Mitt Romney: McCain's Vice President?

AUG 26 -- Romney Says Biden's Clips Are Worse Than His: Reacting to old chatter that his sparring with McCain could hurt his VP chances, Mitt Romney says it's nothing to worry about:

Mitt Romney suggested Tuesday that criticisms he leveled at John McCain during the GOP primaries would not block him from becoming the Republican nominee for vice president, arguing that he never questioned his one-time rival's readiness to be president the way the Democratic nominee for vice president questioned Barack Obama.

"The clips that they have of Joe Biden," said Romney, referring to a McCain attack ad, "are ones in which he questioned Obama's readiness to be president."

"I didn't say that he was not qualified to become president," said Romney, referring to his criticism of McCain. "Republicans in our debates pointed out differences on issues and relative capacity. That's very different from saying that he is not qualified to be president."

AUG 21 -- Halperin: McCain Settles On Romney: TIME's Mark Halperin cites two unnamed Republican sources saying that McCain has settled on Romney as his VP nominee:

Two Republicans who know say McCain has settled on Mitt Romney as his running mate.

Developing...

Meanwhile: If you are the wagering type, bet on Obama announcing Joe Biden as his running mate on Saturday.

Late update - Halperin has added to his post on Romney:

Two additional GOP sources say McCain had not offered the slot to anyone as of Thursday night, and that he could still change his mind.

And/but:

Story continues below

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NY Times: "People close to the [McCain] campaign also floated a wild-card choice, Gen. David H. Petraeus, the top American commander in Iraq."

Read all about Mitt Romney at HuffPost's Romney Big News Page.

AUG 14 -- Huckabee Knocks Romney As VP: Mike Huckabee himself goes on Fox News to disparage Romney.

"I think there are better choices for Sen. McCain that have the approval of value voters," he tells Fox News.

"The issue is that in many ways, Mitt Romney has had very definite swings of position. Not just on one or two things, but on many of the issues."

JULY 29 -- Evangelicals Warn Against Romney For VP: Huckabee supporters in particular balk at the idea.

Prominent evangelical leaders are warning Sen. John McCain against picking former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney as his running mate, saying their troops will abandon the Republican ticket on Election Day if that happens.

They say Mr. Romney lacks trust on issues such as outlawing abortion and opposing same-sex marriage and because he is a Mormon. Opposition is particularly powerful among those who supported former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee in the Republican presidential primaries earlier this year.

JULY 22 -- Graham Says Romney "Very Much A Contender": One of McCain's closest allies says Romney is on the list.

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), who earlier this year told The Hill that McCain's vice presidential pick should be someone the Arizona senator "feels comfortable with," said Romney fits that description.

"I think he's very much a contender for the job," Graham said. "They have a good relationship. That's all I'll say."

JULY 16 -- Can Romney Overcome Disdain In McCain's Inner Circle?: Insiders want Romney, but McCain's camp doesn't trust him.

Now, with the general election in full-swing, Romney is being hailed as a rising star in McCainLand - a foe turned friend whose surrogacy has elevated him into the Arizona Republican's V.P. shortlist. According to a recent National Journal Poll, the majority of "insiders" (25 percent) believe the former governor will end up getting the nod.

But how serious an evolution of the McCain-Romney relationship is the political world witnessing? Several insiders for the two GOP politicos offered disparate takes; with one suggesting that a partnership was a political necessity and another insisting that it was an electoral (if not psychological) nightmare. They and a third all agreed on one point: members of the McCain camp generally distrust if not dislike their former rival. How much these contentions matter is another story.

Comments

[JackND]

I love the trap McCain is in...he can't win the election just from the Base support alone, or just by Independent support alone...two groups that are almost entirely disjoint.

[AdV2k1]

The right wing bloggers would love Romney, but the average country folk who think obama is a muslim KNOW romney is a flip flopping Mormon. Republicans NEED the country folk to vote more than right wing bloggers.

I doubt he will pick him, but Huckabee would clean up the south and evangelical vote easy and make this election closer.

[BlackJAC]

Oh please pick Romney. We've got so much stuff on him here in Massachusetts.

[DaOne]

Senator Depends and Governor Wizard Drawers, BRING IT ON!

[RJII]

awe go ahead and choose Romney. he'll work well with your chief advisor, Karl Rove

[thegreatgiginthesky]

The bigots in the republican party will destroy themselves with their bickering. After 71/2 years of B u s h it will be nice to see that party implode.

