Saturday, July 19, 2008

Mitt Romney for veep?

Oh please!... Please dear lord make it be true!

The political blogosphere has been speculating for the last couple of days that Mitt Romney will be John McCain's choice for veep -- and this speculation has finally spilled into the paper of record.

Frankly, I think this would be great!

While there's one big asset Romney brings to the ticket (a huge checkbook, and the willingness to spend like a drunken sailor) there's very little else he brings. Massachusetts won't be in play. And given the fact that Romney repositioned himself as the right wing's favorite son, he won't bring any moderates on board. (He might have something more going for him now that the economy is in the tank. Maybe.)

But more than that: Mitt Romney is widely hated.

Personally, none of the Republican presidential candidates inspired the kind of unapologetic loathing I felt for Mitt Romney. (Not Mike Huckabee, not Fred Thompson -- not even Rudy!) While I generally think it's a mistake to rely on one's personal feelings when picking a candidate (you're voting for a president -- not a buddy) there was something about Romney's entitled manner that I could not bear. He was so plastic; so phony; so condescending; and so patently dishonest! There was something so offensive about the fact that he didn't seem to have any qualms about buying the election.

And, in this sense, Max Gross tapped into the popular feeling about Mitt Romney. He could throw as much money at the campaign as he wanted. And still nobody was going to vote for him!

Frankly, I can't imagine McCain doing it. But here's hoping!

(Incidentally, one of the best moments of the Republican primary -- in which, for a brief, fleeting second I really loved John McCain -- was when Romney put up a press release on his web site attacking McCain for all his cussing. My favorite is when McCain said to Pete Domenici, "I wouldn't call you an asshole unless you really were an asshole.")