Veepstake Monday – The Inside Line – 04.14.2008

The parimutuel window is now open. We’ve got just over four months until post time and it’s that every other Monday again, so shake out those sofa cushions, raid the kids’ piggy banks, and find a clinic that will let you donate plasma three times in a day. It’s time to put your money on the counter and spill your prognostications for this summer. Is the General committed to Executive Branch Glory or is this attempt at an exclamation point just another flaccid semi-Colin? Will it be Condoleeza or Condolooza? Will Barack go Wes young man? And who in the hell let Mitt Romney back in?

THE GOP – JOHN MCCAIN

Charlie Crist – Governor, Florida: Carl Wolfson’s mother thinks he’s too liberal, and his numbers are slipping a bit thanks to the flagging economy, but Crist is still looking at a 59% approval rate. McCain needs Florida, and Charlie Crist can deliver. Even if he’s not gay, he’s tanned and can deliver the gay pocketbook vote in huge numbers.
VeepsBlog 2008 Line: 3 to 1
VeepsBlog 2008 Line (2/18/2008): 6 to 1
VeepsBlog 2008 Line (3/31/2008):4 to 1

General Colin Powell: Too old, too Bushed. If he were going to strike when the iron was hot it would have been in 1992, and his wife didn’t want him to do it then. And it’s a strange balance in putting him on as the voice of military reason.
VeepsBlog 2008 Line: 18 to 1

Condoleeza Rice – Secretary of State: Shouldn’t happen, but might. McCain is already dodging the “McBush” label and Condi brings a ton of baggage from two terms of The Decider. Democrats will make hay out of her Iraq mushroom cloud/smoking gun comment. Picking a gay African-American female would win McCain a Big Tent Inclusion merit badge.
VeepsBlog 2008 Line: 4 to 1

Mitt Romney – former Governor, former Liberal, Massachusetts:With McCain already flip-flopping like a trout out of water, the last thing he needs is Romney, whose dismount on every issue has more twists and turns and reversals than Greg Louganis. The two of them together would induce seizures in the casual observer. Huckabee letter and former Romney loyalist Paul Weyrich as signatory may have been a sidelining whack in the kneecap for this one. Plus, never mind the photo op lovefest–these two men hate each other and there’s endless footage the Democrats can trot out to prove it.
VeepsBlog 2008 Line: 15 to 1
VeepsBlog 2008 Line (3/3/2008): 8 to 1

THE DEMOCRATS – BARACK OBAMA

General Wesley Clark: To blunt the sissified liberal charge, a military man wouldn’t hurt to defend a President Obama’s efforts to end the war post haste. Also, this is a campaign in need of some testosterone if it’s going to have any Rust Belt cred at all. Wes Clark brings brains and military bonafides and can court the Iron City Beer and chicken gizzards crowd while Obama is off in less-masculine territory talking about the butternut curry tamales he and Michelle bought at the Georgetown Whole Foods.
VeepsBlog 2008 Line: 4 to 1

Evan Bayh – Governor, Indiana: Young, handsome, executive experience, and military legitimacy with Armed Services Committee seat. A tanned and ready successor in eight years, and a popular Blue Senator in a very Red state. Just has to pull a Richardson and shake off the Hillary Yoke. In serious need of charisma, though.
VeepsBlog 2008 Line: 8 to 1
VeepsBlog 2008 Line (3/31/08): 15 to 1

Ted Strickland – Governor, Ohio: Age issue will probably be a factor–at 66 there isn’t a snowball’s chance that he could run in eight years, and that would mean another Veepstakes for the Dems in four years if they want a designated heir apparent. Still, has high approval ratings and where goes Ohio there goes the White House.
VeepsBlog 2008 Line: 9 to 1
VeepsBlog 2008 Line (3/31/08): 6 to 1
VeepsBlog 2008 Line (3/3/08): 8 to 1