. I say Governor Charlie Crist is the best choice among the participants in Sedona. Let me address why Governor Jindal and former Governor Romney don’t reach Crist’s level.

FIRST,Governor Bobby Jindal. Governor Jindal will be President one day. He has already taken on the corrupt culture of Louisiana politics with serious ethics reform and cut business taxes-and that’s just with five months under his belt. But this also proves why Jindal should not be on the ticket-Louisiana needs his strong leadership to fix the mess Kathleen Blanco left him. Former congressman Bob Livingston pointed out in  Human Events ,liberal Democrat Lt. Governor Mitch Landrieu, brother of Senator Mary Landrieu and son of the late New Orleans Mayor “Moon” Landrieu,would be governor. Is that fair to the people of Louisiana? They deserve great leadership. One day the country will benefit from Bobby Jindal’s leadership, but this is his 1968. That year, another new governor named Ronald Reagan waged a “favorite son” campaign for the GOP presidential nomination against Richard Nixon and Nelson Rockefeller. Reagan was told by Sen. Strom Thurmond,”Son, it just isn’t your turn yet.” Nixon won in 1968 and Reagan would win in 1980 after a close 1976 fight against President Ford. I think that turned out pretty well for the country. Let’s keep Bobby Jindal in Louisiana for now, where he can bring serious reform and change to the Bayou.

SECOND, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney. I like Governor Romney. He was more conservative than his three predecessors and Deval Patrick by a country mile. He’s a likeable guy with a great family and an excellent business acumen. He’d be acceptable, but there are serious downsides to this pick. No ticket has won without the vice-president’s home state since 1940. Romney could deliver Michigan where his late dad George is still beloved for his strong record as governor. But Masschusetts is home and that is not going to budge, despite SurveyUSA polls showing a close race. The state went for Ronald Reagan in 1984, but this election will be closer than the landslide victory President Reagan achieved. Romney won’t galvanize conservatives or any major group making up our party save Mormons, who we value as a key demographic. But Mormons are already strong Republicans who turn out. Plus, his record of job growth in Massachusetts was anemic,RomneyCare will be used by Senator Obama to tout his plan for socialized medicine, and his cozy relationship with China undercuts McCain’s tough-on-China message. I like Governor Romney, but this fit doesn’t work.

So that’s why I recommend GOVERNOR CHARLIE CRIST. Consider what Politico’s Jonathan Martin said about Crist:

“In 2006, a grim year across the country for the GOP, he coasted to an easy victory in a competitive state. He did so in part due to his considerable charm, making inroads into unlikely Republican constituencies such as African-Americans. Before his election as governor, Crist served as a political aide, state senator and attorney general. Though his approval ratings have come down some, he’s still popular among Floridians and won an important victory in January by championing the successful passage of a property tax referendum.”

These are the highlights of Governor Crist’s career. He is also known as “Chain Gang Charlie” for his advocacy of tough penalties for criminals as a state senator and Attorney General. Florida has been able to create 30,000 jobs and keep the unemployment rate under 5 percent despite tough economic times. He is a champion of school choice and has a strong education record in his political career. The aforemention property tax cuts are his greatest accomplishment.  He is a strong advocate for free trade, which meshes well with Senator McCain’s views on the matter. This strong record should help Senator McCain on economics and domestic issues, where he needs reinforcement to go along with his excellent national-security record and great health-care plan. Crist’s grandparents were immigrants, which should play well with voters in the Southwest and Upper Midwest. Clearly Governor Crist is the best choice for Senator McCain. But let me address concerns about Governor Crist as well.

 Morality and Ethics-Various allegations of ethical wrongdoing have turned up nothing and the same goes for rumors about his personal life. Senator McCain will have to utilize his family more than usual to compensate for the single governor, but that shouldn’t be a disqualifier for the Vice Presidency.

He’s a moderate. Bull. Critics allege because he doesn’t focus on serious issues like abortion and same-sex marriage that he’s a squish. The Terri Schaivo matter is also held against him, even though action was taken over his head and he did not come out on either side of the issue. Considering he’s left the serious reforms of Governor Jeb Bush alone on social matters should prove he is a social conservative. His record above, despite disagreements conservatives have over regulation on climate change, insurance, and utilities, should prove he is  a fiscal conservative.

He has a thin record. Again, that doesn’t hold up to scrutiny. He was the top education guy in Florida for two years, spent four years as Attorney General, and two years(by January 2009) as governor. That’s eight years of executive experience in government compared to Sen. Obama’s record of zero years. As Stan Lee would put it, ” ‘Nuff said.”

So with that, I recommend Florida Governor Charlie Crist to be the next Vice President of the United States.

Lace provides us with the list of potential vice-presidential candidates. Upcoming posts will deal with why Senator McCain should pick Governor Crist(my choice of the three), Governor Romney, or Governor Jindal. But I want to look at the other candidates that may be under consideration. There are some stipulations. First, the candidate cannot be a current Bush Administration official(due to the Democrats’ howls if someone resigned from their job or tried to stay on and campaign). The candidate must be born after 1943. The candidate must be a Republican(sorry, I love Joe Lieberman too, but then you’d have to consider Michael Bloomberg and that is something I want to avoid). The candidate must be either a current or former governor, U.S. Senator, Member of Congress, or Cabinet-rank official(sorry Michael Steele fans). I didn’t mention any senators, but Sen. Coburn, Sen.DeMint, Sen. Burr, and Sen. Thune would be good.

Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee. Huck brings advantages to the ticket-he’s affable, likable, and charming. His support for the FairTax is spot-on and admirable. He did a great job improving Arkansas roads(what’s Senator Obama done for transportation?) and is a strong pro-life and traditional marriage supporter who could turn out weary social conservatives to the polls. But there are downsides. Huckabee has a troublesome record on tax and spending issues that would burden Senator McCain’s efforts to reach out to fiscal conservatives like the Club for Growth, who tried to stop Governor Huckabee’s candidacy with all its might.  He has a penchant for gaffes, especially with foriegn policy issues. His connections to pastors under congressional investigation would surely bring headaches the McCain campaign wouldn’t need, as would the old charges of gifts recieved and not reported when he was governor. So there’s a lot to consider if he’s the guy.

Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty. T-Paw  has some downsides, such as his views on climate change, controversies over transportation, and the cigarette tax hike. But overall, he’s done a good job of growing jobs in Minnesota, holding the line on spending, passed tort reform, lowered the tax burden on Minnesotans, pushed for strong trade relations with other countries(which helps with reaching out to farmers), and passed tough crime legislation cracking down on meth and putting more State Troopers on the road and forensic scientists in the labs. Would help McCain on domestic issues and could swing Minnesota and other Upper Midwest states.

Utah Governor Jon Huntsman Jr. .  His strong record on spending restraint, economic growth, market-friendly health care reform, and good steward of the environment put him on the list. His business background would be a plus, as would his experience in the Reagan and both Bush White Houses. He doesn’t have the political or foriegn policy problems Romney presents. However, he comes from a deep-red state and is running for re-election. That should keep him off the ticket in 2008.

Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels-See above and add controversies over daylight savings time and lease of the Indiana Toll Road. He will face a tough re-election fight unlike Huntsman and is also from a deep-red state. His budget expertise is bar none as the former OMB director, but Senator McCain should not put Governor Daniels on the ticket.

Former OMB Director and Ohio Congressman Rob Portman-Portman has a strong expertise on economic and fiscal matters going back to his days in the Bush 41 White House. He has a strong conservative record on virtually every issue and his time as White House trade representative gives him gravitas on international issues. Some conservatives might be concerned for his support of the Bush 41 tax hike, but he supported the Bush 43 tax cuts. He is popular in Ohio, which is essential to winning the White House. McCain would have to fight the Democrats’ efforts to demagogue his service under President Bush, but he would be a great pick.

Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour-His record as White House Political Director, RNC Chair, and Governor are storied. He is a great budget-cutter,pro-lifer, tort-reformer, and his response to Hurricane Katrina showed his excellent leadership skills. But the pundits would make hay out of his lobbying career, painting him as cozy with Big Tobacco and Big Pharma, undercutting Senator McCain’s reformer image. That’s too bad, because he would be a great veep.

Former Congressman John Kasich-A good conservative who’s been out of politics awhile. Look for a statewide run instead.

Former Congressman J.C. Watts-See above.

Alaska Governor Sarah Palin-She’s accomplished ethics reform,fought for more energy exploration, and held the line on spending. But she is needed in Alaska. She will be a national figure, but not yet.

Congressman Eric Cantor-The chief deputy whip in the House is a strong conservative across the board and would help in Virginia. He would also bolster efforts to reach Jewish voters as the only Jewish House Republican. Cantor would probably turn down the job because of aspirations to lead the House one day.

Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn-She’s a strong conservative woman from the South and one of our favorites down here in Tennessee. Blackburn worked against Governor Sundquist’s state income tax and has fought for lower taxes, less spending, and strong families in the House.

Congressman Paul Ryan-The only other contender born in the 1970’s, Congressman Ryan is a lion at the tender age of 38. In Congress he’s sounded the alarm for entitlement and budget reform as the top Republican on the Budget Committee. A pro-lifer,he’s a strong supporter of market solutions in health-care and education as well. Ryan would put Wisconsin in play and energize conservatives.

There’s the rundown. Thoughts and comments?

It’s finally official (unofficially): John McCain will be the Republican nominee for president in 2008. Watch the video for excerpts of McCain’s speech in Dallas.

Rudy Giuliani is running this 90-second ad in Florida.

If Giuliani comes in third or worse, will he drop out before February 5? I think he stays in. After all, it’s only one more week to “Tsunami Tuesday.” Then he can drop out.

The ad is running in Florida, and stresses the economy, Mitt’s winning formula in Michigan (that, and being a household name). With the downturn in the economy today, Romney’s strength (the economy) will become the topic, moving away from the national security strength of McCain and Giuliani (and arguably a weakness for Romney). Romney must have a Florida win for momentum heading to “Tsunami Tuesday” (I like that name better than “Super” or “Super Duper”).