Governor Bob McDonnell trekked to New Hampshire to deliver a brief speech before a Republican gathering. Because it’s New Hampshire, and also because McDonnell has toyed with the idea of accepting an offer to join the national GOP ticket (from anyone other than Ron Paul, one should assume), his talk garnered additional notice.
Yes, yes, it’s all fascinating. But some of the comments from the crowd indicate that if McDonnell is picked to carry the lower half of the bill, he would have a lot of explaining to do — where does he stand on immigration, how does he feel about China trade policy, won’t he please think about the children. That’s not unusual for vice presidential picks, and, as much as Virginians know (or think they know) the Governor, he’s just some guy in a suit to folks in South Dakota.
But there was one taste of the potential future for McDonnell to come from his New Hampshire visit. The RTD’s Olympia Meola explains:
New Hampshire Democrats, meanwhile, issued a fundraising plea to its members calling McDonnell “out of touch” with the state’s values.
It said he “cut hundreds of millions of dollars from public schools,” “attempted to regulate women’s health clinics that provide abortions out of existence” and cited his relationship with religious broadcaster Pat Robertson.
It sought donations to tell McDonnell that “his extreme agenda won’t work here in New Hampshire.”
In some ways, this is a complement, as McDonnell has become a fundraising hook for Democrats in other states. It’s a sad and shopworn attempt at raising money off of his appearance, but still, it shows Bob’s making a few waves.
The much bigger breakers will come should he actually be tapped for VP…and, no doubt, his old thesis will be the basis for endless Democratic fundraising appeals and countless hours of MSNBC histrionics.
I can almost hear the smirk forming on Jeff Schapiro’s face…
