Published on 01/21/2008

Romney-Thompson Looks Like the Ticket to Beat

(Las Vegas, NV) -- Save the laughs, we need to talk politics. Last summer, we cast and predicted a Romney-Thompson ticket. Later, as Mike Huckabee stepped up and became the Evangelical vote, and Fred Thompson never seemed to launch into the campaign, we recast our prediction of a ticket as being Romney-Huckabee.

At the time, it made clear sense that Romney would win the north and Huckabee would then deliver the south. Together, this ticket would have been dynamic and very tough to beat. Then Huckabee got an attitude and an ego and surrounded himself with people who told him that he could win it all.

He could have recovered from the ego after New Hampshire, but insisted on using Romney's religion against him. You may have heard the term "flip-flop," but that was really code-speak to far right-wing Evangelicals. It really means "you can't really vote for a Mormon can you?"

That brings us to South Carolina. Thompson suddenly started attacking Huckabee and started looking like the political player many thought he should have been months earlier. The pundits said that he was doing his buddy McCain a favor, but the truth perhaps lies deeper.

Voters first noted that Thompson was apparently light on the attacks on Romney during the New Hampshire debates. He had a few defining words against Romney, but did little damage and saved most of his attacks for Governor Huckabee and even Sen. McCain. Recognizing that his vote numbers were too low and his fund raising inadequate, Thompson was figuratively attaching his dingy to a larger boat. In political terms, he was doing some other candidate a favor by openly and aggressively attacking Huckabee. The question was, which candidate?

For Thompson, it was a no lose proposition. If McCain ultimately won or Romney did better, Thompson would be seen as making a pivotal move to help either McCain or Romney. In New Hampshire, McCain benefited, but Romney also received a push up in Michigan.

Then came Nevada/South Carolina. For Thompson this was simply his last breath, but he knew he didn't have the momentum going in, so he needed to stick with his strategy of benefiting one candidate or the other to stay in consideration for the overall ticket.

His attacks were seen as helping McCain, but in truth, McCain didn't need his help as he was strong enough in the state and was already drawing Evangelicals to his side. Indeed, a Huckabee win in South Carolina would have arguably been better for Thompson going into Florida as a strengthened McCain would mean certain defeat for Thompson in that state. A Huckabee win, however, could not be repeated by the former Arkansas governor in Florida as the later is far from a unified religious block of voters.

Thompson purposefully fell on the sword for one candidate, and it wasn't McCain. The only other values candidate in the race is Mitt Romney and it was necessary to finish Huckabee off in South Carolina to boost Romney's presence in Florida for the Evangelicals. In order to survive, Thompson knows that Huckabee must come out strongly against McCain in Florida -- so goes friendships formed in Iowa.

With Giuliani, Huckabee, Thompson and Romney all on the attack against McCain in Florida, and with Florida being a Republican-only primary, Romney has all the help he needs to finish off McCain going into Super-Duper Tuesday. The prize for Thompson is a spot back on the ticket.

Thompson's ability to garner the southern vote, as well as the California vote, helps Romney deliver key states, while it will be Romney's job to cover the north, northeast, mid-west and southwestern states.

Thompson has done what Huckabee should have been doing had he wanted a spot on the ticket. Romney is in need of a southern gentleman and Thompson appears best suited to unify the southern conservatives for Romney while Romney brings in the values and economic conservatives for the party.

Whether this is the ultimate brokered deal, we shall see, but to the eyes of Republicans who want a unifying ticket, this is the best bet of all.

Note: Mr. Giuliani is also playing along, but as he cannot deliver the south like Thompson his reward will become clear later. Perhaps a senate seat uncontested. He is clearly still in the race, but he seems to be playing for the benefit of Romney. The ink is still wet, but the deals have been struck. Republicans leave little if anything to chance. Giuliani and Thompson are stacking up against McCain and Huckabee.

The only one who can win at this juncture is the one with the largest purse and the most delegates. That would be Mitt Romney. His choice for vice-president will be Thompson and Giuliani will have his pick of responsibilities. All will be at the table leading the country and helping America return to her former greatness.