Reply To: Your Dream-Ticket for 2012

ronrsr, are you serious? Why would America elect an 80 year old to be president? And why would the Democrats nominate a looser as their candidate? It’s as if someone would suggest McCain on the GOP ticket!

Additionally, why would Hillary agree to be VP? If she has presidential aspirations she would seek the nomination (and would very likely win it), why would she be a back-seater with no political future (except if he dies in office)?

Ender, that’s actually an interesting choice. Marco Rubio, the upcoming star of the Republican Party, has the advantage of carrying Florida as well as getting much Hispanic support. He’s articulate, well-spoken and has a passionate story. A tough and effective speaker in the Florida House, Rubio would have more experience in 2012 than Obama had when he was elected president. Mike Pence, also a Tea-Party favorite, is one of the leaders in the Republican Congress and has been mentioned as a possible presidential contender. Pence also has the advantage of carrying Ohio, another important swing-state, given that his district borders the state.

The question here is: would the Americans want to do this celebrity thing over again? Would they be ready to elect another inexperienced leader and have a ticket with no executive experience? Additionally, although Rubio would probably be able to win the Republican nomination, does he have a good message and achieves high-marks in the Senate, he would probably opt for a more traditional candidate. Obama will likely try to paint him as a Tea-Party extremist and Pence as the veep would probably give Obama more fuel to his claims. I also think that Rubio, a freshman, would try to pick someone with more name-recognition than a Representative (as Obama did with Biden). Otherwise, I’m all for it. I just think I’d like my pick (to be disclosed soon) somewhat better.

As to your follow-up question: It really depends who the candidates are. If the independent is center-right, he’ll ruin it for the Republicans, and if he’s center-left, he will take more Democratic votes. If the Republican is a moderate and the Democrat is a liberal, the Democrat will most probably lose votes to the independent and vice-versa. I believe that in 2012 (with Obama on the Democratic ticket) and the election about the economy and anti-Obama, the Democrats will benefit from an independent (especially one like Bloomberg or Crist).