Republicans Want an Unqualified and Ineffective Veep Pick

YouGov have released a poll that indicates that forty percent of registered voters do not think that Romney's choice of VP is an important factor in how they plan to vote. Only nineteen percent think Romney's VP pick is "very important". Among Republicans only twenty five percent think the VP pick is "very important". This poll comes to quite different findings to a CBS poll that shows that Romney's choice of running mate is a major factor in how they will vote. 

Regardless of how important voters might think the Republican Vice-Presidential nominee is, the candidates that they seem to think are leading the way is baffling.

Over half of Republicans polled by YouGov said that they were not sure who Romney would pick as a running mate. However, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Condoleezza Rice are the two candidates that Republicans who believe that they are sure think are the most likely to be picked. 

Recently Rice has been fading as a potential VP pick. She has never held an elected office, and is too close to the Bush years for the Romney campaign. Reuters reported on Monday that there is a new top list of candidates: 

Romney's short list of potential running mates is believed to include a host of leading Republicans, including Ohio Senator Rob Portman, former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty, Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal and Florida Senator Marco Rubio.

Although Reuters included Rubio on the list reports are indicating that Rubio is unlikely to be picked for the VP slot and may not have ever been seriously considered. One of Rubio's main appeals, the effect he would have on Hispanic voters, is exaggerated. Politico reported that Obama has the support of seventy percent of the Hispanics, a lead that a Hispanic Republican VP nominee would be incapable of reducing significantly.

What is revealing, and slightly worrying, is that Republicans seem to think that Rice is the most qualified of the possible candidates.

Even Sarah Palin had (somehow) been elected to an office before her memorable VP campaign. Only three percent of Republicans think that Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH) is qualified to be the VP pick. Quite what qualities the Republicans want in their VP nominee remains a mystery.  

Comments

[Drake]

"Unqualified and Ineffective Veep" Instead of the awesome one we have now.

[Mr. FIFY]

Hey, that's it! Team Red needs to pick Biden as their VP!

[Drake]

Put him on both tickets! Comedy relief whoever wins.

[Tulpa the White]

How would one be an "effective" veep?

The main task of the job is to avoid dying before the president does.

[Auric Demonocles]

That, and protect the space-time continuum. Read the Constitution!

[CE]

An "effective" veep is one either so incompetent (Quayle) or so terrifying (Cheney) that the other side won't try to impeach you.

[21044]

An "effective" veep is one either so incompetent (Quayle) ... that the other side won't try to impeach you.

Finally an explanation for picking Biden I can understand.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Only nineteen percent think Romney's VP pick is "very important".

Obviously those 19% are ignorant of the impact of Joe Biden on current United States governance.

[CE]

Hey, he gets to break tie votes in the Senate. That could be big.

[21044]

I agree and the tie breaking vote could be pretty damn important. However, a dead sponge elected on the same ticket is going to vote the way the president wants. The tie-breaking is not the reason one is or is not selected as a running mate.

[Mike M.]

The so-called "most qualified" poll is based on plain old name recognition, nothing more.

[Almanian's Evil Twin]

The hell you say!

*shocked face*

[Almanian's Evil Twin]

I think it's time for Scott Ruseell Vice Presidency.

[o3]

obviously the VP pick aint imp considering mccain threw-away his choice by selecting palin...and threw-away the election.

[Whiterun Guard]

Palin is the only reason the election was as close as it was. Thinking she didn't give him a huge bump is revisionist history.

[T o n y]

It's mean to call the American electorate stupid like that.

[?Ex Nihilo?]

It's mean to call the American electorate stupid like that.

It may be mean, but it is accurate. The American electorate is stupid.

[John]

Well they did elect Obama. Considering that fact, it is hard to call them smart. It may be a hundred years before the stink of that mistake is finally erased.

[T o n y]

Yet you clowns expected Obama to clean up Bush's unprecedented mess in 2 years.

[Mike M.]

And you clowns think that Bush should be held completely responsible for everything that happened during the last two years of his administration, but that Obama should have no responsibility at all for anything that happens during his.

[John]

Well come on Mike. It is not like he had huge majorities in Congress for two years or anything.

[T o n y]

I blame Republicans in general for most of the problems this country has had over roughly the past 30 years. Bush was just a particular culmination.

