Depriving at least one liberal blogger of the chance to write "Boss Hogg" posts for the next year and a half, Haley Barbour has announced he won't run for president.
Objectively, it's sensible. It's a long-shot race, he doesn't have the health for it, and he would do much better to run virtually unopposed for Thad Cochran's Senate seat in 2014, assuming Cochran doesn't step down sooner and give Barbour's (presumably GOP) successor the chance to appoint Barbour.
Monday, April 25, 2011
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I don't think Barbour is likely to want to enter the Senate in his mid-60s.
ReplyDeleteHe wouldn't have time to amass the seniority that's usually required to be a floor leader, or to chair an important committee. Even if he somehow did contrive to land one of those jobs, legislative power is considerably less lustrous than the executive kind.
But I could easily see Haley getting the GOP vice-presidential nod, particularly if Cheney and Biden (men valued more for their loyalty than their public-relations appeal) are the new models for the bottom of the ticket.
I think if he wanted the Senate, it'd be more for prestige than power. He certainly didn't become governor for the power of it.
ReplyDeleteAgreed he might imagine a veep slot, but regionally he brings little to it.