There’s a lot of speculation concerning John McCain’s choice for his Vice Presidential candidate. Along with this, there are all sorts of people who, if they could, would eagerly make that selection for him. It is no secret, after all, that many so-called conservative Republicans are confounded by John McCain’s lack of conservative credentials.

loooooong sigh…

Well, what are the considerations? It seems that these mainly come to these criteria:

• Age—Some argue that US citizens are concerned about McCain’s age (72); that he must find a younger person (at least, one in his or her 60s) to ameliorate this issue
• Region—Since John McCain is a Westerner, perhaps he must find someone, a qualified someone, whose residency is east of the Mississippi River. But, not one from New York or New England, which have unacceptable brands of conservancy (apparently)
• Governmental Experience—Since much will be made of the Democratic candidate’s lack of experience in government, McCain must select someone who is easily recognized as experienced for the roles of the Vice President
• Passage of Unstated, Un-written Litmus Tests—Since John McCain is barely acceptable as a conservative to some groups within the rapidly shrinking Republican tent, these folks hope and pray that he selects someone who is strongly opposed to abortion, stem-cell research, and a host of other items, including taxes of any sort

What’s a non-demagogic Republican candidate to do?

What ls a Republican?

The modern Republican Party is supposedly in favor of:

• Less government
• Less intrusive government
• Personal freedom, responsibility, and accountability
• Federalism

Republicans supposedly believe that government should not pry into the lives of individuals, that states are better able to handle their own affairs, and that private spending is more efficient than that of government. Oh, there are other things held dear by Republicans, too; many of them presenting paradoxes to these “core” beliefs.

(I’m not certain that passage of federal law or an amendment to the Constitution preventing a woman from obtaining an abortion qualifies as less intrusive government. And, President Bush’s advancement of the unitary executive theory, where a President, acting as Commander-in-Chief, can override the law, begged interference by the Republican-dominated Supreme Court.)

Anyway, let’s concentrate on the principles and leave behind any petting bickering over paradoxes.

A Proposal

If we’re looking for a person who has extensive governmental experience who is also committed to less government, less governmental intrusion, and personal freedom, then I offer this man as a candidate for Vice President:

Ron Paul

• Mr. Paul is a committed conservative and libertarian. As such, he believes in these core principles, although he doesn’t associate them specifically with the Republican Party.
• Mr. Paul served in the US Air Force. His veteran’s status should go over well with John McCain and the voting public.
• Mr. Paul has served in government since 1979.
• Mr. Paul is opposed to abortion, but he is strongly in favor of federalism: he believes that states, rather than the federal government, should regulate abortion.
• Ron Paul is a good campaigner and public speaker, and he has demonstrably demonstrated his ability to develop contributors.
• Ron Paul has solid conservative credentials: he campaigned for Barry Goldwater in 1965, retained his seat in the House of Representatives despite Watergate, and was an active supporter of Ronald Reagan. (Okay, so he left the Reagan camp over their economic policies; even Reagan’s economic czar jumped ship.)

In short, this man meets every qualification to be considered as the strongest candidate for Vice President with John McCain. Except one.

Like McCain, Mr. Paul is 72 years old.