'VeeP' tweet!

Sorry, but nerd that I am, I cannot resist the ongoing saga of who 'Boring Mitt' will choose as his running  mate.  Currently the American MSM is full of stories that 'Condi' Rice might be the surprise choice.  She would certainly bring some foreign policy experience to the team which would be useful given Romney's lack of it.  But it's what she brings to the election race which really counts.  She's black and thus scuppers the more scurrilous attacks by the Dem-supporting MSM.  Peggy Noonan in The WSJ puts it like this:

A public figure of obvious and nameable accomplishment whose attainments can't be taken away from her. Washington experience—she wouldn't be learning on the job. Never run for office but no political novice. An academic, but not ethereal or abstract. A woman in a year when Republicans aren't supposed to choose a woman because of what is now called the 2008 experience—so the choice would have a certain boldness. A black woman in a campaign that always threatens to take on a painful racial overlay. A foreign-policy professional acquainted with everyone who's reigned or been rising the past 20 years.

On the other hand, Jeffrey H. Anderson at The National Review goes strongly on Paul Ryan:

• Picking Ryan would excite and unite the party.
• By putting Ryan on the ticket, Romney would add the party’s single best spokesman on three huge issues: Obamacare, the budget, and the debt. Imagine Ryan debating Joe Biden — or Hillary Clinton.
• By adding such a heavyweight to the ticket, Romney would convey to the electorate how high the stakes are in this historic election.
• The pick would also show strength. By making it, Romney would (rightly) indicate that he’s not afraid of being overshadowed by anyone.

There is no doubt in my mind that Ryan would be an ideal choice once they were in power because he has a well-earned and formidable reputation as a man who understands economics and possesses a well-thought-out ideology to support his views.  How much help that will be in the actual election, I'm not so sure.  However, given the financial tsunami rapidly coming over the horizon towards America I'm not sure they can do without him.

William Kristoll at The Weekly Standard supports Ryan as the best choice but his guess, from reading the tea leaves, or I suppose, this being America, reading the coffee grounds, is that 'Condi' Rice is the likely pick.

 

Comments

[dearieme]

If Ryan is that good shouldn't he be given an executive post in the cabinet, rather than just being the heir in case of assassination?

[David Duff]

I think these days, DM, the idea is to have a 'dream ticket' in which the VP brings some electoral advantage to the campaign - and they'll worry about running the country after they win!

[JK]

Condi?

Yes. Yes, Yes, Yes, Yes, Yes!!!

Besides taking forever the "Boring" moniker from the Mittster, she would be a steady hand at the tiller at what I seem to see coming at us from just past ya'll David. Bit further south though, I don't mean just the EU.

(That's actually what all along's been botherin' me about Mitt - we're gonna need depth in foreign policy.)

[David Duff]

JK, control yourself, Sir! Yes, she is a very elegant and beautiful lady but you must remember that you are an officer and gentlemen, er, you are, aren't you?

Anyway, I'm sorry but in my opinion your, meaning America's, biggest problem by far is financial not strategic.

[JK]

Not disagreeing perzactly David, well maybe the gentleman part - yes the primary problem is financial - but the interest on those finances can be compounded tremendously by, for instance such things as far away as say, the Spratley Islands.

I'd prefer somebody in the administration who actually knows where the Spratleys are.

Not to mention the other ongoing snake-pits. Besides, I'd prefer watching Condi board an airplane rather than Joe any day of the week. I forget who said it, "Best things about being VP is a front seat at all the best funerals and no heavy lifting" - not sure about the funeral thing anymore but in today's world I'd kinda like a Veep capable of carrying more than a few pages of one-liners to the podium at a fundraiser.

[JK]

Coincidence? First word on my 'captcha' was "Catastrophe" (yes, capital 'C'). Compounded interest also begins with a capital 'C'.

[JK]

Got to thinking David (yep I know... dangerous) anyway, recall just a few days ago Mitt gathered up the gumption to go before the NAACP which I surmise - means he's obviously serious 'bout making inroads for the African American vote. All the while worryin' 'bout his conservative flank. Maybe we're overlookin' the obvious:

http://www.bartcop.com/batshit-eats-corndog.jpg

[David Duff]

With respect, JK, it's not knowing where the Spratley Islands are but knowing what to do about them should they become important. Thirty years ago most of us had to check the atlas to remind ourselves where the Falklands were but most of us had a pretty clear idea of what needed doing. Well, at least 'that woman' did!

[backofanenvelope]

Well, its nothing to do with me - but.......

She is a woman.
She is a real African-American.
She is not too old or two young.
Her history is open to investigation; even her educational records are available.
She was definitely born in the USA.
She is pretty fit.
She can play the piano.

The Spratleys are where they always have been.

[backofanenvelope]

PS. I have flown over the Spratleys in a Shackleton. How many of your correspondents can say that?

[David Duff]

Set a Spratley to catch Shackleton, perhaps! ("Oh, very witty, Wilde.")

I do like your summary of 'Condi'.

[JK]

I'll need to search up an image 'cause I don't know I've ever seen a Shackleton - well except for a documentary on the South Pole but I don't think that's what's meant.

I've been over them in a P3C Orion and an E2C Hawkeye. Do those count? Had real air-conditioning.

[JK]

Just to ensure I found the correct aircraft - was it described as ten thousand rivets flying in close formation?

[Dom]

I'm waiting for someone in the media to say the Condi Rice is not "authentically black". I wonder how Obama (or his mother) will respond to that?

[David Duff]

I don't speak from experience, JK, but I bet the Shackleton had air conditioning because most of those rivets fell out after a while and the draught was terrific!

Well, as we say 'over here', Dom, Obama's about as authentic as a nine bob note!

[JK]

Well David, my comment was mostly for 'Envelope' seeings his comment of t'other day: for you I'd only ask did you actually see a Shackleton whilst you were incendiarying the brown stuff below the latrines?

From what I gather reading up on that particular aircraft type I feel honored to find myself unusually so, given these are the pages of D&N to think I'm on the same blog where a Victoria's Cross recipient is hanging with the likes of us David.

Don't know [if you're to read this 'Envelope'] but those guys deserved a bunch. 10 meters off surface for extended without the avionics we had makes our 50 (and scary as shit to me) seem like flying simulators.

Props Envelope. Sir!

[backofanenvelope]

A Shackleton crew was often referred to as ten thousand zips in close formation. Or as a formation eating team. Whats this got to do with Condi Rice? And we didn't have meters in those days.........

[Arizona CJ]

My hunch is that it's not going to be Condi. Here's my angle; it's early yet for Romney to pick a VP. Plus, his campaign gets a lot of mileage and buzz when the rumor mill goes wild, as it is over Condi. So, it's in their interest to fuel the flames, thus they are.

My personal hope is Paul Ryan, but I've seen nothing to indicate he has a better chance then the other likely picks. My best guess is that Romney hasn't decided yet.

[David Duff]

Yes, CJ, I wondered if this wasn't the old conjurer's trick of misdirection. I gather the rumour began after some apparently(?) spontaneous remarks from Mrs. Romney.

JK & Envelope, I think I must have see a Shackleton at the Farnborough air show, my annual boyhood treat, but of course the Hawker Hunters and DH110s made much more of an impression, not least because they were allowed to break the sound barrier back in those days.

[backofanenvelope]

Or in the case of the DH110, just break.

[David Duff]

Quite so, and "I was there". And John Derry was my schoolboy hero.