Paul Craft
McCain and Bush in 2008
By Paul Craft
Talk has already started on who McCain will select as his running mate. Unless McCain has lost his mind, he has to select a proven conservative to help unify the Party.
The problem McCain faces is that the conservative base does not trust or like him. Will this key voting bloc just decide to stay home on Election Day? This would no doubt give the White House to either Clinton or Obama. Recently conservative personality Ann Coulter said she would vote for Hillary before she would vote for McCain. Then there is Rush Limbaugh who has used most of his time on his radio show to attack John McCain.
Who would then be the best possible running mate for McCain? Romney? No because he is not a proven conservative. He has the reputation of flip flopping on the issues that are important to conservatives. Would a VP Huckabee help unite the Party around McCain? As a conservative I like Huckabee but allot of the conservative base do not like Huckabee any better than they do McCain. Jeb Bush? Yes because he is a proven conservative and he would help a McCain/Bush ticket carry one of the most important states in Florida.
There are arguments that the approval ratings of President Bush would eliminate Jeb Bush from consideration. I think this argument is flat wrong. The red states that elected President Bush twice still support him in large numbers. Jeb Bush would help unite the Party and help McCain carry the South and the Midwest states. With McCain's ability to attract moderates and independents the GOP might be able to steal one or more of the blue states from the Democrats.
Who knows in four years maybe the electorate will be ready for another President Bush.
© Paul Craft
Talk has already started on who McCain will select as his running mate. Unless McCain has lost his mind, he has to select a proven conservative to help unify the Party.
The problem McCain faces is that the conservative base does not trust or like him. Will this key voting bloc just decide to stay home on Election Day? This would no doubt give the White House to either Clinton or Obama. Recently conservative personality Ann Coulter said she would vote for Hillary before she would vote for McCain. Then there is Rush Limbaugh who has used most of his time on his radio show to attack John McCain.
Who would then be the best possible running mate for McCain? Romney? No because he is not a proven conservative. He has the reputation of flip flopping on the issues that are important to conservatives. Would a VP Huckabee help unite the Party around McCain? As a conservative I like Huckabee but allot of the conservative base do not like Huckabee any better than they do McCain. Jeb Bush? Yes because he is a proven conservative and he would help a McCain/Bush ticket carry one of the most important states in Florida.
There are arguments that the approval ratings of President Bush would eliminate Jeb Bush from consideration. I think this argument is flat wrong. The red states that elected President Bush twice still support him in large numbers. Jeb Bush would help unite the Party and help McCain carry the South and the Midwest states. With McCain's ability to attract moderates and independents the GOP might be able to steal one or more of the blue states from the Democrats.Who knows in four years maybe the electorate will be ready for another President Bush.
© Paul Craft
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