Barbour’s Out
Never say never, but Haley Barbour has removed his name from consideration as a Republican 2008 hopeful:
Republican Gov. Haley Barbour said Tuesday he will not run for president in 2008 because he is too busy with Hurricane Katrina’s aftermath.
Instead, Barbour, 58, said he intends to seek a second term as governor in 2007.
“There’s no way I could run for president and do what I’ve got to do as governor. And, obviously, being governor comes first,” said the former GOP national chairman, responding to questions from The Associated Press.
Barbour also dismissed the possibility of a run for vice president in 2008.
“Why would a Republican pick a running mate from Mississippi?” Barbour said, in his most definitive statement to date about his political future. “If a Republican doesn’t carry Mississippi, he won’t carry five states.”
Barbour has earned accolades for his post-Katrina leadership, and the news will disappoint some…but it’s the right move. The fundraising required for a run at the presidency would be too distracting for a man whose state needs him so badly at this time…
“Why would a Republican pick a running mate from Mississippi?”
Well, he might if he were the former mayor of New York and needed to shore up some social conservative credentials. Or at least that’s the theory I’ve been espousing all along. How dare Haley screw up my plans!
I’m inclined to believe politicians when they say pretty definitively they’re not running for president, but since the veep job is something that’s more or less thrust upon you, I wouldn’t discount Barbour’s chances entirely. Still, he’s more or less said the nominee would have to be a fool to pick him, so my guess is his chances now are slim.
Maybe Giuliani/Huckabee?
Barbour is a solid governor and, more importantly, a decent human being. There’s no reason why he can’t finish up what he has to do in Mississippi and then take a spot in President McCain’s cabinet one day.
Huckabee seems a better choice than Barbour for VP on a number of levels. Barbour was a longtime Washington insider and probably the wrong person to make the public face of the party in 2008, when the public will be predisposed to voting for a fresh face. Also, Barbour was a bit too cozy with the neoconfederate groups that indirectly brought down Lott a few years back. I’d rather see Rudy than Huckabee as the Presidential nominee, but Huckabee might be a good #2 pick.
Rudy as pres. Huckabee or Allen as VP to shore up the base.
It might be a step down for Barbour to take over as the head of FEMA in 2008. With all his experience rebuilding Mississippi, he’d definitely be qualified for it.
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