Gee, what a surprise
Rumor has it that Chris Christie is being vetted as a possible Trump VP.
Who woulda thunk it? Just about everyone.
I’m still waiting for this move from Trump, though. And remember, you read it here first.
To be a bit more serious—in mid-May I wrote this about the VP spot:
It would take a very special person to accept the VP position under Donald Trump.
First of all, the person has to be able to stomach Donald Trump.
Secondly, the person should be capable of lending at least the appearance of gravitas and experience to the ticket.
Thirdly, all the other usual attributes for a VP would also operate: that is, the need to balance out some of Trump’s demographic characteristics such as age or gender or race.
Fourth, Trump might throw out all of these considerations because he likes to do unusual things and surprise people.
So with all those caveats (particularly the first one), here are the people I think are in the running (in order of probability): Chris Christie, Mike Huckabee, Jeff Sessions, Newt Gingrich, Rudy Giuliani, John Kasich, and a distant Ben Carson and even more distant Sarah Palin. Note that most of those are white men like Trump, and two are even older than Trump (Gingrich and Giuliani), so that balance thing isn’t necessarily going to operate.
The vice presidency usually doesn’t matter all that much. But for Trump as nominee it probably would matter much more than usual, for three reasons. The first is his political and office-holding inexperience. I’m not talking relative inexperience (as with Obama); I’m talking total and complete inexperience. The second is his loose-cannon character; he needs someone to make him appear less unstable. The third is his age. If elected, Trump would be 70 and the oldest president to ever assume office for the first time.
Christie would provide some political experience and he is definitely articulate and intelligent, but otherwise he’s somewhat Trumpish: nearly a fellow New Yorker, a very blunt talker, and not conservative. And of course, he’s not been named as VP choice yet, and it’s by no means certain he will be.
But from the very start it seemed that being Trump’s VP or some other quid pro quo (Attorney General?) was Christie’s motivation for backing Trump. Christie is nothing if not self-interested.
I look forward to the Trumpkins defending this.
Gee, a ticket consisting entirely of two liberal Republicans from, get this, New York and New Jersey. Oh, yeah. There’s national appeal for you.
Forget the #NeverTrump crowd. Is Der Donald actively trying to make the base stay home?
Steve57:
If he does end up nominating Christie, it will probably be because he couldn’t get any other takers with any reputation at all. Christie has also shown his willingness to serve and to debase himself if necessary. That’s important, too.
So a braggart and a bully who apparently has no moral compass to speak of at all, and who figures that if he can get away with it legally — whether by hook or by crook — then he’s simply “playing the game” and certainly not thieving (the concept of “my stuff is not at your disposal” being entirely beyond the confines of the known Universe to him) —
This person’s likely choice is Christie, who is at once thuggish (IMO) and a toady (an insult to toads, actually: I never saw a toad hugging the incumbent), but who:
1. Can stomach Hair (good one, Neo–true, and also a LOL)
2. Is so much better than Hair in the eyes of a lot of people that he might manage to drag Hair into the Chair in spite of Hair.
Snarkingly (but fairly seriously) yours,
–J.
Neo, you posted your cmt just above while I was writing mine.
So to mine, add “What Neo said.” :>)
I am predicting the current Miss Puerto Rico as the front runner for djt’s VP choice. But some other fellow celebrity is also a possibility. But, yes, Christie is an obvious choice. I think even Sessions, who I once held in high regard, is not so foolish as to accept the VP spot, but his early defection to the trumpian horde tells me he is capable of wallowing in the deep mud.
Big mistake to name Chris.
I cringe in shame when I remember what a Christie fan I was. It makes me doubt my own judgment.
mizpants:
You’re not the only one cringing. Not only was I a Christie fan, but also a very big Rubio fan. Just now read this at Buzzfeed re Rubio talking about Trump:
Rubio was talking about his Senate campaign, but the man who said Trump was a con man who was dangerous and unqualified to control the nation’s nuclear codes could be hoping he’ll also be vetted for VP.
Huckabee?
Ugh…
Something to note –
I’ve mentioned before that LDS voters don’t seem to be very fond of Trump. Picking Huckabee would possibly turn them even more against Trump. Back in 2008, Huckabee was the only Republican in the presidential primary who polls said would lose Utah if he were the nominee.
Somehow I find myself not actually caring who he picks.
Ann:
Rubio has to thread a very fine needle there. He’s made a lot of very clear statements that he is NOT interested in being a VP under Trump, and he is NOT endorsing him.
I wrote a previous post about this. He also has unequivocally stated it in writing.
He has been very consistent about his position. He never said he was “Never Trump.” And I understand his reasons for not being “Never Trump” now, which is that he considers Hillary worse.
Rubio may have never said he was Never Trump but his campaign website sure sold a lot of Never Trump merchandise. He’s just a regular politician, nothing more nothing less. He ain’t special and hasn’t been for awhile. He lied to the voters in Florida and they rewarded him with a 20 point loss in his home state during the primary.
