The Trump Veep Stakes

 

No Noem

Trump is cannily keeping speculation going over who he will choose for his running mate. It’s like The Apprentice. Gets a lot of earned media. 

Who would I pick if I were Trump?

Best pick: Ron DeSantis. He has the executive skills to carry forward Trump’s legacy four years from now. I think Trump is right that the VP pick doesn’t move polls much. The more important thing is to groom someone who could take the torch if and when it is passed on.

Next: RFK Jr. Could blow a permanent hole in the Democratic Party. That could be an important legacy too. It would also be a unifying pick, and America needs that. I believe Kennedy has already been offered the slot, however, and has turned it down.

Next: Tulsi Gabbard. Again, pulls in independents and independent-minded Democrats. Also a unifying pick. 

Next: Vivek Ramaswamy. Like a younger Trump; therefore, good for passing on the legacy in four years. He’s great at getting out the message, great in tussles with the media. After four years as understudy, I think he could handle the presidential job. 

Next: Tucker Carlson. A straight talker; having him on the ticket would help reassure the public that the corrupt cartel is no longer in control. The only problem is, I think he might be of greater value as a media voice than silenced as VP.

Next: J.D. Vance. A voice for all those overlooked and neglected working class whites.

Next: Ben Carson. He lacks political experience, but projects a sense of being utterly sincere, calm and responsible, without being weak. He does, to my mind, give off presidential vibes.

I could get really excited about any of those picks. Below this level, I would feel at least a twinge of regret at lost opportunity. The current rumours are that it will be Marco Rubio. That makes sense in terms of cementing the support of Hispanic voters, but that also means Rubio is being picked largely because of his race. Bad practice, bad example for the nation. There is also something about Rubio that makes it hard to picture him as president. Some people got it, some don’t. He has a bit of a reputation for pandering, too. 

Christie Noem is surely definitely out by now. I would never have been happy with her selection. She doesn’t have the resume, and would only be on the ticket because she’s a woman. Same with Kari Lake.

Doug Burgum? Why is he being mentioned?  He has no charisma, and is not eloquent either. Make him chief of staff, maybe.

Tim Scott? Again, lacking in charisma, and like Rubio, he does not have the presidential aura. He feels like an empty suit.

Of course, there are other possibilities. But these are the names most commonly mentioned.