That’ll Work
According to this Newsmax article, John McCain has asked for “personal documents” from Rep. Eric Cantor. Picking Rep. Cantor, who’s had a short but distinguished career in the House would get Republicans excited and then some.
U.S. Rep. Eric Cantor of Virginia has been asked for “personal documents” by John McCain’s campaign, a Republican knowledgeable with the discussions said Saturday.
Cantor, 45, the chief deputy minority whip in the House, has been mentioned among several Republicans as a possible running mate for McCain, the presumptive GOP presidential nominee.
The Republican familiar with the conversations between Cantor and the McCain campaign said Cantor has been asked to turn over documents, but did not know specifically what records were sought.
Rep. Cantor has risen to the post of chief deputy minority whip after just 6 years in the House. That’s a testament to his abilities. Picking him would be smart on a number of fronts.
First, he’s got impeccable conservative credentials. Picking him tells the base that they won’t be ignored in a McCain administration. Reading Rep. Cantor’s blog will tell conservatives that he’s a conservative’s conservative.
Secondly, as a blogger, Eric Cantor stays in touch with the American people. Half the battle of defeating Washington is frequently reminding our elected officials what people in the Heartland are thinking. It matters because the thinking is that much different. Beltway thinking is based on spending money and listening to spending requests from lobbyists and bureaucrats. Heartland thinking is based on what makes the most positive impact on people’s daily lives.
Third, Eric Cantor would fire up the base in ways that only a few people can. (The other person that fits that description is John Kasich.) People are already fired up now that Republicans are fighting back against Pelosi’s Politburo on drilling. Picking Rep. Cantor would get them in such a fever pitch that we’d run through walls for that ticket.
Fourth, and most importantly, picking Rep. Cantor keeps Virginia in the red column.
In addition to those benefits, another thing that we shouldn’t underestimate is Cantor’s being part of the ‘Drilling Brigade’, that group that wants to drill, drill, drill.
The downside on Eric Cantor is that he isn’t a household name. I don’t consider this an insurmountable obstacle, though, because he’s a gifted politician whose beliefs fit perfectly with blue collar America and suburban America.
We’ve kind of lost track of Obama’s drubbings in the heartland/rural states but it’s a potentially huge factor this fall. Let’s remember that Hillary soundly defeated Sen. Obama in Pennsylvania and Ohio but obliterated Obama in West Virginia, and Kentucky after his fundraising speech in San Fransisco.
The good news is that Republicans are getting excited, thanks in large part to the fight over oil. I’m betting that campaign contributions will soon start pouring in now that people know that Republicans are fighting in Washington. Adding Eric Cantor to the ticket only strengthens our enthusiasm. Being on the right side of a 75-25% issue that’s also the biggest domestic issue of the cycle helps, too.
Don’t look now but the dynamics of this race are shifting as we speak.
Technorati Tags: Eric Cantor, Virginia, John McCain, Blue Collar Workers, Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Kentucky, Young Turks, Blogging, Election 2008
Cross-posted at LetFreedomRingBlog
August 3rd, 2008 at 2:25 am
The GOP needs to be looking forward to the 2012 elections. Cantor could use the VP spot to launch into the presidency. I would hope that McCain would not run for a 2nd term.
August 3rd, 2008 at 6:56 am
Let’s win this one first. Victory is definitely possible but there’s still alot of work to be done.
We should be asking “Have you cut a check to the NRCC lately?” If we close the fundraising gap between now & mid-September, Pelosi’s Democrats will be in big trouble. Now that we’ve got something to fight for, it’s time we put our money where our fighters are.