A Perry/Romney pairing would be quite the formidable opponent to any Obama re-election bid. It’s too early to tell who might sit at the top of the Republican ticket, but the Republicans have a number of options and in terms of political strategy this should be at the top of their list.
Let’s be honest. It doesn’t matter if you’re Democrat or Republican, we should be able to agree that this ticket in either iteration is the Republican’s best card to put on the table.
The political discussion thus far has largely centered around whether any singular candidate might be “electable,” i.e. able to defeat president Obama in 2012. Instead, the conversation should reflect the inevitable combination of candidates or politicians; the more appropriate question to consider. It’s never about just one person, the totality of the ticket must be considered.
For as weak as Governor Rick Perry may be amongst Northerners and Easterners, the addition of Mitt Romney as his running mate would be hard for moderates and independents to completely ignore in the general election. In fact, it arguably makes endorsements of Romney for president (such as Tim Pawlenty’s) ultimately still work in Perry’s favor. Romney as a VP candidate is still better than the Democratic opposition. Conversely, if Romney headed the GOP ticket, a Perry running mate provides the Southern evangelicals and mainline Republican support desperately needed. In terms of strategy, it should be about appeasing the widest swath of the party.
Republicans need to seriously consider “boxing” their wager this time around, á la horse racing.
At the heart of it all, the presidential election is still a numbers game. S/He with the most votes wins, with all due respect of course to the Electoral College.
For as much sense as Perry-Romney or Romney-Perry would make, it probably won’t happen. Democrats, rejoice in this reality. It would be Christmas come early.
If history is any guide (and it usually is), such candidates with strong presidential prospects rarely are willing to “defer” for the good of the party. In addition, the primary trail will have been littered with too many barbs, both political and personal to allow for egos to heal quickly and adequately. It’s likely the number one reason why then-senator Clinton ended up as Secretary of State and not a running mate.
The right ticket, the best ticket option available to the Democrats in 2008 was “Obama-Clinton.” The tempestuous months leading up to the Democratic National Convention made it all but impossible.
Hello Joe Biden.
And speaking of cabinet positions, it’s clear that Herman Cain is all but begging for the Secretary of Labor position. Cain has nothing of substance to offer outside of “9-9-9.” Let’s just hope Cain won’t stick to his racially-tinged “loyalty tests” if/when he staffs his department. It’s also abundantly obvious Jon Huntsman has run out of reasons to show up for the subsequent debates other than publicly interviewing for Secretary of State; and put his international experience to work. For as much sense as Huntsman consistently makes, he has been simply unable to resonate in any meaningful way with voters.
Despite the verbal jousting in the most recent debate and the likely skirmishes on the horizon, it’s clear that the combination of Perry and Romney in either combination would be of great concern to the Democrats. Ultimately, ego will get in the way and the Republicans will do what both parties tend to do, opting for VP candidates who serve as cement blocks to help drown, not elevate the ticket. Names like Sarah Palin, Dan Quayle, and Bob Dole (1976) come to mind.
Not that the Democrats would mind such history repeating itself either…