McCain's VP Options: Romney vs Pawlenty

Novak argues that Romney would add value for several reasons, but most notably because some polls show him helping significantly in MI.

On the other hand, Romney hurts McCain in most states and nationally. Importantly, Romney never had great appeal to working class voters; he won upper class professionals in most states but never connected with the blue collar workers who are the likely swing voters in PA, OH, MI, MN, and IN. In fact, while his role as a Wall Street man may help him make economic policy decisions; it is not going to help on the campaign trail with those who want someone to feel their pain at the pump.

What Red State does not note is that Mitt Romney has very much earned the distrust of evangelicals and other cultural/social conservatives. One issue is that he was pro-choice as a Massachusetts politician (as covered extensively in the primary) the other is that he greased the wheels for same-sex marriage in Massachusetts, as covered by my fellow Ohio blogger Bizzyblog.

Whatever your personal feelings about Mitt Romney as a politician, it should be clear that adding him to the ticket will only heighten the distrust that McCain already has with the base, especially with evangelicals, who until now don't have a big bone to pick with McCain, as he has been solid on most cultural issues for them. But add Romney to the ticket and we can now add problems for McCain with these types of conservatives as with all the others.

Pending further investigation, my pick would be Pawlenty hands down. It's possible that he could put McCain in a more competitive position in Minnesota (although after the tight 2006 reelection of Pawlenty, that's not assured), but Pawlenty appears to be a solid conservative with broad appeal. If McCain wants to signal that Pawlenty is what's ahead for the next generation, conservatives will be happy and relieved. Put that together with a one term limit promise from McCain, and my support for him would turn from tepid and grudging to warm and fuzzy. And since I am a fairly typical Reagan conservative, that ought to give the McCain folks some thought.

One big problem with Pawlenty though is that he has pledged in some fashion to fill out his term as governor. But those who are happy with him probably won't mind, and those who aren't happy with him might be glad to see him go.