Which VP pick will Trump go all-in on?

The sweep by Donald Trump of the seven Republican primaries before Sen. Ted Cruz’s (Texas) and Ohio Gov. John Kasich’s campaign suspensions, and the two held after that, portends a Trump nomination in Cleveland. The next big question is: What Republican — and that in itself may be an assumption, based upon former presidential candidate and now-Trump adviser Ben Carson’s recent comments — will want to put his or her chips on the table to see if Trump picks them up? (A side note: Were the campaign suspensions evidence of lingering hope?)

{mosads}There has been a series of articles speculating on who is on Trump’s list for vice president. I’m comfortable hypothesizing who is not on the list: former presidential candidate and subsequent Cruz running mate Carly Fiorina, Cruz himself (“Lyin’ Ted”), Kasich and Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.). (I suspect that if he didn’t want to be president this go around, he’s even less likely to want a second turn in the barrel as a vice presidential candidate).

Then there are those who are not out of the running but are unlikely options. One that comes to mind is New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R). Trump-Christie would not only be a truly pugnacious combination, but would also put two metropolitan New Yorkers together and, given Christie’s unfavorable status in New Jersey, that’s likely not a good selection. Another possibility is former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani (R), but again, his time has passed and he is also a metropolitan New Yorker. Then there’s the manufacturer of the “Make America Great Again” hats — who is it that makes those? Maybe anonymity is better.

What about an entertainer? There are a number who have solid conservative credentials. Clint Eastwood has held elected office, but he may be a bit long in the tooth at this point. Jon Voight frequently plays villains, and that might fit. Mel Gibson might present the optimum image: a conservative with strong patriotic movie credentials. There is some history of actors having run for high office in the United States with significant success and, many would say, a high level of achievement.

Now let’s turn to some strategic potential choices with a focus on geography. We have Rick Scott (R), the Florida governor and fellow businessman; Sen. Tim Scott (R) — do you know what state he represents? (it’s South Carolina); Jim Webb, former secretary of the Navy under Reagan and Democratic senator from Virginia, which would be an interesting choice as he also briefly ran for president last year, albeit as a Democrat; former campaign rival Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Hispanic and a Southerner; South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley (R), an Indian-American who says she’s not interested; fellow wall-builder Gov. Scott Walker (R) of Wisconsin; Rep. Martha McSally (R), a former Air Force pilot who currently represents Arizona’s 2nd Congressional District; and my perennial favorite, former Alaska Gov. and 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin.

Now, some of these choices may be made more difficult as they may not want to be dealt in. Clearly, Trump’s speech on national defense seemed a tad confusing as he stated that he supports a strong military but doesn’t believe we should use it very often. I am not sure how McSally and Webb would view that as a strategy. And how will Palin or McSally respond to Trump’s position on women, particularly when he has said that Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton wouldn’t even “get 5 percent of the vote” if she weren’t a woman? If that held true for these potential candidates, then that wouldn’t help much with Electoral College math.

Now onto athletes and coaches, many of whom have announced their support for Trump, including Bobby Knight, Hulk Hogan, Dennis Rodman and Mike Tyson. Unfortunately, I am not sure I see a serious potential candidate who would bring significant votes to Trump without significant controversy — chair throwing, visits to North Korea, and ear biting, for example.

Given Trump’s interest in gambling, maybe his best approach would be to put faces on a deck of cards and draw. That might be as coherent a plan as he can spin.

Owens, a former member of Congress representing New York’s 21st District, is a partner in the firm of Stafford, Owens, Piller, Murnane, Kelleher & Trombley, PLLC, in Plattsburgh, N.Y.