Right Change: Condi as VP For Real or Just a Ploy?

Reuters ran a story earlier this week stating Republican presidential challenger Mitt Romney would pick a running mate  sooner than normally expected. This announcement, if true, brings forth two important questions: 1) Why announce early? and 2) Who will Romney pick? The first question is not quite as exciting as the second, but both are vital in an election that promises to be so closely contested.

One of the reasons the former Massachusetts governor might announce early would be in order to have two big guns hit the campaign fundraising trail. Obama has Biden out there, for better or for worse, getting in front of voters and donors concurrent to the President’s schedule. Of course, when one thinks of Biden, one is reminded of the first rule of selecting a VP: the candidate must first do no harm. One can argue whether Obama’s Vice-President is worth the trouble he causes each week.
 
Another reason would be to appeal to independents or voting groups with which Romney falls short. Might this be the reason Condoleezza Rice’s name keeps coming up? Is it just a coincidence the Condi talk heats up on the heels of Romney’s appearance at the NAACP convention? Or are these rumors merely designed to be a distraction from the Bain Capital attacks Mitt has faced each of the last two weeks?
 
While most experts agree, Rice is more than qualified to be the vice-president and brings real world foreign policy and economic experience to the ticket. Her stance on abortion could be the tipping point on whether or not she is Romney’s choice. Many point to Rice’s recent comments explicitly debunking the idea of her holding elected office and the whole debacle of John McCain picking Sarah Palin back in 2008 as reasons why Romney won’t select the former Secretary of State under President George W. Bush. Others say it is her very connection to Bush that will keep her from serious consideration.
 
Josh Barro, an intern for Romney’s 2002 gubernatorial campaign, claimed he has seen first hand evidence of Romney’s thinking when it comes to picking running mates .

“Romney’s running mate for lieutenant governor was Kerry Healey, then the chairwoman of the Massachusetts Republican Party. Like Rice, Healey holds a Ph.D. in Political Science and is a policy wonk. And like Rice, Healey had never held elective office before. So why did Romney pick Healey? Because she is very smart and very loyal -- an ideal lieutenant. While lieutenant governors often sit in obscurity, Healey had meaningful policy portfolios and effectively served as the governor’s director for intergovernmental affairs, handling the state’s relationship with cities and towns.”
 

“The same pundits who tell us a Rice pick would be crazy also remind us that the VP selection almost never has any bearing on the outcome of the election. So why wouldn’t Romney focus his decision making on someone who can help him govern, rather than one who can help him get elected? By that measure, Rice looks very appealing: she’s an expert in foreign policy, where Romney is weak; she has plenty of gravitas to act on the president’s behalf, and yet she’s unlikely to seek the presidency herself. Mitt Romney is a logical man who makes decisions carefully. Last time he picked a running mate, he went for one in the Rice mold. We shouldn’t be shocked if he does so again at the national level.”

Regardless of whether you think announcing early will benefit or hurt the Romney campaign and whether or not Condi is the right choice, the rumor has accomplished the task of taking the focus, albeit ever-so-slightly, off the Bain Capital attack nonsense. Romney is being smart not to give any of these rumors or attacks too much airtime as he continues to hammer on the overwhelming shortcomings of President Obama, especially in dealing with the economy.

Romney’s campaign seems to completely embrace the “do no harm” philosophy when it comes to every decision he makes. Just ask the question: Are you better off now than you were four years ago? and let people answer for themselves. There is no reason to believe the Governor’s running mate selection will be a break from the norm. But it is exciting to talk about.

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