However, the one name that seems to be getting the highest speculative talk is that of Minnesota governor, Tim Pawlenty. Pawlenty is a two term Republican governor of a basically blue state. He is 47 years old and is an Evangelical Christian. Period. End of biography. Now that's what I call adding depth to the ticket. But when you get right down to it, the Republican bench is mighty thin.
Of all the four or five names most often floated, Romney, Pawlenty, Ridge, Jindal, and even Lieberman, not one of them is a sure-fire choice. Each of them is freighted down with issues which either infuriate the base or turn off independants. And when you stand them side-by-side with the candidate himself, the problems are magnified.
Romney won't work on way too many levels. Too rich. Too Smarmy. Too Smug. Too pompous. Too much of a flip-flopper. And, oh yeah, McCain despises him. If your looking for youth to balance McCain's age (btw, Happy 72nd Birthday today, senator) Jindal is too much of a contrast and has the thinnest of resumes. Tom Ridge automatically raises the hackles of the Christian conservatives as he is pro-choice. And to have Lieberman standing shoulder to shoulder on stage with McCain would look like the winner and runner-up at Sunset Senior Living Retirement Village's annual geezer award dinner.
So if, and that's a very big if, it comes down to Pawlenty, the Republicans and John McCain are going to have a helluva time continuing to call out Obama on all their "issues" so far. Every time they point out Obama's age, or his lack of experience, or his readiness to be commander-in-chief there are going to be similar fingers on the Democratic side pointing right back at them. If they had a candidate who hadn't qualified to start collecting a monthly Social Security check ten years ago, the VP choice wouldn't be all that important. But the hackneyed phrase about the VP being only a heart beat away from the presidency this year has a much more heightened sense of import and possibility.
But in the end, it doesn't matter who St. John the Insane picks. Because last night, Obama stepped into the ring against McCain and said "Gimme your best shot". I'd go with Obama in three rounds by a knockout.
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