Clarence Thomas for Vice President?

Posted by Steve Benen, The Carpetbagger Report at 6:54 AM on March 11, 2008.

I’ve refrained from mocking Bill Kristol’s last couple of New York Times columns, but today’s piece, on John McCain’s difficult road to the White House, included one notable gem.

In specific, Kristol notes that McCain could use a great running mate.

Perhaps the most obvious way McCain could upend the normal dynamics of this year’s election would be a bold vice presidential choice. He could pick a hawkish and principled Democrat like Joe Lieberman.

He could reach beyond the usual bevy of elected officials by tapping either David Petraeus or Raymond Odierno — the two generals who together, in an amazing demonstration of leadership and competence, turned the war in Iraq around last year. He could persuade the most impressive conservative in American public life, Clarence Thomas, to join the ticket.

Clarence Thomas? As Vice President? I suppose it’s possible that Kristol is thinking about the racial dynamic — if Obama is on the Democratic ticket, Republicans might want “balance” for their ticket — but if Clarence Thomas is “the most impressive conservative in American public life,” the right is in much deeper trouble than I’d realized.

And the notion that Lieberman might make a good choice — a point Kristol has made in print before — continues to confound. Even Kristol ally Fred Barnes isn’t going for it:

“[H]e’s no Zell Miller. Lieberman is a liberal on domestic issues, including abortion. McCain already has trouble with conservatives and picking a Democrat would make things worse. Lieberman would probably subtract more votes from the McCain ticket than he’d add.”

Lieberman won’t do it, Petraeus isn’t interested, Odierno hasn’t expressed any desire to enter electoral politics, and Clarence Thomas is Clarence Thomas. Chances are, Kristol won’t be in a position to help McCain with his short-list.

But if these four are out, who’s in?

The NYT had an item on VP speculation last week, which no longer seems premature, given that McCain has clinched the nomination and the campaign’s VP process has probably already begun in earnest.

The choice of a running mate is always important, but it may be particularly so in Mr. McCain’s case, given that, at 71, he is seeking to become the oldest candidate ever elected to a first term as president.

Several governors have been mentioned as potential running mates; their executive experience and ability to cast themselves as Washington outsiders are perceived as strengths. They include Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota, an early supporter; Charlie Crist of Florida, whose last-minute endorsement helped Mr. McCain win that crucial swing state’s primary; Jon Huntsman Jr. of Utah, an early supporter despite Mitt Romney’s popularity in his state; and Mark Sanford of South Carolina, whose conservative reputation could help Mr. McCain with the base but who did not endorse him.

Former governors have been mentioned as well, including Tom Ridge of Pennsylvania, whose support of abortion rights could cause Mr. McCain trouble with conservatives who are already wary of him. Two of his primary opponents — Mr. Romney and Mike Huckabee — also fall into the ex-governor category.

Mr. Huckabee, a former governor of Arkansas, has a reputation as a good campaigner but is distrusted by some economic conservatives for raising taxes. Mr. Romney, a former Massachusetts governor with a business background, often sparred brutally with Mr. McCain, but endorsed him swiftly and would bring a financial background to the ticket.

Rob Portman, a former Ohio congressman and director of the Office of Management and Budget, is also mentioned as someone who could bring a financial background to the ticket.

We won’t know for months, so don’t hold me to this, but my money’s on Portman. He’s the ultimate “balancer” for McCain — McCain likes national security, Portman likes economics. McCain’s from the Southwest, Portman’s from the Midwest. McCain’s old, Portman’s young. Plus, Portman is from Ohio, which, rumor has it, is kind of important when it comes to the electoral college.

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Tagged as: lieberman, petraeus, republican party, mccain, kristol, thomas, huckabee

Steve Benen is a freelance writer/researcher and creator of The Carpetbagger Report. In addition, he is the lead editor of Salon.com's Blog Report, and has been a contributor to Talking Points Memo, Washington Monthly, Crooks & Liars, The American Prospect, and the Guardian.