CR Nation

I commented on this a few weeks ago, making some mistakes(Moon Landrieu lives!) and forgetting Mark Sanford. I also was too quick to dismiss Governor Palin. She would be a fantastic addition to the ticket and would help to sway women from the Democratic Party. Here are some thoughts on names being floated

 Tom Ridge-There are many things to like about the former PA governor and Homeland Security Secretary. He was a great governor who pushed through good reforms of the economic, education, and health care systems. He is a respected Vietnam veteran who did a better job at DHS than the pundits care to admit. But there is one thing that will keep him off of the ticket-his views on abortion. Senator McCain has made clear no pro-choice candidate will serve on the ticket. It would hurt with efforts to reach out to social conservatives. I like him and I think it would be a great ticket, but unless he pulls a GHWB in 1980, I doubt it. Plus, the close association with the President would hurt,I’m sad to say.

Eric Cantor-He rocks. The only Jewish Republican in the House, he comes from the swing state of Virginia. He consistently pushes through conservative policy ideas in the House and is one of the few people on Capitol Hill who understands the power of the Internet. His youth would also help, and it would be hard to criticize Cantor as inexperienced. But some say he wants to be Speaker and would turn it down. But didn’t Gerald Ford want to be Speaker in 1973?

Lindsey Graham-Along with Joe Lieberman, John McCain’s best friend and longest supporter in the Senate. He is great on national security,judicial philosophy, and economics(save trade).He would help with social conservatives because he opposes the destruction of human embryos, but immmigration hawks would revolt over the choice. But if McCain goes for someone he can trust without a doubt, Graham would be the choice. But just as Ronald Reagan didn’t pick dear friends like Senators Paul Laxalt or Jesse Helms, it is unlikely he would remove his closest Senate ally from his post.

I would say Tim Pawlenty, Paul Ryan, Rob Portman, Sarah Palin, Eric Cantor, Jon Huntsman and Charlie Crist would be the best choices for McCain. But we’ll see, won’t we?

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.

In an attempt to prove his quality among social conservatives, Republican Presidential front-runner Rudy Giuliani plans to reveal what is expected to be a strong Judicial Advisory Panel while campaining in the heavily Republican districts of western Iowa, which is home of the first presidential caucuses in 2008.

Membership in the panel is expected to include Ted Olson, Larry Thompson, and Miguel Estrada.

Olson served as the 42nd Attorney General under George W. Bush and served as Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Legal Counsel under Reagan. He has argued 43 cases before the Supreme Court, most notably Elk Grove v. Newdow (argued in favor of school prayer), Ashcroft v. ACLU (defended a federal law prevent minors from accessing pornography online), Bush v. Gore, and Gratz v. Bollinger (argued against race based admissions at Univ. of Michigan).

Thompson was a deputy Attorney General of the United States under United States President George W. Bush until August of 2003. He currently is head legal counsel for PepsiCo. Thompson is also a visiting professor at the University of Georgia law school, and a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution.

Finally, Estrada is an American attorney who, in 2001 was nominated by Pres. Bush to the United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. Democrats concerned that he was too conservative filibustered his nomination.

Fox News had this to say in regards to Giuliani’s selections:

The committee signals an important moment for building his relationship with social conservatives a he tries to convince skeptical Iowans he can compete seriously in the caucuses.

Giuliani hopes to reassure the GOP that he will appoint conservative judges and run a judicially conservative administration.