[DaOne]

Real world experience has shown that a governor is limited in his power to influence the course of economic development in a state. A full-time governor who is deeply committed to the economic well-being of a state's workers can, however, make some difference. The state unfortunately did not receive such leadership over most of the past four years. Jokes about Massachusetts may receive some half-hearted laughter on the national campaign trail, but few working men and women in Massachusetts should see anything funny about the state's lackluster economic performance during the Romney years.

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2007/07/29/romneys_economic_record/

[MBryant]

Romney has this strange strategy: if this formerly moderate governor of a liberal who isn't exactly a mainstream Christian keeps saying his is the spokesman for the right - over and over again - and if he is charismatic, good-looking, and famous enough to get airtime to say it - eventually people will beleive him. Listen to the folks on the right, they aren't believing him... yet.. I think you take equal parts Ronald Reagan (charisma and propaganda) and Richard Nixon (arrogance & insecurity in a strange mix) and you get Mitt Romney.

[JiminNC]

Jaysus don't like plastic mittens.

[TovSquirrel]

McCain/Paul '08

[JiminNC]

Ron Paul wouldn't stoop to that.

[watchTVgetSTUPID]

The Republican party is run by rich people for their own benefit. That means through their control of nearly all US media, they can make the moral issue in Christian's eyes abortion and xenophobia in its many forms. Add their support of major televangelists and other organizations like Focus on the Family, and you have a major advantage in controling the attitudes of the Church going voters. For example, Prince who runs Blackwater (the company that rubbed out lots of innocent Iraqis with the legal protection provided by the State department) gave a half million dollars to Dobb's Focus on the family.

Thus people who sense they belong to a church with a prevailing public attitude that emphasizes religious outrage over gays and abortion, will not identify unrightousness with torture, or kil ling a million Iraqis to get their oil. They have chosen who they follow and it isn't the Christ of the bible.

Ironically, they are following and serving the very ones who are leading them to eventual financial desperation.

[Syco]

I know they are being prejudice but if Mccain puts him on the ticket Obama will have a better chance of winning

[DesertLight]

These little McKittens want no "Mittens."

[triplbee]

It sure is nice to see how the GOP's embrace of bigotry has shortened an already short list of potential VP contenders. Here is a list of the latest victims of GOP bigotry:

1. Mitt Romney---Let's face it. The Christian Right opposes this guy for one reason...He's a Mormon.
2. Bobby Jindahl---Do you really think right wing Republicans are going to vote for a man whose skin is darker than Obama's and whose name is harder to pronounce?
3. Gov. Crist---It's a open secret that Crist is gay, his shame marriage to a woman who is still married notwithstanding. This is a party whose leadership includes people who want to outlaw homosexuality. (I'm not kidding....I wish I were.)
4. Any woman---Well, because they're women.

Good luck in November McCain!

[JiminNC]

Wonder if Crist will stay married when McIceAge picks someone else.

[VolvoBirkenstock]

The Holy Rollers v the Magic Undie Brigade.

That's what the Repubes get for inviting that crowd into the tent.

Barry Goldwater warned about the holy rollers years ago.

[VolvoBirkenstock]

"Every good Christian ought to kick Fal well right in the a ss." -- Response to Jerry Fal well stating he was concerned that Sandra Day O'Connor might be moderate on abortion and other social issues, 1981.

[Bitsko]

He was a character.

[Bitsko]

Remember when the Republicans took Barry's name off the state office building in Phoenix because he started talking about gay rights? His sister came out, and Barry, to his everlasting credit, stuck by her. Back in the seventies, I spent a weekend with him at a friend's cabin in the mountains around Prescott, Arizona, and as much as I expected to despise him, he turned out to be a real gentleman, an old had with a bottle of Scotch, and a whiz at Scrabble. They don't make right-wing characters like him anymore.

[Amennyc]

Sounds like Prescottback Mountain.

[Bitsko]

I've submitted this post a couple of times and for some reason (filters?) it hasn't been coming through, so I'll try one more time:

Remember when the Arizona GOP took Gold water's name off the federal office building in the eighties because of stance on gay rights? His sister came out and he had stuck by her decision, causing no end of grief to them both. I spent a weekend with the man once in the seventies (no jokes, please) with very liberal friends in a cabin in the mountains of Prescott, Arizona, and as much as I expected to despise the man found him to be not only a gentleman, but a whiz at Scrabble and a deft hand with a bottle of scotch. They don't make right-wingers like him anymore. and having met him and heard his corny jokes I can see why Bob Dylan thought he was the most interesting politician of the sixties.

[doctorwang]

Great little anecdote.....