[John]

Yes Tony, you will never face the fact that you believe in a stupid and failed ideology no matter how obvious that fact is. We get it. But we kind of knew that already.

[T]

And this right here is why you are demonstrably a moron.

[protefeed]

Do you blame Republicans for the problems caused by actions taken when Democrats controlled Congress and the Presidency?

[T o n y]

Such as?

[protefeed]

Every fucking thing Obama and the Democratic Congress did during the first two years of his presidency.

For a specific example, I believe Cash For Clunkers passed during that time period.

Do you think CFC was a good idea?

[T o n y]

In theory yes, though it wasn't a wild success. Didn't do much damage though, certainly not a Bush tax cut in terms of adding to the deficit.

[T o n y]

In theory yes, though it wasn't a wild success. Didn't do much damage though, certainly not a Bush tax cut in terms of adding to the deficit.

[Restoras]

Don't hold your breath for a response to that one, protefeed.

[Restoras]

Like I said.

[wareagle]

Tony blames Repubs. Period. Just look at his "over the last 30 years" bullshit. It's as though Dems have been DC's permanent minority.

[CE]

It's mean to call the American electorate stupid like that.

94 percent of them currently support either Obama or Romney. I'd say stupid is an understatement.

[o3]

every indie woman i know laughed at that pick then voted obama

[Drake]

Native American is the appropriate term.

[Whiterun Guard]

No one I know voted for Nixon...

[John]

Tell us all about it Ms. Keal.

[RyanXXX]

Do you mean Kael?

[The Hammer]

Why did you put dashes in "threw away?"

[Whiterun Guard]

They've already thrown in the towel, so they'll pick whichever VP pick will guarantee they lose the election.

[Hyperion]

this

[Bee Tagger]

Even Sarah Palin had (somehow)

Feeney is trying to pad his comment numbers.

[Tom Beebe]

read "Crises and Leadership" if you're interested in seeing a truly qualified candidate. I do not agree with this one on every issue but I do believe he is best suited should the VP job lead to greater responsibilities.

[Ice Nine]

read "Crises and Leadership" if you're interested in seeing a truly qualified candidate.

I'd like to - if only Amazon or Google had ever heard of it.

[EDG reppin' LBC]

I think he meant this book written by Bobby Jindal.

[Ice Nine]

Heh, I even searched "Crisis and Leadership"; silly me didn't think to transpose the words. That said, Mr Backwards is way right about Jindal.

[John]

Even Sarah Palin had (somehow) been elected to an office before her memorable VP campaign.

Last I looked Palin had millions of people who loved her and was a gazzilionaire thanks to her books and TV appearances. Given those facts, her wining an election in Alaska doesn't seem surprising at all.

Go fuck yourself you cosmotarian douchebag.

And Rice was Secretary of State and National Security adviser. How does that not qualify her to be VP? By Freeny's logic some nobody Congress Critter is more qualified to be VP than any figure from academia, the judiciary or the executive because they have won an election.

What a stupid post.

[Scruffy Nerfherder]

Agreed. By his logic, Joe Biden is preferable.

[T o n y]

It's mean to call millions of people ridiculous halfwit morons like that.

[John]

Don't be so mean to Obama's supporters Tony. They just wanted to prove they were not racist.

[T o n y]

And Palin voters just wanted to prove they could vote and keep control of their digestive functions at the same time.

[John]

Tony,

Obama is dumb as a post. I think Biden might be smarter than he is. The more time goes on and the more Obama says stupid shit like "you didn't make that" the more it is obvious that people like you called Palin dumb because you knew the sorry truth that your guy was actually the dumb one in the 2008 election.

[T o n y]

No, I'm pretty sure Palin is the dumbest person ever on a presidential ticket in the history of the US across the entire spectrum of alternate universes in which the US exists.

[o3]

palin stupit? nah

but she can see stupit fm her grifted porch

[Paul.]

but she can see stupit fm her grifted porch

That's awesomely unintentionally funny.

[?Ex Nihilo?]

but she can see stupit fm her grifted porch

Actually what she said was

"They're our next-door neighbors, and you can actually see Russia from land here in Alaska, from an island in Alaska"

And you know what, she is right. If you want to say she is stupid, go ahead, but don't use bullshit that she did not say to do it, makes you look stupid and small minded.

