Mitt Romney Watch: The Buying of the Vice Presidency?

Hugh Hewitt, Mitt Romney HAGIOGRAPHER lays out the case of how Mitt uses his Mormon Faith and his MONEY to persuade John MCCain to select him as his Vice President.

The news that Obama gathered in $52 million in June underscores the need for Team McCain to choose a Veep with an eye not just on the most important qualification –the ability to become president on short notice– but also with an emphasis on the ability and willingness to campaign hard (no John Edwards), to put states in play (for Romney, that means Michigan, New Hampshire, Colorado and Nevada; for Tim Pawlenty, Minnesota and Wisconsin) and especially to raise money from established networks.

Though some commentary asserted Senator McCain would wait until after Obama selected his running mate, the pressing need to keep the funding gap somewhat close argues for an early selection. Whether Pawlenty or Romney or someone else, it just makes it much easier to raise the crucial funds with both members of the ticket working the country’s donors.

Romney’s “Ms”–the message on the economy, his and his supporters’ money, the Mormons and the enthusiasm they would bring to the campaign, especially in Mormon-heavy states like Colorado and Nevada, and of course Romney’s ties to his home state Michigan– make the case for choosing Romney very strong. An early selection would give the campaign an huge lift throughout the summer, one that could keep the already lower-than-expected Obama lead in the single digits.

Flap promoted a similar argument as to why McCain MIGHT choose Romney some weeks ago.

There is no love lost between John McCain and Mitt Romney but at this point in the campaign Romney is a net POSITIVE for the GOP.

Romney will NOT hurt MCCain who MUST run as a moderate Republican (which he is) against the radical LEFT Obama and WILL help McCain in states where he needs it.

Look for more events featuring Mitt Romney as an economic surrogate for Team McCain. If Romney polls well in the battleground states above, McCain may have no choice but to name Mitt as his Vice President.

Hewitt makes the case that Romney can infuse Mormon supporters, votes and money into McCain’s campaign and especially help in the battleground states of Nevada and Colorado. This is true.

But, would the pushback from southern Evangelical Christian states play into an Obama “southern strategy?”

Alaska Governor Sarah Palin is RIGHT on the issues and would make a far better coalition builder for the GOP than Mitt Romney. She is a solid conservative that appeals far better to independent voters than Romney.

McCain has already accepted public financing for his campaign and a change of this position, with an infusion of Romney money, would weaken his argument of a flip-flopping Obama. John McCain should choose Mitt Romney if he thinks he will bring victory to his GOP team not because Mitt delivers the cash.

Flap has not seen any polls in battleground states that supports the argument that Romney is the BEST choice for Vice President – at least not yet.

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Why John McCain Picks Mitt Romney as Vice President