Andrew Boucher, whose claim to fame may be that he is a Colorado conservative with blogging credentials to the Democratic National Convention, made a great point yesterday about the larger significance of John McCain’s upcoming selection of a vice-presidential running mate:
There aren’t many “natural” McCain volunteers. There will be even fewer if he turns off the base with his VP pick.
Or, as I put it bluntly in a campaign planning meeting last week: If it’s McCain-Ridge, we’ll have 25 new GOTV volunteers in Fort Collins. If it’s McCain-Romney, we’ll have 250.
Remember: the Romney team made thousands of grassroots volunteer phone calls in Larimer County for caucus and won with 60 percent.
(As a frame of reference, Bush-Cheney had 110 walkers in Fort Collins on the Saturday before the election in 2004).
The ramifications down-ballot are terrifying…
I think the point applies beyond Boucher’s backyard of Fort Collins, too. The other side will have union-organized walks and other paid activists to push their grassroots efforts. This factor needs to be taken into careful consideration when McCain picks his Veep.
Rocky Mountain Right’s recommendation of conservative Eric Cantor would probably play better in this department than pro-choice Tom Ridge, but the energy and organization from Mitt Romney’s candidacy that showed up at the caucuses earlier this year will be hard for any other potential running mate to duplicate.
But one in Colorado must remember that Romney was not popular in other states, as he was in Colorado. So GOTV may be hampered by a Romney selection.
McCain needs someone who can inspire the conservative movement – not necessarily someone already rejected during the presidential primaries. This is one reason why, as a fmr Huckabee supporter, I am not an advocate for a Huckabee VP nomination.
McCain stands to gain the most by picking a candidate outside of the traditional mold – someone like Palin. She is pro-Life, pro-Gun, maverick who shares McCain’s enthusiasm for stopping corruption.
You well may be right. But if I were to place a bet today, I think McCain is going to pick Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty. Which, of course, would also make Hugh Hewitt happy. Pawlenty would be better than most of the names mentioned.
I think Sarah Palin would be great, too, but don’t see it happening. What about Mark Sanford?