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Will Donald Trump Pick Rick Scott To Be His Running Mate?

By Toni Matthews
Published on: 00:25 PST, Feb 25, 2016

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The Washington Post has begun to speculate about Donald Trump’s possible choice for vice president.

Word on the street is that Marco Rubio and Donald Trump haven’t been nearly as mean to each other as they have been to Ted Cruz because of a supposed “backroom deal” that would make Rubio Trump’s go-to choice for vice president.

However, Washington Post writer Chris Cillizza isn’t convinced of the truth of this rumor or that Rubio would be Trump’s first choice for running mate. Chris threw out the name of Sarah Palin as a potential choice for vice president. He admits it would be risky on the part of Trump. A less polarizing option would probably be businesswoman Carly Fiorina, who’s already dropped out of contention for the White House.

One name brought up by Cillizza stood out among his selections as what some consider being the most probable aside From Marco Rubio: Rick Scott, the Republican governor of Florida.

Cillizza writes, “Scott, like Trump, has his roots in the private sector — making millions as a health-care executive before he ran for office in 2010. And Scott got into the governor’s mansion by beating the Florida Republican establishment at its own game — sort of like Trump has done in this race.”

Such a possibility is hugely significant. First, it would make Rick Scott the state-level version of what Donald Trump aspires to be, minus the celebrity. It would also give Trump an inside track to working with an outsider businessman who has the experience of beating the Republican establishment and winning an election.

Also significant? Scott has had nice things to say about Trump in the past.

On Donald’s message, Rick commented, “I think [Trump] is capturing the frustration of many Americans after seven years of President Obama’s very intentional government takeover of the U.S. economy.”

If there’s anything Trump likes as much as himself, it’s people who’ve said good things about him. Such an endorsement could put Rick Scott in an ideal position for a vice president pick. Rick Scott’s kind words for the current GOP front-runner are highly significant, as he’s avoided giving any such endorsement to former Florida governor Jeb Bush or current Florida Senator Marco Rubio.

With Florida’s primary set for March 15, there are those who are looking for him to make an eventual endorsement. Scott instead shared that he wasn’t sure if one would be coming.

As for the vice presidency, some are wondering if Rick has already communicated with Donald about the position. According to USA Today affiliate Tallahassee Democrat, if Rick has heard things, he’s not telling. The Florida governor reportedly shrugged off questions asking about the possibility of being a vice president pick.

“I’m focused on this job,” said Scott. “I’ve got three more years in this job. “I’ve been very clear the things that are important to me, the things that we’ve done here.”

He would only say about the presidency that Americans need a president with “a very specific plan on how we’re going to get jobs going” and “somebody who’s going to be absolutely focused on destroying ISIS.” While these are very specific demands, it’s worth noting that this comment does not single out any specific Republican presidential candidate as most likely to meet these needs.

It’s also important to note that Rick Scott is into year two of a four-year term. It’s possible that the timing is such that he may feel it’s in bad taste to leave his post as Florida governor at this time, even if Trump did ask him to claim the running mate position.

Aside from dodging the VP question, Scott also avoided commenting on Donald Trump’s winning streak and if he felt any other GOP rivals could beat him.

Scott observed, “[Trump] keeps winning in every race.” That’s about as far as he took his involvement, saying that he “wasn’t involved in presidential politics,” and that it’s “fun to watch.”

Super Tuesday is almost upon us, and Patch wonders if Donald Trump were to have a sweep on that day if it would bring us his choice of vice president that much sooner.

That choice could be Rick Scott, Marco Rubio, or even Sarah Palin. As the Washington Post wrote, the choice of vice president is “an intensely personal decision that is extremely tightly held.”

“[The choice of vice president is] one of the last big secrets in the modern era of politics.”

It’s likely that Donald Trump already has a vice presidential candidate in mind and has had one in mind for some time. Forget naming names: It may be best to name qualities. The choice of vice president is going to be someone who eagerly agrees with whatever Trump says because “Trump is always right.”

Trump is a man who can’t stand to be challenged, so it’s doubtful he’d go for someone who’s ever disagreed with him or viciously attacked him in the past. Trump likes drama and headlines, so it’s going to be someone controversial or unexpected. Above all, this is going to be someone that’s will help solidify his support on the right, which means it may be an “establishment GOP member.”

With the media already speculating about Rick Scott and others as a vice presidential pick, that is certainly not a good sign for the few Republican candidates left in the race. Do you think talk of a Donald Trump vice presidential pick is premature or inevitable? Share your thoughts below!

[Photo by Steve Cannon/AP]

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