Mitt Romney Can Win the Veepstakes by Picking an Earlier Version of Himself

As

speculation intensifies about who GOP presidential nominee Mitt
Romney will pick to be his running mate, I believe I have
determined the ideal vice presidential candidate for the former
Massachusetts governor: Romney should travel back in time and pick
an earlier version of himself.

This would provide policy balance and specifics to a
campaign that’s been criticized for being hazy about its governing
plans. It would give Romney the advantage of sharing a ticket with
someone who, while similar in outlook and character, has
substantially different policy views on a variety of issues,
including gun rights, immigration, and abortion, as well as someone
who has been
more supportive of federal stimulus spending and taking action
in response to global warming. 

It would also help Romney reach beyond the typical GOP base.
Running with a past version of himself would create an opportunity
for Romney to reach out to skeptical Northeast moderates by pairing
him with someone who has a demonstrated ability to pass bipartisan
legislation in one of the most liberal states in the nation—even on
issues that Democrats usually own, like health care. 

One possible downside with this strategy is that
with two Romneys on the ticket, Romney might contradict himself.
But that’s a existing liability, and Romney’s campaign has already
become quite adept at dismissing or igniring charges of
flip-flopping. This wouldn’t be anything new. 

Putting a past version of Romney on the ticket would ensure a
certain level of personal familiarity, which is important for a
candidate who is known
for not liking surprises. Indeed, it would fit in nicely with
the way Romney’s campaign operation is already run: Picking a past
version of himself would help limit competition for the limelight,
keeping the campaign’s focus squarely on Romney, who is reported to
be
quite wary of media
attention for any other individuals involved with the campaign.
And it would allow Romney to continue to be the sole, undisputed
boss of the Romney brand and the campaign

You can read the rest of this article at: http://reason.com/blog/2012/07/11/mitt-romney-can-win-the-veepstakes-by-pi

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Posted by rbutler on Jul 11 2012. Filed under Libertarian News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry