The Dark Horse Conservative VP (by Dave Levine)

The Dark Horse Conservative VP For Romney

by Dave Levine

A number of so-called "safe VP picks" have been bandied about on Drudge and other blogs this year, "safe" for Romney meaning he won't lose too many Conservative votes by choosing one. However, almost all of them have one or two things in common--they're RINOs and some have strong ties to the G.W. Bush Administration. And one other characteristic--none of them are considered "leaders". I'm talking about Tim Pawlenty, Bob Portman and Paul Ryan.

For many months now, I've pushed for Romney to select Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) but he's now in hot water with Conservatives and Libertarians who thought he was terrific until he endorsed Romney. Why, one might ask, would a true Conservative endorse a liberal?

Romney's only hope of winning rests with a worsening economy and getting Conservatives to vote for him. Selecting one of the above three RINOs isn't going to get it done. "There's nothing there there". And when there's nothing there, there's no excitement, no motivation.

Romney isn't likely to pick Sen. Paul as Paul is rumored to want to run for President in 2016 and he's far too Conservative for Romney. Plus, there's been some unraveling of Sen. Paul's popularity among Conservative voters due to a couple of things that have happened recently.

But there's one pol who is nearly as Conservative as Sen. Paul and except for one or two votes the past two years, has done the right thing--Sen. Jim DeMint, The Dark Horse Conservative VP. Perhaps he's too Conservative for Romney, but he's exactly what Romney needs. Why? Because having DeMint as VP would give Conservatives concerned about Romney's "touchback green card Amnesty" scheme some confidence that Romney would never sign such a bill if it got to his desk. Romney's stopped talking "self-deportation" by illegal aliens thanks to a stern warning from RINO McCain back in January. He needs to bring in Conservatives who are afraid he'll sign an Amnesty bill if elected. But with VP mate DeMint, that concern would, I believe, diminish somewhat.

The one bad vote Sen. DeMint made in the last two years was voting for renewing The Patriot Act on May 26, 2011. Sen. Paul voted against it.

But Sen. DeMint voted AGAINST the NDAA, one of only 13 Senators who voted the right way. And he voted against increasing the Debt Ceiling. He's a true fiscal Conservative.

DeMint has been a staunch anti-Invasion Senator though he sounds today like McCain when he says "We need to secure the Border first, implying he'd accept Amnesty down-the-road.

If the GOP takes back the Senate in January, DeMint isn't likely to take Sen. McConnell's place. The RINOs controlling the GOP won't forget DeMint's anti-Establishment talk last year and in 2010, particularly with regards to the Debt Ceiling debate.

So, will Romney "see the light" and realize that he can win with Sen. DeMint? I doubt it.

UPDATE: The scuttlebutt today on Drudge is that former General-now-CIA Chief Petraeus is being seriously considered by Romney as VP.