[T o n y]

But that was meant to be her international policy qualification.

To be fair, it's not clear she had learned to write notes on her hand by that point.

[?Ex Nihilo?]

But that was meant to be her international policy qualification.

Then say that, don't make up stupid shit, it undermines the argument. As an aside, it was a dumb thing to say and it is McCain's fault for not preparing her better. Kind of like the "what papers do you read" question. I don't think she is stupid, but she was inexperienced in national politics.

[John]

No Tony, you are just an angry gay man who can't handle smart women. So of course you think she is stupid. Again, Obama says more stupid shit in one week than Palin has in three years. The facts are what they are. Palin has never said anything remotely as stupid as "clinging to your guns and religion" or "electricity rates will skyrocket" or "you didn't make that" or "see the paralegals for help after you fainted" or "speaking Austrian". The list goes on and on. He is an astoundingly dull man.

[T o n y]

As a gay man I tend to idolize powerful, intelligent women. Do you know anything about gay men? I supported Hillary over Obama.

John, it's well documented that McCain and McCain's campaign team were shocked at Palin's ignorance. As for Obama, you don't accidentally stumble into an editorship of the Harvard Law Review, or the presidency for that matter.

Your having a boner for Sarah Palin is not the same thing as Sarah Palin being a smart person.

[Tulpa the White]

You edited the Harvard Law Review? Other people wrote the articles.

[John]

Tony,

The editorship of Harvard Law school is an elected position. It is a political position. Obama has never written so much as a law review article.

He managed to graduate from Harvard without ever holding a significant clerkship, be anything but an adjunct professor, and do very little work as a practicing lawyer. So spare me the editor of the Harvard law school.

And sorry, but the lies told by an incompetent McCain staff only count with morons like you. Listen to either of them give a speech. Palin is obviously more intelligent than Obama. She never says the stupid things Obama does. Obama doesn't go a single week without committing some kind of gaffe. As I said, the past three years have shown that Obama is just not very bright. And worse, he believes in absolutely nonsensical things like green energy being the key to creating jobs. Anyone who believes that is most certainly stupid and dangerously stupid at that.

[T o n y]

John your incoherent rambling is giving me a headache. Fine, Sarah Palin is a genius. She did go to 5 colleges, after all.

[John]

Yeah Tony because growing up middle class and not having a hand out because you are black makes you inferior. And once again, show a belief held by Palin as stupid and as damaging to the country as Obama's absolute faith that green energy is the key to creating jobs?

[T o n y]

The belief that more domestic oil drilling is the same?

[John]

The belief that more domestic oil drilling is the same?

Yes. Last I looked the only states in the union that were doing well were those with oil booms thanks to fraking.

I know, I forgot you are every bit as dangerously stupid as Obama. You believe in green unicorns too.

[Bee Tagger]

No, I'm pretty sure Palin is the dumbest person ever on a presidential ticket in the history of the US across the entire spectrum of alternate universes in which the US exists.

John, it's well documented that McCain and McCain's campaign team were shocked at Palin's ignorance.

Ignorant is not the same thing as dumb.

[Hyperion]

As a gay man I tend to idolize powerful, intelligent women

That is the problem with voters like you. You yourself feel so weak and powerless that you feel a need for someone else, who you idolize, to take care of you and make all of your decisions for you.

Idolizing is for luddites and cretins, and in general, people with primitive mindsets.

[Restoras]

Idolizing is for luddites and cretins, and in general, people with primitive mindsets

Beautiful! Consider it stolen...

[T o n y]

Tell that to the Ayn Rand cultists.

[Tulpa the White]

Again, Obama says more stupid shit in one week than Palin has in three years.

BO's problem is he's fallen in love with the sound of his own voice. He's not a good speaker, not a particularly intelligent person but he just keeps running his mouth, probably because he's got an echo chamber around him that tells him his rhetorical farts are perfume.

At least GWB (or more likely, his advisors) was aware of his limitations and avoided public speaking at all costs.

[Atanarjuat]

Based on what?

[BarryD]

Obama was smart enough to be the DNC's Chosen One at the right time. He was smart enough to be half-African (not half African-American, really, in the sense that he has no connection to African-American culture and grew up in a place where white kids are the ones who experience the ugly side of racism, not brown-skinned kids). He was smart enough to have his opponents either be taken out by Chicago Machine thuggery, or to be running against McCain who didn't seem to want to win.

