Donald Trump, Richard Burr and a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad idea
I had been hearing this gossip about Richard Burr as a possible VP candidate for Donald Trump for weeks now. I blew it off — assuming it was something floated out there by Paul Shumaker & co. to generate some buzz about their anemic candidate and his campaign. But the buzz is not going away, and it’s getting to the point where this site is going to have to slap some sense into people.
I am still trying to understand WHY in the hell Team Trump thought it was a good idea to have their guy make a robo-call for Renee Ellmers. She’s arguably one of the most despised political figures in the state and the country. Her polling numbers have been in the tank, and it was pretty clear she was going down the drain. It was also pretty clear she was an opportunist. A week before the NC primary, ol’ Nee-Nee trashed Trump (indirectly) in the driveby media. Then, on election day, as Trump was winning the state big., she was trumpetin
g her support of him.
So, WHY stake your political rep to someone who is already damaged goods and is clearly clinging to you to save her political skin? She needed The Donald more than he needed her.
Decisions like the Elmers robo-call make me wonder if Team Trump might seriously be considering Burr. Picking Richard Burr as his running mate would make Dan Quayle look like Thomas Jefferson. Burr is a lightweight in every sense of the word. There is an amazing amount of apathy toward him by his own voters — a Republican two-termer in a Red State. (*Can’t have that ACLU woman. Guess I’ll vote for whatzisface.*) Burr is way too chummy with Lindsey Graham and John McCain. And he’s racked up a pretty disgusting voting record.
By all accounts, Burr had to be talked into running again this year. He was three-quarters out the door headed to retirement from the Senate. (Shumaker & co. must have been sweating over cash flow.)
If Trump is set on a North Carolinian, Mark Meadows would be a great choice.
Personally, i think he needs someone with conservative street cred and some ideological / intellectual heft. (At one time, I thought Ted Cruz would work. But I think that relationship is beyond repair. (Then again, Bush and Reagan savaged each other in 1980 but went on to eight years of harmony.) Alabama’s Jeff Sessions would be a great choice. Though, I’d hate to lose his vote in the Senate.
What about Jim DeMint from the Heritage Foundation? He has House AND Senate experience. He would excite southern conservatives. Picking him would also NOT cost the GOP a vital Senate seat.
Richard Burr really doesn’t deserve six more years in the Senate. (Word IS that he plans to step down shortly after reelection to allow Pat McCrory and the GOPe to appoint a replacement — most likely Richard Hudson.) Like Tillis, he might survive because of voter fear over what the alternative in the race might bring.
Could not help but notice that the title of this article did not incorporate the word dumb as in ” dumbest idea I have ever heard”.
Browny Douglas
The idea of nominating Senator Burr as a possible running mate for Trump is a nonstarter. The nation can’t deal with a RINO establishment politician as a vice-president attempting to neutralize Trump. Ryan and McConnell are proof enough that Trump needs a strong ally as vice-president, not any RINO.
Before Burr should even make “the short list” I want to see a notarized photo of him hitting Lindsay Graham in the face with a shovel.
Reagan and Bush may have savaged each other in 1980 but neither implied that the father helped assassinate JFK. If Trump picks Burr that’ll be 2 RINOs on the ticket.
Jeff Sessions would be the best choice, a fine conservative and someone who was for Trump early on. Many conservatives who are ambivalent about Trump could get excited about Sessions.
Burr and Corker are two RINO Senators who names have been mentioned for VP who would hurt Trump. Both are left of center. Corker was the architect of the McConnell sellout on Iran, which is absolutely shameful. Burr is constantly pushing government spying on the American people, which is always a concern, but even more so with the corrupt, power abusing Obama regime running things.
Burr or Corker would just push conservatives farther away.
The only silver lining I could see to Burr running for VP would be if that would require him to give up the Senate nomination. That actually might be worth it as long as Trump lived through his term.
If Trump picks Burr or Corker for VP I will not vote for the Republican ticket.
In the first year of a Trump presidency, there will be 100 Orlandos, not to mention an emboldened, aggressive domestic insurgency by Muslim Jihadis, La Rasa, and Black Lives Matter. China will continue raising hell on our sea lines of communication in the Pacific, and Putin will be grabbing pieces of Eastern Europe at will. Trump will need a VP with some real substance and an understanding of the threats that face us, and what is left of Western Civilization.
I offer up Gen Jack Keane, as the only viable VP to help Trump engage the lethal legacy of vulnerabilities left behind by Barack Hussein Obama and the Republican Congress.
Since the government is part of the problem I have to disagree with you. Trump may not be perfect but am sure he is aware of the MKUltra situations.