I’ve been wondering whether Trump might choose someone as assassination insurance, someone so bad that few would think of getting rid of Trump in order to replace him with an even worse loser.
But I can’t think of any prominent Republicans who would qualify.
(Related point: I seem to recall reading that Trump is going to make one or mre big speeches in an outdoor stadium. If so, I’ll bet the Secret Service is going nuts about the security problems.)
Ann,
We had an exchange a while back concerning Rubio. I find much to disagree with Rubio, and see him as a rino. But I also see redeeming elements in Marco. He is intelligent and well informed when it comes to geopolitics. I hope he retains his senate office. Its the baby and bath water dilemma. I prefer to retain the baby.
Ann: others have replied to your comment. Personally I find nothing wrong with what he said, and no, I’m not a Trump supporter.
I have a big problem reconciling saying “So I guess the way I’ve told everyone is that I disagree with Donald Trump on a few things” with saying that Trump’s too dangerous to be allowed access to nuclear codes.
KLSmith:
And yet Rubio was able to predict that Turkey was going to get attacked by ISIS two days before the attack. Gang of Eight was his doom.
Rubio still has more on the ball than djt, who stands for what except he isn’t hrc.
Ann –
A certain amount of hyperbole is expected during the campaign. So Rubio can walk his comments back with a shrug, and a “Well, you know, it was the campaign…” He might still draw flak for particular comments, and the press might very well go after it anyway. But it’s generally understood.
Case in point is George H. W. Bush, and his comment about Reagan’s “Voodoo Economics” back during the 1980 primaries.
On the other hand, there is still a need to walk stuff back. And that’s why Trump’s refusal to walk back the stuff that he said about Cruz’s family is troubling. So long as Trump refuses to walk back the stuff he said – particularly the conspiracy-mongering stuff about Cruz’s dad and the JFK assassination – Cruz can’t be expected to show any support for Trump.
IMO, of the names listed by neo, Sen. Jeff Sessions has the fewest negatives.
IMO, his early endorsement of Trump is not an indication of a willingness to wallow in the mud but an indication of how desperate he believes our nation’s circumstance.
I suspect that he judged that Cruz was unelectable but even if elected, would be ineffective in stemming the tide. As, Cruz seeks to work within the system and quite frankly, that is a futile strategy, given the breadth of forces committed both to the status quo (GOPe) and to America’s fundamental transformation.
As proof, I point to Ryan’s willingness to enact new gun controls, while assuring us that he’ll only support a bill if the proper 2nd amendment protections are included. Ryan has to know that democrats will not vote for a gun control bill that does not, in some important way, move America closer toward the day when disarmament is a fait accompli.
Sessions has to my knowledge never been less than consistent in his patriotism and allegiance to the Constitution.
One of Trump’s major problem’s is a total lack of gravitas, so Christie would be perfect as he would add considerable…er, ah…weight to the ticket.
Stupid pun to put a a rancid tub of of brainless lard like Chirstie in;
SESSIONS IS THE MAN.GIULIANI NEXT, 55-45.
I can see political cartoonists taking advantage of Christie’s weight to mock him. Foreigners and leftists will also gleefully play the “fat & stupid American” card in various ways.
The man can joust with the best of The Left, but The Left doesn’t play fair so, as with Palin, will crucify him for his appearance. He didn’t attend a prestigious undergrad or law school as well.
Instead of attacking his pattern of speech, it’s his weight. The Left didn’t have much of a handle on Ryan in 2012, but they did manage to compare his looks to Eddie Munster and make him out as a douche with his weight lifting picture.
Whatever it may be, The Left will find ways to build absolute hate for Christie as if he’s the biggest jerk on the planet.
Despite his flaws, I like him but Giuliani adds little to a Trump ticket.
MHO: after thinking about it for quite a bit, I think Trump should choose an African-American as his running mate.
You think not?
Tell me… what good has the current Chicago gang done for the black community? Really?
Not to mention, there is NO AFRICAN-AMERICAN ON THE TOP OF THE TICKET this year.
Who knows? He might pick Ben Carson. He might pick someone else.
I don’t find Christie a particularly effective attacker. Sure, when he’s got the microphone and the opponent is a member of the audience, he can over-talk and out-talk him. But Christie isn’t good on his feet with content. As a comparison (and not an endorsement), Newt can talk a raging river of policy. Cruz is similar to Newt in that respect, but too lawyerly.
I wonder if Trump will literally or just metaphorically check to make sure his VP choice has a smaller penis.
Nick:
He will just assume it.
Because everyone on earth has a smaller penis than Trump.
Neo – Heh. His fans, creepily enough, might assume it. But I’ve never known a successful man over 5′ tall with as much insecurity as Trump. I may have never known any man with that much insecurity. There’s something Napoleonic going on there.
Oh, and have you seen Kevin Williamson’s latest articulation of Never Trump? It’s exceptional.