That explains his understanding of what "smart" is, and how people succeed...

[Tulpa the White]

He did beat Hillary, which was no small feat. I guarantee that wouldn't have happened if he were white, though. If he were white he'd probably still be a humdrum state senator.

[Restoras]

If he were white he would be a failed community organizer. State senate? Please.

[T o n y]

Because being black is such a leg up in this country?

[Tulpa the White]

If you're a member of the black elite, yes, it's a huge leg up.

Being black and living in the inner city with shitty schools and kleptocratic urban government, not so much.

[T o n y]

The black elite. Hm. Well, we'll call it a wash since he's running against a member of the white elite. George Romney and Barack Obama Sr., peas in a pod.

[John]

It can be Tony. If you are applying to Harvard it sure as hell is. It is a big problem if you grow up in a black community and in a typical black family, which is often a single mother. But Obama never faced any of that. He was raised by his rich white grand parents and still go to be treated like he actually over came hardships.

Once in politics, it was a hell of an advantage.

[T o n y]

So what you're saying is that Mitt Romney is about a thousand times more of an outrage of a human being, given the privileges visited upon him by the accident of his parentage?

Or are you just being an incoherent moron throwing spaghetti at the wall?

[BarryD]

Having dark skin sure as shit is, if you're a kid in Hawaii.

[John]

If he were white he wouldn't even be that. He would have never gotten into Columbia much less Harvard. If he were white, we would have no idea who he is.

[T o n y]

More amusing counterfactuals: what if Bush or Romney weren't born into powerful white families?

[John]

They would both have probably ended up successful business people but we wouldn't have heard of either of them. But so what? That is the whole point, Obama is every bit as privileged and every bit as much of a fraud as the worst idiot son.

[Tulpa the White]

GWB ran every business he touched into the ground.

[R C Dean]

GWB ran every business he touched into the ground.

Really? His syndicate bought the Rangers for $89mm in 1989, they made the playoffs for the first time ever in 1996 (with the highest stadium revenue in the league), and sold it for $250mm in 1998.

I wish I could fail that hard.

[Tulpa the White]

When someone here is singing the praises of Romney and Bush as great thinkers, let me know.

The last president we had who was a self-made man in the real world was Jimmy Carter. Before him, Ike. It's an unusual thing at that level.

[John]

Reagan was a self made man. It is not so easy to become a movie star.

[Mike M.]

Yep, and Reagan's father was a rather poor traveling shoe salesman. He was every bit as self-made as Carter was.

[Romulus Augustus]

What about Reagan?

[John]

Jesus Tulpa, Reagan, Nixon and Johnson came from nowhere. What the hell are you talking about?

[Hyperion]

Not sure what reason Obama could have had to pick Biden besides being absolutely sure that he had a VP that made him look smart in comparison. There has never been an official in as high of an office who is as dumb as Joe Biden. The guy is certifiably retarded.

[Tulpa the White]

Biden was considered to be an experienced foreign policy guy to counterbalance Obama's perceived naivete. Which is why it's all the more hilarious that AQ wanted to assassinate BO so they would get an unprepared idiot in the presidency.

[darius404]

Guys? If you're arguing whether Obama or Palin is more intelligent, you've DONE SOMETHING WRONG.

[21044]

Biden's staff and press person considered Biden to be an experienced foreign policy guy.

[cthorm]

+1

Rice would be a fine VP choice. Certainly better than Rubio, Portman, or Ryan. She hits all the (overhyped) demographics that the GOP is weak with, and she is probably the least polarizing figure in the Bush White House.

[Scruffy Nerfherder]

Cheney and Rumsfeld hate her. Good enough for me.

[Tulpa the White]

she is probably the least polarizing figure in the Bush White House.

Sort of like the best bullfighter in Alaska, but that honor goes to her predecessor anyway. Rice had a well known hard-on for the Iraq War and beyond.

[CE]

Except to conservatives, who are already tepid in their support of Romney.

And to the millions of Ron Paul supporters, who somehow neither candidate is courting, despite the polls being a dead hat right now.

[SIV]

Go fuck yourself you cosmotarian douchebag.

I think this all the time reading HampersandR

[darius404]

I think this all the time reading HampersandR

Which brings up the question, why do you hate yourself so much, SIV?

