Who should be Trump's VP choice and why?

[HarleyDog]

(05-27-2024, 04:39 AM)guyofthetiger Wrote: I think Trump should choose Condoleezza Rice as his running mate. A smart black woman.

I don’t think she’s interested. Her name was brought up often in 2020 but it never happened.

[*Nately120*]

(05-27-2024, 03:37 PM)HarleyDog Wrote: I don’t think she’s interested. Her name was brought up often in 2020 but it never happened.

I don't know what she's been up to, but I assume she's lumped into the "old style GOP" with people like Bush, Bolton, Liz Cheney, Paul Ryan and so on.  The GOP has moved on to Trump and grievance pseudo-populism, so she's way off the radar.  She's also encouraged republicans so support Ukraine recently.  It would make some sort of sense for her to be Trump's VP, but something making sense and happening are two different things.

[*pally*]

(05-27-2024, 03:43 PM)Nately120 Wrote: I don't know what she's been up to, but I assume she's lumped into the "old style GOP" with people like Bush, Bolton, Liz Cheney, Paul Ryan and so on.  The GOP has moved on to Trump and grievance pseudo-populism, so she's way off the radar.  She's also encouraged republicans so support Ukraine recently.  It would make some sort of sense for her to be Trump's VP, but something making sense and happening are two different things.

She's the Director of the Hoover Institute at Stanford University and has said she has no interest in returning to political life

[*Nately120*]

(05-27-2024, 04:23 PM)pally Wrote: She's the Director of the Hoover Institute at Stanford University and has said she has no interest in returning to political life

She's at a university?  She must be super woke and ultra lib brainwashed by now anyways. 

[*pally*]

(05-27-2024, 05:30 PM)Nately120 Wrote: She's at a university?  She must be super woke and ultra lib brainwashed by now anyways. 

She's always been in academia...politics is her side gig.  I guess even Republicans can be woke

[*Nately120*]

(05-27-2024, 05:58 PM)pally Wrote: She's always been in academia...politics is her side gig.  I guess even Republicans can be woke

As I've pointed out before, most republican politicians outside of the genuinely-stupid Lauren Boebert are very educated.  Amazing how education indoctrinates people into being gay America-hating lefties, but a bunch of super straight America-loving republican politicians managed to become super educated and not fall prey to all that.  It's almost like people are full of crap.

[SunsetBengal]

Trumps VP choice should be Joe Manchin or Kyrstin Sinema, because then when something terrible happens we'll have a competent, true moderate to take over.

[*pally*]

Joe Manchin is a year younger than Trump. He needs someone younger.

I think it will be Doug Burcham or JD Vance if he is looking for VPs with deep pockets (or access to big money) and who will do anything he wants. Or politically Tim Scott who has also shown a willingness to do and say anything to support Trump

[SunsetBengal]

(05-27-2024, 07:29 PM)pally Wrote: Joe Manchin is a year younger than Trump.  He needs someone younger.  

I think it will be Doug Burcham or JD Vance if he is looking for VPs with deep pockets (or access to big money) and who will do anything he wants.  Or politically Tim Scott who has also shown a willingness to do and say anything to support Trump

Those are two of the scummiest of the slime out there. I voted against JD Vance in the primary, and it nearly worked.

[Belsnickel]

(05-27-2024, 07:37 PM)SunsetBengal Wrote: Those are two of the scummiest of the slime out there. I voted against JD Vance in the primary, and it nearly worked.

I hate to tell you this, but that's likely who you're going to get unless there is a shocking twist coming.

[Belsnickel]

(05-27-2024, 06:07 PM)Nately120 Wrote: As I've pointed out before, most republican politicians outside of the genuinely-stupid Lauren Boebert are very educated.  Amazing how education indoctrinates people into being gay America-hating lefties, but a bunch of super straight America-loving republican politicians managed to become super educated and not fall prey to all that.  It's almost like people are full of crap.

I was just listening to Tim Miller talk about this on a podcast when discussing the swayable voters on the right.

[SunsetBengal]

(05-27-2024, 07:43 PM)Belsnickel Wrote: I hate to tell you this, but that's likely who you're going to get unless there is a shocking twist coming.

Well, that is not good news. If Trump wanted to maximize the independent vote, he would definitely pick one of the moderate candidates that I mentioned earlier.

[*Nately120*]

(05-27-2024, 07:49 PM)SunsetBengal Wrote: Well, that is not good news. If Trump wanted to maximize the independent vote, he would definitely pick one of the moderate candidates that I mentioned earlier.

