WASHINGTON - As Donald Trump cruises towards the Republican National Convention, the talk is drifting quickly toward his possible vice-presidential candidate.
"In this cycle, I do think the VP pick is going to matter more than it has in the past," says former Trump White House Official Hogan Gidley.
That's because it could determine the future of the party. If Donald Trump wins, he can only serve one term. Meanwhile, Joe Biden's advanced age could lead to a President Kamala Harris if he has to step down in a second term. That means an upcoming VP debate could signify a real glimpse into the future.
"So what you're going to see is not just necessarily a vice presidential debate, but kind of a presidential 2.0 debate if you will," Gidley tells CBN News. "Where is the party going to go from our side and from their side and the differences could not be more stark."
There are six people considered to be on Trump's shortlist for VP: Representative Elise Stefanik; Governors Kristi Noem and Sarah Huckabee Sanders; Senators Tim Scott and J.D. Vance; and Dr. Ben Carson.
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"I think what President Trump wants is a no-drama candidate who is articulate and can advocate for his points of view, not try to one-up him or be a show-off," says GOP Political Strategist Dave Carney. "Just someone who can do the grinding that the vice president needs to do."
The candidate will also have to be one who Trump's MAGA faithful will see as loyal. They vilified former Vice President Mike Pence when he certified the disputed 2020 election.
This week, VP hopeful Senator Tim Scott wouldn't say what he would have done in that situation. "You're asking a hypothetical question that you know can never happen again," Scott told CNN.
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Meanwhile, VP hopeful Senator J.D. Vance of Ohio struck a completely different tune weeks ago. "If I had been vice president, I would have told the states like Pennsylvania, Georgia, and so many others, that we needed to have multiple slates of electors and I think the U.S. Congress should have fought over it from there."
Another big factor would entail finding a candidate able to reach female voters in the suburbs. That's where Democrats are hoping to have a big advantage, especially on the issue of abortion. GOP officials acknowledge they haven't done an effective job of getting their pro-life message across. A Trump VP pick will likely get that job.
"You've got to be comfortable talking about that issue," Dave Carney says. "You don't want to be skittish of it because being on the offense on this issue, we win."
While a strong voice on that crucial issue would seem to be important with Trump, it's hard to predict which direction he'll go. However, one overarching point is crucial. "It does matter if you make the wrong choice," says Carney. "You really want to make a good choice. There's not a perfect choice. You don't want to make a bad choice."
In a GOP election season that seems like a runaway at this point, we could get that VP choice sooner rather than later.
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