[Joe R.]

Yeah, I don't get the reasoning behind "elected office" being the most important qualification for Veep. Whether or not Condi would make a good Veep is up for debate, but I think it's ridiculous to call her unqualified, or even underqualified.

[DesigNate]

She had books and TV appearances before she won an election in Alaska?

Cause I had never heard of her until she was tapped to be VP.

And given her immense failure during the campaign trail, that (somehow) was at least partially earned.

[Restoras]

Not sure what "has never held an elected office" has to do with anything. People like Condi because she is actually intelligent and has worked hard to get where she is. Not saying she is a good choice, or the right choice, but Feeney seems to be picking nits on this one. I certainly would have more comfort with her one heart beat from the presidency than the current occupant.

[Pro Libertate]

Rice's lack of experience as an elected official doesn't bother me. Experience in elections has one value and one only--to see how the candidate performs when in office. It's extremely important, and ignoring that with candidates (hey, didn't we collectively do that recently?) is an extraordinarily bad idea for the presidency. Or even, to a lesser extent, the vice presidency.

Interesting that people attack Rice as "inexperienced" when many of the same think Hillary Clinton was qualified to be president or SoS. What nonsense.

That all said, while I think Rice is intelligent and reasonably competent in some things, I'm very uncomfortable with her apparent vision of Pax Americana, run by those Americanans.

[John]

But you are getting Pax Americana no matter who wins.

[SIV]

Unfortunately ^This^

[Pro Libertate]

Fair enough. I'm used to losing elections.

[T o n y]

Portman is the guy. Heard it here first. I don't know who the hell Portman is, but he's the guy.

[Scruffy Nerfherder]

Rubio is a neocon. No thank you.

[Pro Libertate]

I don't like that, either, but he'd just be VP. But what, exactly, is Romney's position on foreign policy? I'm not clear on that.

[R C Dean]

To be fair, I doubt Romney is clear on what his foreign policy is, either.

[Pro Libertate]

Okay, then. So I'll project my fantasy of America retracting its interventionism on to Romney.

[John Thacker]

Only three percent of Republicans think that Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH) is qualified to be the VP pick.

Leaving out the qualifier "most" in the original completely changes the meaning.

Though, yes, this is merely a case of name recognition. It's the "the person I've heard of is the most qualified" heuristic, which isn't entirely flawed, even if obviously not perfect.

[Scruffy Nerfherder]

Resurrect Thurmond! He's got experience!

[Hugh Akston]

Romney's only hope of getting my vote is if he picks Opus the Penguin as his running mate.

[Paul.]

And only if Romney died, tragically, in a car accident on election night.

[BarryD]

Maybe Republicans are just realistic about the VP, and about Romney's temperament.

Romney doesn't seem like a guy who would play golf and leave the work to his VP, and unless the President chooses to have the VP do something, the VP really has no job description at all unless the Senate is deadlocked.

[R C Dean]

Theoretically, as President of the Senate (one of the VP's actual job titles), he could swing a big dick in the Capitol. Per the Constitution, he is authorized to preside over the Senate, and would outrank the Majority Leader.

If anyone cared about the Constitution, of course.

[BarryD]

I don't think that Condoleeza Rice could swing a big dick in the Capitol. But I certainly think she could hold her own.

[Restoras]

Colin Powell! He's a uniter, not a divider! Plus, he's more black than Obama - except to black people and liberals (Bonus!).

[T o n y]

He's voting for Obama again.

[BarryD]

So I suppose habitual drug use would render him less-than-qualified.

[John]

http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/L.....Romney-yet

No he is not. You really do live in an alternative reality don't you Tony. You really don't let facts or truth ever get in the way.

[T o n y]

Alternate to the one you live in, certainly. Care to make a wager?

[John]

I know you are stupid Tony. But I thought you could at least read. Powell continues to decline to endorse Obama. You don't need a weather man to know which way the wind blows. Powell is too smart to associate himself with that doofus again.

[Restoras]

John, he's worse than stupid. He's a mindless ideologue. Stupid is forgiveable - slavish devotion to a failed ideology that worships government power over freedom and liberty is just pathetic.

[T o n y]

So how about $10,000?

