Which GOP VP nominee would be difficult for Obama's VP pick (whoever that might be) to counter?

[Proud Liberal Dem]

As of this writing, I have NO idea whatsoever who Obama will pick as VP and there are so many rumors and suggestions flying around everywhere I don't believe that anybody could correctly guess it at this point. Frankly, I'll be satisfied with whoever he picks but I'm also curious about is who McCain might pick so that we might know what kind of competition we're looking at in terms of VP. Who would be the most difficult candidate for us in terms of McCain's VP pick? I really don't have a clue myself and there's equally rampant speculation about his possible pick as well. Back during the primaries I guessed he would pick Huckabee to shore up his religious right base but last I heard he signed on for his own radio show and disavowed interest in running and I doubt that he would go with any of the primary losers. My guess it will probably be a governor or somebody who isn't particularly well known. IMHO the most dangerous VP candidate that I can think of is if he nominates a woman because it could potentially siphon more female voters away from Democrats (i.e. Hilary supporters) not to mention possibly keep the resentment over the primary going as well (at least unless Obama were to nominate a female running mate as well). Thoughts? Opinions?

[flvegan]

1. Moses. Jesus. Elvis.

[Muttocracy]

4. 'cept Obama IS Moses, remember? :)

[panader0]

2. Interesting question. A chess game

Who declares first is an issue, maybe good, maybe not. I tend to think that declaring first is better. Bold. Put the opposition on the defensive.

[LSparkle]

3. NONE ... because the VP nominee will be Joe Biden, who can fillet anyone

Tim Pawlenty? Aw, c'mon ... Tom Ridge? Was he BORN
in PA like Joe? (Even if so, I don't think Mr. "Color-
Coded Terror Alerts" is going to get past Mr. Biden.)
Charlie Crist? OK, here's one in which the Repug is
more "exotic" than the Dem! Lieberman? Puh-leeze ...
Joe will make mincemeat out of him!

I'm series -- I can't think of ANY candidate they can
put up who Joe wouldn't be able to do a "Benihana" on
AND SMILE AFTERWARD! (And that includes you, 9/ll
Ghouliani!)

[earthlover]

5. I started to make suggestions about what would be McCain's best choice....

...But, then again, McCain is not paying me for my advice so why should I put it out there for free, for his consumption? Let him figure out his own goddamned VP for himself!

[saltpoint]

6. The veep picks who might most help McCain are not

acceptable to the GOP fundies, which puts him in the position of having to piss SOMEBODY off with his choice.

Ridge would be the sturdiest choice from the GOP perspective, but the fundies would blow their brains out, inasmuch as they HAVE brains.

The fundies are not going to show up in the same huge numbers McCain needs if a pro-Choice veep nom is chosen.

Pawlenty is palatable to the fundies but is dull as pitch. I guess McCain could choose him, but I'm not sure what he gains with Pawlenty.

Huckabee can mud-sling when he wants to, but I don't think he's a match for Richardson and Biden and Clark, for example, on international affairs. They'd reduce him to the HEE HAW castoff he is in about 10 seconds.

Franklin Graham is the only pick, IMO, who brings stature, profile, publicity, and punch to the Republican ticket. He's an appalling guy, to be sure, but McCain faces desperate odds. The safer McCain picks the larger the percentage he gets crushed by in November, IMO.

Cantor. Brownback. Franklin Graham. (maybe) Huckabee.

[CitizenLeft]

7. I dread Romney....

...not because I think he'd make McCain a winner, but because he's such a nasty vicious liar that my head would explode and I wouldn't survive to vote.

[grantcart]

11. well true evangelicals also despise him

[ShadowLiberal]

13. I don't understand why people worry about Romney

I've never really understood why people keep saying Romney would be a good VP pick for any reasons other then satisfying the neocon base.

Mitt Romney was losing to BOTH Obama and Hillary by like 15% in general election match up polls before he dropped out of the race.

Mitt Romney as the VP would make it easier for us to brand the republican ticket "team flip flop" or something like that, because of all of Romney's flip flops.

Some claim Mitt Romney could help McCain carry Michigan from a home field advantage, even though Mitt Romney is from Massachusetts. The fact of the matter is however, even though Mitt's dad was a popular governor in Michigan, only something like 1/10th of the registered voters are old enough to have voted for Mitt's dad.

Plus if you take a look back at the end of Mitt's dad's terms as governor, his wife ran for the senate, and lost very badly, by like a 2 to 1 margin! Even against a popular incumbent she should have done better then that if her husband had any coattails for her to ride, and that was like 40 years ago, Mitt Romney will have far less of his father's coattails to ride then his mother did.

[book_worm]

8. Frankly, I think the people on our side are all superior to whoever InSane would select

[Proud Liberal Dem]

9. I WHOLEHEARTEDLY agree

Let me put it this way, which candidate do you think the RNCMSM would help prop up the most or "lionize" (like they do with McCain)?

[msongs]

10. obama better get a vp thats able to stand up to take it McCain. someody has to nt

[ShadowLiberal]

12. Joe Lieberman would be a nightmare

As much as some people claim a Joe Lieberman nomination would cause an open revolt on the right and sink McCain's chances by making GOPers stay home on election day I strongly disagree.

If McCain wants to win then he has to appeal to the center and the moderates, and there's no one better to do that then Joe Lieberman. All of the backlash from the base would make moderates like him more because it would be sort of like McCain finally standing up to Bush and the hardcore neocon right wingers.

Besides, it's probably too late for a right winger to make a third party run against McCain for caving to the center too much, and most of them will probably just hold their nose and vote for McCain anyway, that's what history shows the hardcore base of both parties usually do.