Why Trump could pick a running mate who called him 'know-nothing'
Yes, House Speaker Paul Ryan鈥檚 not sure yet whether he鈥檒l support Donald Trump. Former Presidents George H. W. Bush and George W. Bush aren鈥檛 going to the Republican National Convention. Sen. Lindsey Graham isn鈥檛 either 鈥� the former GOP presidential hopeful announced on Friday that he won鈥檛 vote for Donald Trump (or Hillary Clinton) in the fall.
But this doesn鈥檛 mean all Republican luminaries are recoiling from the prospect of a Trump general election run. Far from it. Some are all but waving their hands in the air, trying to catch The Donald鈥檚 eye as he looks around for a running mate. 鈥淧ick me! Pick me!鈥�
Take Rick Perry. The former Texas governor in a speech last July. 鈥淒onald Trump is the modern day incarnation of the know-nothing movement,鈥� Mr. Perry said.
Circumstances change. Perry went nowhere. Trump won. On Thursday, Perry said he鈥檇 support the real estate billionaire and do all he can to help him beat likely Democratic nominee Mrs. Clinton.
鈥淗e is not a perfect man. But what I do believe is that he loves this country and he will surround himself with capable, experienced people and he will listen to them,鈥� Perry told CNN.
Asked if he would serve as vice president, Perry said he鈥檇 be able to help in any way he can. 鈥淚 am not going to say no,鈥� said the Texan.
Then there鈥檚 Newt Gingrich. The former House speaker has been a fairly constant defender of Trump in the media since the campaign began. Though to be fair, Mr. Gingrich has defended pretty much every GOP hopeful at one time or another. In any case he may be waging a behind-the-scenes effort on the part of a Trump VP hopeful: himself.
His name has popped up on lists of possible running mates. Some Trump advisers acknowledge that they鈥檝e noticed and appreciated Newt鈥檚 support.
鈥淚t has become apparent that Gingrich is waging an active campaign to become Donald Trump鈥檚 running mate,鈥� of the right-leaning National Review earlier this week.
What this shows is that politics can be a complicated game of shifting alliances. Yesterday鈥檚 foe is today鈥檚 friend; someone who appears philosophically incompatible may be a compatriot for reasons of his or her own. Ambition and ideology are constant, expected, and unpredictable. That鈥檚 one reason politics is like chess played in 3-D.
Might Trump pick either man? It鈥檚 not out of the question. He鈥檚 said he wants an experienced politician and both qualify there. Perry might have the edge 鈥� he鈥檚 served in office more recently. He鈥檚 a conservative, and as Speaker Ryan鈥檚 hesitance shows, that鈥檚 a faction Trump may need to mollify.
Others may be higher on the list, though. Trump鈥檚 said he wants to vet recent rival John Kasich. South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley has said 鈥渘o thanks鈥� but says she supports Trump 鈥�100 percent鈥� and would be honored to be his running mate.聽
In the end it may not make much difference in November. As the Monitor鈥檚 Francine Kiefer wrote earlier this week, 鈥淓ven a carefully chosen running mate isn鈥檛 likely to make or break ... campaigns, which will rise or fall mostly on their merits.鈥�
But the decision can help around the margins 鈥� and it does give voters a useful look at a candidate鈥檚 thinking process, Ms. Kiefer adds.
