Romney/Paul 2012?

[nageov3t]

ok, probably not... but I thought this article was interesting. :thumbsup:

The remaining candidates in the winnowed Republican presidential field are attacking one another with abandon, each day bringing fresh headlines of accusations and outrage.

But Mitt Romney and Ron Paul haven’t laid a hand on each other.

They never do.

Despite deep differences on a range of issues, Romney and Paul became friends in 2008, the last time both ran for president. So did their wives, Ann Romney and Carol Paul. The former Massachusetts governor compliments the Texas congressman during debates, praising Paul’s religious faith during the last one, in Jacksonville, Fla. Immediately afterward, as is often the case, the Pauls and the Romneys gravitated toward one another to say hello.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/polit...stablishment/2012/01/20/gIQAf8foiQ_story.html

I would have never guessed that Mitt Romney and Ron Paul were BFF's when the cameras aren't rolling

 

[cybrsage]

I think it would hurt Romney's presidential bid. People would focus all their attacks on Paul, minimizing Romney in the process.

 

[Udgnim]

Ron Paul would decline

 

[RabidMongoose]

Ron Paul doesn't matter, so Romney might as well be nice to him in a political sense. And Romney would never choose someone as politically toxic as Paul to be his VP anyways, just imagine what would happen if more people were made aware of Paul's racism. It would sink Romney like none other. Paul would be a worse VP choice than even Palin.

 

[Rainsford]

Romney's big strength, IMO, is that he can probably come up with significant crossover appeal among moderate liberals on economic issues. Ron Paul's industrial revolution economic and government views would kill any chance of that.

Ron Paul might gain some liberals willing to support a libertarian ideology on social issues, but I feel like it wouldn't be enough, particularly since I suspect getting crossover social votes is a lot harder for Republicans than getting crossover economic votes. Going too far left on social issues will piss of the base and I doubt too many liberals would trust them in any case.

 

[pcgeek11]

I don't see where the VP matters much. It isn't like he is doing anything important. Look what Biden has done the last three years ... crickets ...

 

[Tequila]

Marco Rubio would be a much better choice.

 

[postmortemIA]

I don't see where the VP matters much. It isn't like he is doing anything important. Look what Biden has done the last three years ... crickets ...

votes that Biden brought in for Obama mattered.

In other words, if Romney gets more votes in with Paul than other VP candidate (including loss of votes because of decision), then he might go for it.

 

[Anarchist420]

Romney's big strength, IMO, is that he can probably come up with significant crossover appeal among moderate liberals on economic issues. Ron Paul's industrial revolution economic and government views would kill any chance of that.

Ron Paul might gain some liberals willing to support a libertarian ideology on social issues, but I feel like it wouldn't be enough, particularly since I suspect getting crossover social votes is a lot harder for Republicans than getting crossover economic votes. Going too far left on social issues will piss of the base and I doubt too many liberals would trust them in any case.

Just because Romney is a security Republican doesn't mean that he's a social conservative (e.g., Romney is to the left of Dr. Paul on abortion, firearms, and things like the Civil Rights Act of 1964). Dr. Paul is more culturally conservative than Romney is because being anti-war was once a conservative characteristic.

I do agree with you that the Republican base would much rather have an anti-market pro-war President than a pro-market anti war one.

 

[monovillage]

Key for Romney to win in November is for him to keep all the splinters of the GOP inside the tent. After the primaries he'll be courting the Ron Paul supporters, the Tea Party, the religious right, the un-allied and the Independents.
His Vice-Presidential choice will be someone that can win him a battleground State such as Pennsylvania or Florida.
This election will be won by either Obama or Romney by the very careful management of the electoral college.

 

[sportage]

After the primaries

he'll be courting

the Ron Paul supporters, the Tea Party, the religious right, the un-allied and the Independents.

The correct phrase SB "sucking up to".

 

[MooseNSquirrel]

Romney's big strength, IMO, is that he can probably come up with significant crossover appeal among moderate liberals on economic issues. Ron Paul's industrial revolution economic and government views would kill any chance of that.

Ron Paul might gain some liberals willing to support a libertarian ideology on social issues, but I feel like it wouldn't be enough, particularly since I suspect getting crossover social votes is a lot harder for Republicans than getting crossover economic votes. Going too far left on social issues will piss of the base and I doubt too many liberals would trust them in any case.

Really, and what proposals would those be? He wants to de-regulate wall street even more and cut taxes for the wealthy.


Yeah, thats a winner.

 

[Anarchist420]

Key for Romney to win in November is for him to keep all the splinters of the GOP inside the tent. After the primaries he'll be courting the Ron Paul supporters, the Tea Party, the religious right, the un-allied and the Independents.
His Vice-Presidential choice will be someone that can win him a battleground State such as Pennsylvania or Florida.
This election will be won by either Obama or Romney by the very careful management of the electoral college.

