John McCain's Running Mate

One Way to Appease Conservatives

As of this writing, after the Super Tuesday elections, it looks like that Senator John McCain is well on his way to being the Republican nominee. For various reasons this prospect has conservatives in a funk. This is a problem for Senator McCain.

Without conservative support, McCain will not win the general election. There are already rumblings about how many conservatives will stay home in November or even become "suicide voters" and actually pull the lever for the Democrat candidate.

There are ways for Senator McCain to alleviate the concerns of conservatives. One would involve choosing a respected conservative as his running mate.

This choice of a running mate is of prime importance, especially for McCain. McCain is an older man who will be seventy two upon being sworn in as President. One would certainly wish Senator McCain a long, active life. But there also exists the possibility that because of his age McCain will be a one term President.

The Vice President automatically becomes the front runner for the nomination in 2012 (or 2016 should McCain run for and win a second term.) Even if McCain loses, his running mate would still be the front runner for the next election.

So who to choose?

Not Mike Huckabee, though considering his strength in the South it would be a temptation. Conservatives don't like or trust Huckabee either. Nor any other moderate or liberal.

Mitt Romney? He is likely to be the second place finisher, barring some last minute development. He also complements McCain's main foreign policy and national security strength with his financial acumen. The downside is that McCain and Romney detest one another. It's not unprecedented (remember JFK and Lyndon Johnson) but something that bears consideration.