Sic Semper Tyrannis

Go check out the discussion going on over at Hot Air over whether or not adding Mitt Romney to the GOP ticket would be a good idea or not.

From my perspective, adding Romney to the ticket would be a net gain due to his extensive business experience, his reputation as a "fixer" and his tremendous fundraising abilities. Romney was my #2 pick behind McCain and I would see the combination of the two men as a very strong team.

However there are also some drawbacks that must be examined as well:

1. The "White Guy" factor: Teaming Romney with McCain gives the GOP an extremely whitebread ticket in a year when the opposition will be breaking historical ground with their nominee. Granted, we Republicans value a person's abilities over identity politics, but there are a number of very qualified candidates who could lend som ediversity to the GOP ticket, thereby negating a Dem talking point in the general election.

2. The "Conservative" factor: While many conservatives rallied around Romney late in the campaign when he seemed to be the only viable alternative to John McCain, I think that real questions remain about the authenticity of Romney's positions in this campaign. McCain already has problems with the conservative base and he needs a teammate who can motivate them. I am not convinced that Romney can do that, since much of his support was really just anti-McCain fervor.

3. The "Geographic" factor: Frankly, Romney will bring nothing to the ticket from a geographic standpoint. Massachusetts will not go for McCain and Utah would never go for a Dem. It is possible, I suppose, that Romney could put Michigan in play,. However, I think McCain may do that on his own, with an assist from America's Next Worst Governor (once Spitzer resigns, that is), Jennifer Granholm.

On the other hand, I do not think that Romney's Mormonism would be much of a factor in the general election. While some conservatives may have been swayed to support other Republican candidates in the primaries due to discomfort with the tenets of Romney's religion, I do not believe that, by and large, those conservatives would sit on their hands or vote Democratic in November for that reason. Primaries and General elections are very different affairs with very different motivations driving their participants.

All said, I think Romney would be a good choice, but I am eager to see what the other options are.