He won't be getting my support. I'll admit that he's not as bad Gingrich.

 

[monovillage]

He won't be getting my support. I'll admit that he's not as bad Gingrich.

Then you may as well cast a vote for Obama. Frankly I don't like Romney at all, but compared to President Obama he's a better choice.

I've never been able to vote for a politician i've really liked, it's not as if they're the kind of people I hang out with. I generally just choose the person I think will do less damage then the other one. I think that Romney will hurt the country, the people, myself and my family less then Obama will, so i'll vote for Romney.

 

[pcgeek11]

The correct phrase SB "sucking up to".

Just like Obama, GWB, GHWB, Reagan, Clinton, Gingrich, Ron Paul, Carter ............................

 

[MovingTarget]

People thought my tinfoil prediction was crazy....having RP as a running mate would do wonders for the GOP. It would help lock up the liberterian vote for POTUS and get RP out of congress, making way for a more traditional Republican candidate.

 

[Thump553]

Ron Paul is retiring from Congress anyways isn't he? I thought his district was redrawn and that coupled with age is leading him to retire.

More often that not, the nominee (either party) chooses a running mate from somewhat known govenors or the like, almost certainly from larger swing states. The nominee is looking to complement his ticket.

I'd say the chances of Romney picking Pawlenty (sp?) from Minn or perhaps Rubio from Florida are 10,000 to 1 as opposed to the chance of him picking Saint Paul.

 

[airdata]

Ron Paul would decline

Yep.

I don't see him taking a vp role. Unlike some of the other guys, I think Ron Paul actually stands for something and has things he believes in.

 

[Anarchist420]

Speculating about him picking Dr. Ron Paul is ridiculous because as the above poster said, he doesn't compromise his principles. However, I'm somewhat worried that he'd pick Dr. Rand Paul and I'm not sure Dr. Rand Paul would be so quick to decline, but maybe he would. I really wish Dr. Ron Paul would've run as an independent from closer to the beginning. Some say that would hurt his son's chances in the GOP, but fuck the GOP. That could've given Dr. Ron Paul the chance to kill the Party of Lincoln and Dr. Rand Paul's future in the Republican Party would be a moot point because it wouldn't exist. The Party of Lincoln needs to die for the good of society. I don't care if the Democratic Party survives because it has never had as many factions, but the Republican has almost always been divided into two or even three. Due to that, they've almost always gone with a compromise and/or moderate candidate. They had a chance to beat FDR for the first time since 1920, but they just couldn't brink themselves to nominate Robert Taft. They had a chance to beat Bill Clinton, but they nominated George HW Bush and Dole instead of Pat Buchanan.

I still don't think the nominee will be Romney if there is a brokered convention. However, he looking like he's on his way to getting an absolute majority since Gingrich won't be on the ballot in several States. But then Santorum won't be on the ballot in several States and he probably takes more votes from Dr. Paul than he does from Romney. Dr. Paul will do well in VA. I just hope there is no ballot fraud, but it's possible there will be because the VA Republican Party acts like used car salesmen (one of them literally was a used car salesman lol).

 

[nageov3t]

Speculating about him picking Dr. Ron Paul is ridiculous

this thread wasn't about speculation (as evidenced by the first sentence of the OP, "probably not"), just an interesting article about an unusual friendship between Mitt Romney and Ron Paul.

 

[Siddhartha]

Mr Romney would benefit more from choosing someone for VP who has spanish speaking heritage and or is flavored by the GOP base.

 

[Fern]

ok, probably not... but I thought this article was interesting. :thumbsup:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/polit...stablishment/2012/01/20/gIQAf8foiQ_story.html

I would have never guessed that Mitt Romney and Ron Paul were BFF's when the cameras aren't rolling

Interesting to know.

But I don't see Romney choosing Paul should he win the nomination.

Fern

 

[lothar]

votes that Biden brought in for Obama mattered.

In other words, if Romney gets more votes in with Paul than other VP candidate (including loss of votes because of decision), then he might go for it.

You sure about that?
I don't remember Biden being a significant factor in the '08 Presidential race...That's like saying Chris Dodd was a major factor.
The major people were Clinton, Obama, Edwards and Richardson...All the others were irrelevant and probably never got more than 1-2% of the votes in primary/caucus states.

If you're talking about the general election, well he wasn't a factor there as well. By McCain nominating Palin as VP, it was his race to lose and which he did.

 

[J-Money]

If I were Romney I'd be afraid of picking Paul due to the fact that Paul supporters are mostly insane and likely would attempt assassination to make Paul president.

 

[Arglebargle]

Rand Paul instead would be the proper curve ball approach.

Though I suspect geographic and ethnic concerns will point in different directions.