Much virtual ink has been spilled Internet-wide on the problem of Senator McCain’s running mate selection. Policy views, succession, age, experience, home states, and every other conceivable preference are touted by one person or another as essential to the pick.
I say they’re all right, and they’re all wrong. You should be John McCain’s running mate in 2008. It’s perfect! You are in a swing state, you shore up the Bush states, and you make Obama work in his ‘safe’ states. You are a political novice, and you are experienced. You’re young. You’re mature. You are a mainstream Republican, a reformer, and a maverick. You even look like America.
You were even Time‘s People of the Year. You can’t go wrong.
Some say that you are a poor choice for the Vice Presidency because you might cause some indecision. But look, in practice it won’t matter. You only get any real powers when there is a tie in the Senate, and how often does that happen? It’s negligible. We can just have you miss the vote, and let the bill fail. That’s a sensible default.
Others point to the unfortunate but real possibility that the Vice President may need to replace President McCain during his term. How will that work? I think it’s simple enough: The first one of you to get to the swearing-in with Chief Justice Roberts, becomes President.
You are the nominee McCain is waiting for. McCain/YOU! 2008!