In the 167 years that Florida has been a state, no major party has nominated someone from it to be on a presidential ticket, but that could change as Republicans get ready to challenge Barack Obama in November.
Some Floridians have come close. Former Sens. Connie Mack and Bob Graham came close to being named to the vice presidential tickets in recent years. Napoleon Bonaparte Broward was considered to be William Jennings Bryans running mate in 1908 while Thomas Brown, the only Whig to ever be governor of Florida, garnered 3 votes for vice president at his partys 1852 convention.
This week, one prominent Florida Republican pulled himself out of consideration for the vice presidency but pushed another GOP leader in the Sunshine State for the ticket. In an interview with the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, who endorsed Mitt Romney for the Republican presidential nomination on Wednesday, took himself out of the vice presidential mix, but did recommend U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., for the job.
Bush described Rubio as "dynamic, joyful, disciplined and principled and praised both his private and public qualities.
"He is the best orator of American politics today, a good family man, Bush said. He is not only a consistent conservative, but he has managed to find a way to communicate a conservative message full of hope and optimism.
Rubio makes sense as a running mate for Romney for a number of reasons.
While Florida went for Obama in 2008, its up for grabs in November and Rubio should be an asset to help carry the Sunshine State for the Republicans. With polls showing Hispanic voters breaking toward Obama, Rubio could help stop the bleeding -- especially in states like Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico and Arizona that could be battlegrounds in November.
Rubio is Catholic, helping balance the ticket with Romney who is a Mormon. Besides having better ties to the tea party movement than Romney, Rubio, with his tenure on both the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Select Committee on Intelligence, should add foreign policy credentials to the ticket -- a place where Romney is lacking.
But there are major liabilities to having Rubio on the ticket.
Republicans have argued that Obama came to the White House with little experience -- but Rubio has been in the Senate for only two years. Rubio has also faced questions about embellishing his familys history. Some pundits have also questioned whether Rubios Cuban ancestry would appeal to voters of other Hispanic backgrounds -- especially those in the Southwest. Rubio has also expressed no interest in being on the ticket.
With his two wins in gubernatorial elections -- including in 1998 which was a Democratic year nationally -- Bush could also help the Republican ticket. But Bush has also expressed no interest in the vice presidency and, while he is the son and brother of two former presidents, voters grew weary of both of them. Still, with his expertise on policy, namely education issues, Jeb Bush should be on the short list for a Cabinet position in a Romney administration.
While the state unemployment rate has dropped since he took over in January 2011, Rick Scott, who won the closest gubernatorial election in Florida history, remains upside down in the polls. With his limited experience in government and his years in the corporate sector, Scott would do little for Romney in the unlikely event that he ends up in the vice presidential spot. With his experience in the private sector and as an executive, Scott does make a bit more sense for vice president if Rick Santorum emerged with the Republican nomination -- but it is unlikely the former senator from Pennsylvania will be the GOP candidate and almost impossible with his poll numbers that Scott is on the ticket.
Members of the U.S. House almost never end up on presidential tickets but there have been a handful of exceptions. In recent years, Geraldine Ferraro, a congresswoman from New York, ended up as Walter Mondales running mate in 1984 and Bill Miller, another congressman from the Empire State, was Barry Goldwaters understudy on the 1964 Republican ticket.
Looking at the Republicans in the Florida delegation, its hard to imagine most of them on the ticket.
Freshman Allen West has said that he is open to the possibility of the vice presidency and he does have a national following of movement conservatives. An African-American who served as an officer in the Army, West could be an attractive possibility down the road -- provided he can show that he is disciplined enough for a national campaign. West has made a number of colorful but also controversial statements during his short political career -- and the handlers of the Republican nominee will be looking to ensure that they are not facing the second coming of Sarah Palin.
Not yet 42, Congressman Tom Rooney could be another vice presidential possibility --- down the road. A former officer in the Army's JudgeAdvocate General Corps who taught at West Point, Rooney is a member of the family that owns the Pittsburgh Steelers, one of the most popular franchises in the National Football League, and could have appeal outside of the Sunshine State. But he has only been in Congress since 2008. Its easy to see Rooney climbing up the political ladder in the years to come but he is not yet a prime-time player.
At 37, Florida Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam is even younger than Rooney and has served 10 years in Congress. Putnam appears to be a future player in state politics and perhaps even the national stage. But that does not mean he will end up on the Republican ticket in 2012.
One possible Republican vice presidential candidate lives in Florida but is much more closely associated with Arkansas. Its former Gov. Mike Huckabee of Arkansas who ran for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008. Since that election cycle, Huckabee has launched a national media career and moved to the Panhandle. But Huckabee is preparing to start a national talk-radio show and, during the 2008 primaries, exchanged heavy fire with Romney. While some former Huckabee staffers are working for Santorum, the former Arkansas governor appeals to many of the same voters as the former U.S. senator from Pennsylvania.
With Florida appearing to be up for grabs in November, a Sunshine State Republican could end up on the ticket. Rubio appears to be the most likely choice but there are other options. Still, vice presidential picks are often a surprise and Florida could have to wait for the future before one of her favorite sons or daughters ends up on a presidential ticket.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or at (850) 727-0859.
