The Wall Street Journal weighs in on potential running mates for McCain and Sanford pops up again:
Mark Sanford of South Carolina is young (47), with some Washington experience from his days in the House of Representatives, and he is popular among the party’s economic conservatives for his crusades against government spending. Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform, says Gov. Sanford is “perfect ideologically, solid on spending. He’s governed as governor the way McCain says he’d govern as president.”
But I think their biggest hint at Sanford’s VP potential came much earlier in the piece.
Here’s what he needs in a vice-presidential sidekick: A younger politician who is viewed as a potential president, and also can help win the South, woo social conservatives, and shore up Sen. McCain’s weaknesses on economic policy. Oh, and being a woman would be nice, too.
The person who perfectly fits that description doesn’t exist.
Now, the “viewed as a potential president” is debatable, but Sanford hits every other requirement, except for the “being a woman.” I’m still of the mind that the Port of Port Royal scandal may be a little too much baggage to carry into a national election.
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