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1.) George H.W. Bush’s time has come, again? — One of the most astute political analysts in the country, Jay Cost, thinks Mitt Romney has more than a fighting chance to win the presidency. He also has some thoughts on how he should choose his VP candidate, reports TheDC’s Jamie Weinstein (ME!):
“Though Cost is unsure whether any possible vice presidential selection would help Romney electorally, he says the former Massachusetts governor should make the choice with an eye toward the future. ‘Think of it this way: Ronald Reagan picked George H.W. Bush to be the veep nominee in 1980, and the Bushes are still a powerful force in GOP politics some 32 years later,’ Cost said. ‘Romney should pick a nominee with an eye to the future — will he be a good steward of the Grand Old Party for the next generation?'”
If TheDC Morning is reading Cost right, we think he means that the obvious VP choice is George H.W. Bush, who at 87, still has one more term of eligibility as president left.
2.) The billion dollar man — President Obama has become the first man in U.S. — world — history to raise over $1 billion in his politlcal career, reports TheDC’s Neil Munro:
“President Barack Obama has become the first political $1 billion man. He’s the first politician to take in that stratospheric number in donations during his political career, according to data collected by the Center for Responsive Politics … President George W. Bush, in contrast, raised roughly $430 million despite running two complete presidential races and bearing the brunt of Democrats’ claims that he was a pawn of bankers, oil companies, coal magnates and defense contractors.”
In contrast, President Obama only raises money from orphans, heroes and orphaned heroes.3.) Is Sandoval a Sanda-maybe or a Sanda-never for VP? — The Nevada governor has some upsides and some downsides as a potential VP prospect, reports TheDC’s Alexis Levinson:
“Conventional wisdom among Mitt Romney VP-watchers is that the presumptive GOP nominee should pick a running mate who is experienced and rather boring, someone who would neither embarrass him nor outshine him. Just two years into his first term as Nevada governor, Brian Sandoval doesn’t exactly fit that bill. But a source familiar with the proceedings said not to count Sandoval out. Sandoval is an incredibly popular governor, sporting a 62 percent approval rating, according to a Rasmussen poll at the end of February. He is also Hispanic, and could potentially help draw out the Latino vote. Equally important, Nevada is a swing state where President Obama is considered to have an edge.”
Very interesting. But he’s also pro-choice. And with conservatives thinking Romney is anything but a “severe” conservative, that makes Sandoval’s prospects for VP as likely as getting pork chops at an Orthodox Jewish wedding. And just to be clear, you won’t be getting pork chops at a wedding between Orthodox Jews.
4.) Trump ain’t no chump — The Donald may be supporting Mitt Romney, but that doesn’t mean he thinks he should be taken for granted. One of his advisors tells TheDC’s Alex Pappas that he is an obvious choice to get a key speech at the Republican convention:
“He flirted with a run for president of his own when polls showed him competitive. He has since raised money for Mitt Romney and has served as a surrogate for the presumptive Republican nominee on the campaign trail. But will Donald Trump be tapped to give a speech before the delegates at the Republican National Convention in Tampa this summer? A close adviser to Trump suggested to The Daily Caller that the New York real estate mogul would welcome the opportunity to give a prime-time speech. ‘Mr. Trump’s massive popularity is just one of the many reasons he is being sought as a keynote speaker at the Tampa RNC Convention,’ Michael Cohen, special counsel to Trump, told The Daily Caller.”
5.) Poll of the Day: Hillary Clinton is popular — USA Today/Gallup Poll measures Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s favorability: 66% favorable, 29% unfavorable and 5% unsure.
6.) Tweet of Yesterday — Ann Coulter: You know what Greece needs? Bain Capital.