"Husky and Starch": The best GOP ticket and Obama's worst nightmare

By Richard K. Barry

Husky & Starch

My co-blogger Michael Stickings and I were recently having a chat about who Mitt Romney's running mate should be. We went through the usual names, wondering if he would need a "game changer" or play it safe. After going 'round and 'round for a while, we came to the same conclusion: New Jersey Governor Chris Christie would be Romney's best option for VP.

In a sense, it would be both a game changer and a safe call.

We reasoned that Romney should make the announcement the usual time, about a week before the convention. By then the polls will have been so close for so long that conservatives everywhere will be salivating at the thought of beating Obama, so they won't make trouble about the fact that Christie is another Northeastern governor who isn't perfect from a radical right-wing perspective. The base will stay in line and swing voters, particularly white middle-aged guys, will love the choice.

In many ways, Christie is everything Romney is not. He comes across as genuine, a natural performer. He's combative as hell and would be able to do what Romney will never be able to do: act tough. Conservatives want that more than anything.

I'm no great fan of Christie myself, but I do think he would be a formidable running mate and would make things close. Would he overshadow Romney? Uh, yes. But that's a chance Mitt would have to take.

Christie would give the convention a boost and liven things up considerably. He may also loosen Romney up a bit. I can almost see them play-boxing on stage (Oooh, almost made myself sick there).

I don't have a great argument for thinking this ticket would work, but I do feel it somehow.

It's not my idea of a good time, though in the interests of objective political analysis, there it is -- "Husky and Starch." (I wonder if I can copyright that.)

(Cross-posted at Lippmann's Ghost.)