Extreme Veepstakes: The Case For Chris Cox
March 26, 2008 at 2:11 pm
Welcome to our new regular feature — Extreme Veepstakes. We are asking great and famous Americans to make the case for potential running-mates, both parties. We begin today with Quin Hillyer, an Associate Editor at the Washington Examiner and Senior Editor for the American Spectator. Quin is a longtime conservative movement veteran who has written a four-part series about how John McCain should decide on his choice of a running mate. This is how Quin summarizes his conclusions:
For a running mate, John McCain needs a Reaganite (to excite the conservatives who actually do the work in presidential campaigns) and somebody who could be ready, at a moment’s notice, to become president in an emergency. He also wants somebody to make a couple of states more competitive. In short, he needs Chris Cox, chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission, 16-year veteran of Congress from California, first chairman of the original Homeland Security Committee, chairman of the committee that exposed Chinese espionage, author of the Internet Tax Freedom Act, and former high-ranking legal aide in the Reagan White House.
Cox is brilliant, telegenic, extremely articulate, and deeply knowledgeable about so many issues that National Review’s Jay Nordlinger once called him “omnicompetent.” He can help McCain in California, thusly: McCain already does better in that state than most Republicans; he will do better among the already-GOP-leaning military there than most do; he will do better among Hispanics than most GOPers because of his position on immigration (yuck); and he has Gov. Terminator to help him with the moderates and independents; but what he lacks is somebody who can motivate California conservatives. Cox does that, and also helps in Silicon Valley, because he is a hero to the tech community. Finally, Cox helps in Minnesota, at least to some extent, because he grew up there and (I am told) he is still considered a hometown boy made good. What better way to make the GOP National Convention in Minnesota a smashing success with Minnesota (swing-state) voters than to crown a hometown boy as Veep?!? (For more, read here and here.)
Kent Dorfman said,
March 26, 2008 @ 4:10 pm
He’s also Catholic.
Nor Cal Dude said,
March 26, 2008 @ 5:01 pm
If one thinks that if Chris Cox is selected as John McCain’s running mate that it will suddenly make a traditionally blue state like California competitive, then they have clearly missed out on a two word drama that polarized Orange County and the rest of Southern California for 10 plus years - El Toro! As a congressman, Chris Cox singlehandedly did more to negate aviation reuse at El Toro than any other human being on the planet!Of course Cox will have the gratitude of a mere 13 of 34 (South) Orange County cities that voted to scuttle El Toro Airport in 2002, even though their “Great Park” today is nothing more than a grounded balloon and lots of pretty brochures. But outside 949 area code, Cox will find far less support and even a lot of resentment. For example, residents near outlying airports such as LAX, John Wayne, Burbank, and Long Beach are not exactly enamored to be burdened with expansion in order to offset the loss of El Toro.
Even within his hometown of Newport Beach, Cox cannot be incredibly popular for abandoning his very powerful congressional post (at number 5 in the nation no less) within a mere 20 days after Lennar assumed title to El Toro in 2005. Especially, when the long term future of John Wayne is unresolved.
Then there are thousands of pilots around California and elsewhere who cannot possibly take great joy in seeing El Toro set the record for being the largest military airfield ever to completely go to waste. We are talking 39,000 feet worth of runways! No other defunct facility in the nation is even close!
Even when it comes to non-aviation uses of El Toro Chris Cox has not exactly scored many brownie points. In 2003 some veterans approached him to use his immense congressional power to set aside the commissary and some sorely needed military housing for reuse.
Instead Cox who has never served, sided with developers who had far more lucrative ideas for the base. As a result, Camp Pendleton Marines continue to languish on a long waiting list for housing, and veterans must make further drives at $4 a gallon for shopping privileges that they earned.
Just imagine if word got out about Cox and El Toro to a military community like Pensacola, which just so happens to be located in the critical swing state of Florida. As one can see, Cox’s presence on the ballot, with will not only make McCain’s long odds in California even longer, it would also put some other states (with large military populations) into play for his Democrat opponent. Cox is an anchor that a former Navy officer like McCain should not set sail with, lest he sink his candidacy for President. Therefore, it would behoove John McCain to find another running mate without so much baggage.
Hidden Message said,
September 18, 2008 @ 2:55 pm
Not gonna happen. Wouldn’t be prudent. At this juncture.