MSM Adds Legitimacy To Perry Veep Rumors, But Could It Ever Become A Reality?
By Vince Leibowitz on Jan 16, 2007 in 2008 Presidential Race
You’ve got to love this tidbit thrown into the Star-T’s swearing-in ceremony advance:
Assuming he is in office the entire term - his name has been mentioned as a possible vice-presidential candidate in 2008 - the Republican will have served 10 years, longer than any Texas governor. Perry said last week he has no interest in going to Washington.
I can’t count the times over the past couple of years I’ve mentioned Perry as a Veep contender in ‘08. And, it’s been mentioned in the MSM before, too, but never in such a context as this.
Even though Perry says he doesn’t want to go to Washington, I’m sure he couldn’t resist the number two spot on a ticket.
However, the more that I think about the Perry Veep Rumors, the more I think he’d be a “B-List” candidate for anyone shopping around for a Veep.
Why? Not because of his ultra-conservative credentials, which could easily boost a McCain or Rudy G. among the red meat Religious Righters, but because he’d become the ultimate Dan Qualyle-style punching bag for any presidential ticket.
While we’re pretty sure Governor Perry knows how to spell “potato” (even though he went to A&M) and he’s far less goofy than Quayle, his record as Texas governor could come back to haunt him: Special sessions on redistricting (stratch the Latino Republican vote!); the budget that knocked kids off CHIPs (scratch those “compassionate conservatives” and soccer moms); the school finance mess and low teacher pay (scratch educators); and Texas’ “Thank God For Mississippi Committee” rankings on just about everything would result in quite a lot of flack being hurled at McCainPerry’08 or RudyRick’08 or whatever the ticket would be.
I can’t imagine who would want this helmet-haired shill for the plutocracy on the ticket, especially after seeing him re-elected with 39% of the vote.