You Tell The Candidate

Mitt Romney will shortly attain the magic number of delegates to secure the Republican nomination for President of the United States. The campaign has already begun without waiting. Romney is talking about his plans for the US, and Obama is attacking him as a heartless capitalist. Two things will play a major part in determining the ultimate result in November. The Republican candidate must present a clear and compelling reason to choose him, and he must choose a vice presidential candidate to help the ticket.

I will be away for a medical procedure that takes me to Bakersfield today and into the hospital at the ungodly hour of 5 AM Wednesday morning. All things considered, I should be home by Wednesday evening. So while I’m away, I would very much like to get the opinion of our Commentarama readers.

First, what should Mitt Romney say and do to prove to the American people that he should replace the most disastrous president in modern memory?

Second, who would you most like to see as his running-mate? Feel free to choose among dark horses, reluctant debutantes, past candidates for the top spot, and even those who have said they won’t accept the nomination under any circumstances. Remember, the trick is to choose a candidate who will help the ticket rather than one we might like a lot but who would have a dampening effect on the ticket. Think of someone who would improve the ticket but not end up at odds with the presidential candidate.

For what it’s worth, my opinion on question 1 is “Present a clear and coherent economic recovery plan that emphasizes private enterprise, tax cuts and spending cuts. Don’t get bogged down in defending Bain and some lost jobs when you’ve created far more jobs in the private sector than Obama ever dreamed of. Don’t spend a lot of time on social conservative issues—that’s what SuperPacs are for. They can target certain local and regional issues while Romney must concentrate on the one unifying national issue—our failing economy. Be prepared to answer foreign policy questions with a firm stance on American exceptionalism and the need for American resolve to stand up to terrorism and Islamic tyranny.” My answer to question 2 is “Marco Rubio.” My first choice would have been Bobby Jindal, but I think his determination not to run is unshakable. Either would make mincemeat of Gaffelicious Joe Biden.

I also caution Romney not to try to be simon-pure about Barack Obama’s lifelong connections to communists, homosexual activists, Islamists, leftist professors, black liberation theology religious mentors, and domestic terrorists. John McCain’s “high road” led to defeat, and left the American people largely uninformed about Obama’s un-American connections. This should not be part of his platform, nor should he go into attack mode. But he needs to be prepared for Obama’s claque to paint Obama as a “peoples’ saint.” The Democrats are going to conduct a very dirty campaign, and it’s no time for a Republican to come off as weak or unwilling to join the fray.

I’ll try to check in from time to time, but I’ll be at the mercy of other people’s internet access, so I’m counting on you to make it interesting and educational. Considering the three years of great comments we’ve had from all of you, that shouldn’t be a problem.