[protefeed]

How would you determine who Powell actually voted for (as opposed to who he found it convenient to say he voted for)? Last I checked, cameras in voting booths were illegal.

That being said, I would be hesitant to take a bet on anyone who is black voting against Obama, considering the 98% or so support Obama enjoys there, unless it is someone like Thomas Sowell or Condi Rice who has repeatedly, in public, harshly criticized Obama's actions.

[Tulpa the White]

If Reason could get him to write an article, we could.

[Paul.]

He's voting for Obama again.

So is everyone else, Tony, so is everyone else. Because legacy!

[R C Dean]

Even Sarah Palin had (somehow) been elected to an office

Technically, she was elected to more than one.

She was perpetually at war with the powerful Republican establishment in Alaska. Getting elected in those circumstances is actually somewhat impressive.

[John]

Of course it was. But Freeney is a beltway douche. And you get your beltway douche creed by taking stupid shots at Palin. It is a way for dumb people to feel smart.

[o3]

and the follow-on gop candidate RAN from her record

[John]

Sure he did Orin.

[R C Dean]

As I would expect a creature of the Republican establishment which hated her to do.

[SIV]

Recently Rice has been fading as a potential VP pick. She has never held an elected office

So "not a politician" is a negative?
I thought it ranked higher than "experienced Russian policy-hand" or "Black woman, Two-fer!" on her c.v.

[T o n y]

And as we know, the Russians are our number one geopolitical foe.

[Atanarjuat]

Ever heard of Syria?

What foreign policy are the guys you're voting for experts in?

[T o n y]

I've heard of Syria, has Mitt Romney? I was merely quoting him.

[Paul.]

I've heard of Syria, has Mitt Romney? I was merely quoting him.

No one here listens to Romney, except Tulpa.

[Atanarjuat]

Russia has a naval base in Syria, and we might be at war with the latter by the end of the year. "Experienced Russia policy-hand" might come in handy.

[o3]

no nein nyet tony...

the ruskies dont threaten some sky-god sky-gate floating thingy in judea...plus dry ice clouds und harps

[Whiterun Guard]

They started getting the idea that it might actually help them win the election, so they nixed the idea.

[Tulpa the White]

If they nominate anyone associated with Bush, BO's strategy of running against Bush will actually not be as irrelevant as it is now.

[Tulpa the White]

So "not a politician" is a negative?

For an inherently political office, yes.

[SIV]

No wonder George Washington sucked so bad.

[Mike M.]

Let's just cut through the BS:, if a fucking "community organizer" (whatever the hell that is) that nobody knows a damn thing about is "qualified" to be the POTUS, then there are no real qualifications to be the president or vice-president.

So everyone on all sides should stop with the "qualifications" and "effectiveness" nonsense, because that entire notion got chucked right out the window about three years ago.

[o3]

plus the whole grant und nixon presidencies

[?Ex Nihilo?]

The only real qualifications for president

Age and Citizenship requirements - US Constitution, Article II, Section 1

No person except a natural born citizen, or a citizen of the United States, at the time of the adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the office of President; neither shall any person be eligible to that office who shall not have attained to the age of thirty-five years, and been fourteen years a resident within the United States.

Term limit amendment - US Constitution, Amendment XXII, Section 1 ? ratified February 27, 1951

No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice, and no person who has held the office of President, or acted as President, for more than two years of a term to which some other person was elected President shall be elected to the office of the President more than once.

[Restoras]

I see nothing here about previously elected to a public office. Are you sure this is right? You didn't "accidentally" leave anything out, did you?

[Tulpa the White]

Technically that only stops you from being elected president, not vice president. It doesn't prevent a vice president who had served two terms from becoming president upon the death or resignation of the prez.

[Joe R.]

The 12th amendment might prevent it, although there is some disagreement on that point. It's never been tested.

[Isaac Bartram]

But no person constitutionally ineligible to the office of President shall be eligible to that of Vice-President of the United States.

That pretty plainly says that if you're not eligible to be elected president, you're not eligible to be elected vice-president.

That would pretty much preclude anyone who has served two terms as prez from running for veep, since anyone who was president before ratification of the twelfth is dead.

[Isaac Bartram]

However, there does not appear to be any limit on how many terms one can serve as veep.

[Anonymous Coward]

if a fucking "community organizer" (whatever the hell that is)

A "community organizer" is polite term for "ward boss." Obama rallied the voters, ran errands for the Daley machine, and distributed largesse.

[R C Dean]

No kidding. I occasionally watch the WGN news, and you frequently see "community organizers" mouthing off on some topic or other.

A greasier, smarmier bunch of parasitic rent-seekers you will never find.

[T]

I like how prior elective office is the be-all end-all of political qualification anymore. Getting elected only proves you know how to win elections. It says nothing about your competetence or qualifications to actually do the job. One can, and I will, make the argument that the skill sets needed to win national elections are if not diametrically opposed to at least orthogonal to the skill sets needed to actually govern. Part of our problem is that we have set up a system that filters out people based on their competence in winning elections, not their competence in governing.

[T o n y]

Technocratic bureaucracy ftw!

[T]

Make an actual argument instead of spouting buzzwords you're too fucking stupid to understand, sockpuppet.

[T o n y]

I am hungover from an ill-advised Tuesday night birthday party, so I wouldn't expect much.

[darius404]

We never do.

[Paul.]

Wish Granted!

[Anonymous Coward]

They already have won, Tony w/spaces.

You are the worst sockpuppet ever.

[ant1sthenes]

Having a job under a technocratic bureaucracy doesn't necessarily indicate competence or qualifications either.

[protefeed]

What T said at 12:27.

[Cavpitalist]

While I'm hopeful we'll get to see Johnson debate Obama and Romney, I will be absolutely crushed if Judge Jim Gray never gets his chance against Biden and WHOEVER Romney picks.

[Mike M.]

There's about as much a chance of Judge Jim Gray being a part of the debate as Judge Judy, Judge Wapner, or Judge Reinhold.

[Hyperion]

If Romney had any balls at all, and a little more political smarts, he would shock the hell out of everyone and choose Ron Paul as his VP. Then he would come out at the convention and say that the reason he did it is because that Libertarian ideas can no longer be dismissed.

If he does that, he will win. If not, 4 more years of Obama. And the argument that strategy would alienate the SoCons and NeoCons is just plain silly. What are they going to do, vote for Obama? No way.

[Anonymous Coward]

I would probably joy-gasm while watching Ron Paul debate Joe Biden. Hell, let him debate Barry too and give Le Mitt the night off.

[CE]

Romney may trust and even admire Ron Paul in some ways, be he would never trust Ron Paul supporters that much.

[Tulpa the White]

I support the guy with 51%.

[0x90]

I say we go back to the old system, where we end up with Obama as prez and Romney as veep, or vice versa.

[Hyperion]

The notion of that, those 2 both in the white house at the same time, is beyond nauseating.

[triclops]

While I like the idea for the way it would force them into uncomfortable situations, the things they would agree upon tend to scare me quite a bit.

[CE]

After all, you don't want to waste your vote.

[ant1sthenes]

What is revealing, and slightly worrying, is that Republicans seem to think that Rice is the most qualified of the possible candidates. Even Sarah Palin had (somehow) been elected to an office before her memorable VP campaign. Only three percent of Republicans think that Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH) is qualified to be the VP pick.

Is the "qualification" we're talking about electability or competence? It's true that Portman has won elections, but both he and Rice have executive branch experience under Bush II (and are tainted as a result of it).

The more relevant consideration is whether something will happen in the next few months that will cause Americans to value foreign policy credentials over economic credentials. If not, Portman probably sends a better signal. If Obama drags us into the Syrian conflict or a war with Iran, Condi would be a better choice for the ticket.

Still, you can't ignore the black female thing, simply because voters won't ignore it.

[John]

His idea of qualifications seems awfully stupid. By Freeny's standards someone like David Petreus or Larry Summers would not be "qualified" to be VP. While you might object to those guys and think they are a bad pick because you don't agree with their politics or ideology, only an idiot would call them "unqualified for the job".

[DRM]

Yeah, yeah. Getting elected once in a statewide election and not finishing your term makes one much more qualified to be Vice President or President than being on the National Security Council as director of Soviet and East European affairs during the end of the Cold War, administering a university as provost (including balancing the university budget after years of deficits), serving member of the board of directors of three Fortune 500 companies plus the Carnegie Corporation and RAND, being National Security Advisor, and being Secretary of State.

Jesus Christ, Feenney, you're an idiot.