After a week of intense political blogging, I need a little break. No, not from political blogging - just from the more combative elements of it. Ever so often, I like to engage in the relative rest and relaxation of pure speculation on the choice of a potential running mate for Fred Thompson. Yes, I'm fully aware that we have to nominate him first. But we Fredheads surely got Fred drafted into the race, didn't we? And, as the only mainstream conservative among the top five candidates for the GOP nod, I have not the slightest doubt that Sen. Thompson's message, based as it is on the same first principles that guided Ronald Reagan, will see him in the limelight on the Republican Party's big stage in Minnesota come September 4, 2008. I'm as sure of it now as I was last March that he would answer in the affirmative to our call of "Run, Fred, Run."

In a recent post on this subject, I discussed the benefits that the Thompson candidacy might accrue, especially among women voters, if Gov. Sarah Palin (R-AK) were to be chosen early on to run with Fred Thompson. Since then, I've heard from some Alaska residents who are opposed to the speculative proposal. Not that most are down on Palin - just the opposite. I've received negative feedback on Gov. Palin from only one person. It's simply because Palin has only been in the governor's mansion a relatively short time, and she does have some rather important unfinished business. Some Alaskans, it seems, don't want their governor taken away from them just yet. But that will do liittle to deter those who are actvely promoting her as a potential vice presidential nominee in 2008. I'm not convinced that Alaska needs her more than the rest of the nation, the Republican Party and Fred Thompson do. Here at the onset of this discussion, I suspect that Gov. Palin might just be the ideal candidate. However, just for the sake of argument, let's explore some other possibilities and see if we can find a better potential VP candidate. That shouldn't be too difficult, should it?

I've been asked, why not Duncan Hunter? The California Congressman just doesn't bring that much to a Thompson ticket, IMO. Little known outside of his San Diego area district, Hunter can't deliver his home state. His views on trade haven't exactly warmed the hearts of large Republican donors, who tend to be free traders. And Thompson, who is doing fine with small donors, needs more big money contributors to be competitive with the Democrats in the general election. Also, it is the exception rather than the rule in the modern era for a GOP nominee to choose one of his former rivals from the primaries to be his running mate. Finally, any potential Number Two on a Thompson ticket must be a governor or former governor.

Although Fred Thompson has proven leadership abilities, there is a percieved lack of "required" executive experience on Fred's part because he served in the Senate. That he served as counsel to a governor (Lamar Alexander) and some powerful Senate committees (Watergate, Intelligence and Foreign Relations), chaired a key committee as a Senator (Governmental Affairs), sat on some important commissions (nominating Tennessee judges and reviewing US-China economic and security matters) and chaired a State Department board (to advise Secretary Rice), this won't be enough for the executive experience hawks. Never mind that neither Abraham Lincoln nor Harry S. Truman had any executive experience to speak of, and they both rose to the occasion when some decisions critical to the nation's future had to be made. Never mind that Jimmy Carter, arguably the country's worst president ever, had lots of executive experience as Georgia's governor, and it didn't help him much. Thompson will have to name a governor just to mute the roar from the executive experience harpies.

So which Republican governor, other than Palin, would be a good fit for Fred Thompson as a running mate? Georgia's Sonny Perdue is resonably conservative and strong on immigration, but, since the Peach State is already Thompson country, he doesn't bring a geographical balance to a Thompson ticket. The same problem exists for other Southern governors. Although the tag team of Clinton and Gore won twice despite being from neighboring Southern states, I don't think that will work in 2008 - certainly not for Republicans. The drive-bys' double standard, doncha know. So a better choice would be a governor of a state above the Mason Dixon line, a blue or purple one, if possible - one which might reasonably be expected to be turned. There are three Republican governors in the Northeast (CT, VT and RI) but none are strong enough to paint their blue states red, and they aren't the most conservative of governors, either. So that leads us to look at Midwestern state chief executives.

John Hoeven (R-ND) supports S-CHIP and the 63% increase in funding to implement it, so he's out. Minnesota's Tim Pawlenty is one of John McCain's biggest supporters, and he's acquired a record as a flip-flopper. Dave Heineman of Nebraska has been in office only a year, so it may be too early to tap him for a vice presidential run. Mitch Daniels (R-IN) has been in office less than two years, and he upset Indiana conservatives by proposing a temporary tax increase on people earning more than $100,000 per year (Indiana's legislature voted it down). Next!

Former Colorado governor Bill Owens is an advisor to Mitt Romney's campaign. Let's move along... Governor Mike Rounds of South Dakota has endorsed Mike Huckabee. My own state of Missouri has boy-wonder governor Matt Blunt, but he's drawn the ire of Show-Me State conservatives for his choice of Missouri Court of Appeals Judge Patricia Breckenridge for appointment to the State Supreme Court. Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council, Paul Weyrich from the Free Congress Foundation and Kay Daly of the Coalition for a Fair Judiciary issued a joint memorandum which concludes, "Judge Breckenridge will inevitably become Gov. Blunt's version of David Souter." Moving right along...

So now we're forced to look outside the Midwest. Little-known Felix Camacho of Guam has an earmark problem. We ruled out Linda Lingle of Hawaii last time as too liberal. On to the West. Arnold... ouch, I had to bite my tongue! Besides, he's not eligible. Jon Huntsman (R-UT) is a McCain backer. Nevada's Jim Gibbons and Idaho's Butch Otter have both been in office for only a year.

We're all out of Republican governors, folks. If we have to consider a governor who is a relative short-termer, we already had the best choice before we began this second exercise in vice presidential speculation. Bottom line: the women's vote has more potential to turn blue or purple states to a Thompson candidacy in the general election than any choice of a governor from a single such state. I cannot stress how important the votes of women will be to the election of 2008. It will make or break Fred Thompson's bid for the Oval Office.

You know, I just relaized something. I have convinced myself. While I was leaning toward Palin at the start of this exercise, here at the conclusion it's a lock. Sorry, Alaska, but Fred Thompson, the Republican Party and the United States of America need her more than you do. Sarah Palin for vice-president! For what it's worth, consider this an unqualified endorsement.

- Josh Painter