RICHMOND — The Virginia GOP establishment Thursday bestowed two more endorsements on Republican presidential front-runner Mitt Romney, but popular Gov. Bob McDonnell, who has expressed interest in a nod for vice president, stayed on the sidelines.
McDonnell doesn’t want to be “on the wrong side of the fence,” if the former Massachusetts governor is not the eventual nominee, said Michael McDonald, a political science professor at George Mason University in Fairfax.
“I don’t see the benefit, especially (for) someone who’s been discussed as being a vice presidential nominee,” McDonald said.
In August, McDonnell told Politico he would be interested in joining the No. 2 spot on the Republican ticket, although he was “not looking for the call.”
McDonnell press secretary Jeff Caldwell told Virginia Statehouse News on Thursday that the governor would consider the spot, if it is offered, but state issues are his primary focus.
Virginians will cast their presidential primary ballots March 6, and McDonnell has “no plans right now to make an endorsement” before or after that date, Caldwell said.
McDonnell could be a smart pick for Romney, McDonald said, because “he knows how to run a campaign based on the economy,” offers conservative credentials and has a reputation for fiscal responsibility.
Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling has thrown his support behind Romney, saying in a statement that he would serve as the former Massachusetts governor’s Virginia campaign chairman, and he is “absolutely convinced that (Romney) is the right person to carry our party’s banner into the 2012 campaigns.”
Former Virginia Gov. Jim Gilmore joined the Romney camp Thursday. “No other candidate in the race has a more detailed plan to get Americans back to work or has a laid out a vision for America’s role in the world,” Gilmore said in a statement.
Bearing Drift, the popular, statewide conservative opinion blog, supports Romney as well.
McDonnell, however, still is looking carefully at all the GOP candidates and staying focused on his responsibilities as head of the commonwealth, Caldwell said.
“It’s really a calculation that you have to make, going all-in with a candidate and hoping that candidate wins,” said McDonald.
He said McDonnell’s endorsement would be useful in the general election, when Virginia is sure to be a battleground state, and choosing a candidate too soon could hurt Republican prospects.
Though Romney notched early wins in Iowa’s Jan. 3 caucus and New Hampshire’s Jan. 10 primary, he faces a socially conservative electorate in South Carolina’s Jan. 21 primary. Conservative voters helped push former Pennsylvania U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum within eight votes of Romney in Iowa, and they could make the contest close.
But, as of Thursday, Santorum’s name wasn’t an option on the Virginia ballot.
Texas U.S. Rep. Ron Paul is the only GOP candidate, besides Romney, who met the requirements to appear on the primary ballot. State rules require that a candidate submit 10,000 signatures from registered Virginia voters, including at least 400 from each of the state’s 11 congressional districts.
Paul is an unlikely candidate for McDonnell’s endorsement.
Caldwell said the governor is leaning toward a candidate who has the title “governor,” on his resume. McDonnell said that executive experience molds a solid contender for the White House.
Paul has represented his Texas district in the U.S. House for 24 years.
A lawsuit filed by Texas Gov. Rick Perry, challenging his exclusion as a violation of constitutional rights, could change the ticket in Virginia and add more candidates with executive experience. Fellow GOP hopefuls Santorum, former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich and former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman have joined the lawsuit.
“Our mutual goal is to ensure that the voting rights of the citizens of Virginia are fully protected,” said Bill Pascoe, executive executive vice president of Citizens for the Republic, a conservative group helping the candidates in their legal challenge.
U.S. District Judge John Gibney Jr. is expected to issue a ruling on the Virginia ballot challenge Friday.
See Gilmore’s endorsement of Romney: http://www.mittromney.com/news/press/2012/01/mitt-romney-announces-support-former-virginia-governor-jim-gilmore
Read Bearing Drift’s endorsement of Romney: http://bearingdrift.com/2012/01/11/mitt-romney-for-president/
The debates have been constructive because Perry and Gingrich brought issues to the floor that will be so old and stale by the time the dems get around to it… but come on, they’re both dumb and done (but still 10,000 X better than what we have now).
Obama is an incompetent who would never have been elected if Bush & Co. hadn’t been such a horror-show.—- Independent Voter
Yep…Independent has it right and if the Republicans don’t do better than Mitt it’ll happen again. The Republicans don’t appear to have learned their lessons and McDonnell is no better (his little shell game will explode in the next few years)...he’s hoping to get a better offer so he isn’t around when what he’s done in VA catches up with him.
Romney is an empty suit, a weather-vane who turns with the wind. There is not “there” there. I am sure he will be the Rep. candidate. Not so sure about McDonnell as VP as he went to a zero law school. If the economy keeps improving, Obama will win. If the economy takes a nose dive, Romney will win. “It’s the economy, stupid.” This voter will hold her nose and vote for Obama if it looks like Romney will win, otherwise, she will sit it out (as she did in 2008) and vote for no one. Obama is an incompetent who would never have been elected if Bush & Co. hadn’t been such a horror-show.
There we go, a typical dismissive non-response from the apologists. “You are an idiot, but I’m not going to present a fact-based counter argument to any of the talking points”.
Just admit that Borrow and Spend Bob has turned into Tax and Spend Bob.
Sorry the guy actually has common sense and realized we can’t go on not paying for anything. I guess that is a negative in your camp of loons. Services and infrastructure just magically appear in your world. By all means, vote for the guy who says he won’t touch Pentagon spending, maintain your Medicare and SS, and will balance the budget. Then convince yourself that 2+2-100=0. My guess is you did that in 1986.
Huckabee for President
For those complaining about debt, what do you call all those bonds McDonnell floated last year?
He has also raised taxes (I’m sorry…fees) and apparently is open to raising the gas tax by attaching it to inflation.
Your taxes remain some of the lowest in modern times, and the price for that is a huge national debt. Same as Reagan, same as both Bushes. Yeah, it is all Obama’s fault. I don’t even like him, but to suggest Mitt Gekko, Tiffany’s Gingrich or Insanetorum is any better is laughable too. I’d like to choose none of the above and start over.
Romney-McDonnell 2012: Believe in America
Obummer-Burden 2012: With all our debt, all you have left is Change
President Romney! Has nice ring to it. Any body can do a better job than that mixed-up animal Obama!
So is he ABR (anyone but Romney) or is he waiting to be asked for a dance?
No doubt, if Romney becomes the nominee, he’ll need a “Real Conservative” as his VP. I WILL NOT vote for Romney in the Primary and I sure won’t vote for him in the General Election. Nor will I vote for Obama.
If my choices are limited to Obama or Romney, I’m voting for myself.
Sad thing is that there really are no GOP candidates worth voting for. The ones with a brain are sitting this one out it seems, making Romney the lesser of several “evils”. The others are certified nut cases.
Pretty gutless of Gov McDonnell, don’t you think? Acting like the debutante, waiting for her prince charming to come along and sweep her off her feet. Why is it that republicans grabbed all the board of supers seats in Loudoun County - now 9-0, and the govship along with the house and senate in Richmond, and then acts like wimps, and won’t keep a promise (WHERE’S MY TAX CUT!) and acts like Stalin.
No to McDonnell.
McDonnell is running as VP. Why do you think Republicans in the establishment locked all of the other candidates out of the race. In Virginia, the Republicans “fix” things. We should start calling them the Republican Mafia. There is no democracy in Virginia.
Who else are they gonna back? No one else made the ticket!!!
If you want to continue to follow the path we’ve been on for the last 50 years, pick the ‘establishment’ candidate, Romney.
If you want to see the size of the Federal government cut, vote Ron Paul.
Romney is a tool.
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