Trump seems like he's trusting the polls and that he's going to wipe the floor with Biden.  It's entirely possible that he thinks picking a moderate VP would be stupid when he can pick whomever will best serve him and still sail to victory because Biden is so unpopular.  I don't think Trump wants to be stuck with someone like Sinema or Manchin as his VP when he can pick a MAGA fanatic from a red state and still win.

[SunsetBengal]

(05-27-2024, 08:01 PM)Nately120 Wrote: Trump seems like he's trusting the polls and that he's going to wipe the floor with Biden.  It's entirely possible that he thinks picking a moderate VP would be stupid when he can pick whomever will best serve him and still sail to victory because Biden is so unpopular.  I don't think Trump wants to be stuck with someone like Sinema or Manchin as his VP when he can pick a MAGA fanatic from a red state and still win.

If he picks either of those two that Pally and Bels were talking about, then that could mean trouble for him. Vance was strongly contested in the primaries; Had he not had the benefit of the Cleveland area populous to carry him in the primary, he would be right where he should be, on the outside looking in.

[*Nately120*]

(05-27-2024, 08:06 PM)SunsetBengal Wrote: If he picks either of those two that Pally and Bels were talking about, then that could mean trouble for him. Vance was strongly contested in the primaries; Had he not had the benefit of the Cleveland area populous to carry him in the primary, he would be right where he should be, on the outside looking in.

I'm not telling you what Trump should do, I'm telling you what he's probably thinking given the way he approaches this stuff.  If Trump makes JD Vance his VP what are the odds you stay home or vote for RFK or something? 

[SunsetBengal]

(05-27-2024, 08:08 PM)Nately120 Wrote: I'm not telling you what Trump should do, I'm telling you what he's probably thinking given the way he approaches this stuff.  If Trump makes JD Vance his VP what are the odds you stay home or vote for RFK or something? 

Significantly higher, like approaching IDGAF who wins kinda level...

[*Nately120*]

(05-27-2024, 08:15 PM)SunsetBengal Wrote: Significantly higher, like approaching IDGAF who wins kinda level...

Interesting.  Time will tell, but I don't think Trump is particularly convinced that he's going to need to make a safe VP pick.  I think a lot of people who are going to vote for Trump are still going to do it regardless of who he picks as his VP just like a lot of people who don't like Biden or Harris are going to vote for that pair because...well, Trump.

[SunsetBengal]

(05-27-2024, 08:21 PM)Nately120 Wrote: Interesting.  Time will tell, but I don't think Trump is particularly convinced that he's going to need to make a safe VP pick.  I think a lot of people who are going to vote for Trump are still going to do it regardless of who he picks as his VP just like a lot of people who don't like Biden or Harris are going to vote for that pair because...well, Trump.

You're right, he's likely looking for allies to be cronies, rather than competent humans that will increase his chances.

[Belsnickel]

(05-27-2024, 08:21 PM)Nately120 Wrote: Interesting.  Time will tell, but I don't think Trump is particularly convinced that he's going to need to make a safe VP pick.  I think a lot of people who are going to vote for Trump are still going to do it regardless of who he picks as his VP just like a lot of people who don't like Biden or Harris are going to vote for that pair because...well, Trump.

This really gets to the heart of my biggest concerns with a second Trump term. When I bring up my concerns I hear people respond with "well, he didn't do that in his first term." Sure, that's true. But what we saw in his first term was that he was surrounded by people who were reining him in. He was doing things the way the RNC wanted in 2017-2020. In a second Trump term, the RNC is doing what Trump wants. He is purging the party of those not loyal to him. He has spent the past couple of years getting rules changes in place so that he could run roughshod over the field in the primaries. He is not going to be surrounding himself with people that will challenge him in a second term. They are trying to take us back to the spoils system, something we abandoned over a century ago for good reason.

His VP pick is the same sort of thing. He isn't going to be looking for the one helping him gain some GOP bonafides. He is looking for a sycophant that will support him no matter what.

[*Nately120*]

(05-27-2024, 08:30 PM)SunsetBengal Wrote: You're right, he's likely looking for allies to be cronies, rather than competent humans that will increase his chances.

Trump is making everything about himself and he's making everything about his movement and his vision and he's up in the polls and his supporters love it.  I don't see why he should stop playing the same tune and move towards the middle or make concessions.  His appeal is that he values no mindset above his own and that he won't back down or make compromises.

Add in that in 2016 he wasn't as popular and he had to balance his ticket with Mike Pence who stood in his way when Trump wanted an obedient lieutenant to carry out his will over all else.