Not Larry Sabato says Gov. Bob McDonnell is “plotting on how to stop Gingrich” because Newt’s nomination for the presidency would shut the door on McDonnell’s veep prospects.
The blog says Gingrich “is a Virginian now. He has been for about 10 years. He lives in McLean, and is registered to vote there and has voted in every general election in Virginia since 2001.” The 12th Amendment forbids presidential electors from voting for a candidate from their own state for both president and vice president, Not Larry Sabato says, which would count McDonnell out.
If a GOP ticket beat President Obama beyond a 13 electoral vote spread, it would be moot; both candidates on the ticket would win. But if Gingrich-McDonnell received, say, 280 electoral votes on election night, to Obama-Biden’s 258, with 270 needed to win, Virginia’s electors would have to eschew either Gingrich or McDonnell. So McDonnell would get 267 votes for vice president, Joe Biden 258, Virginia’s 13 would vote for someone else, and the US Senate would pick the new veep.
It’s an interesting scenario, but rules, even constitutionally mandated ones, are made to be gotten around. Both George W. Bush and Dick Cheney were legal residents of Texas in 2000, but Cheney just had to re-register in Wyoming.
* Slate’s David Weigel says Virginia AG Ken Cuccinelli “was clearly the sharpest and most perceptive questioner” of GOP presidential candidates at a Fox News forum Saturday night. And on his ConservativeHQ blog, Richard Viguerie writes, “Judging by the comments posted on Twitter, Free Republic and other conservative bulletin boards and forums,” Cuccinelli won the forum. “Unfortunately, ‘Cooch’ is running for Governor of Virginia, not President.”
RedState’s Tim Griffin says “the difference is stark” between Cuccinelli and nomination rival Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling. “It is like having to decide between Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush.” Cuccinelli “is one of us.”
* WBAL reports state Sen. C. Anthony Muse is likely to challenge Sen. Ben Cardin in the April Maryland Senate primary. Muse said a “potential campaign has ‘very positive momentum’ based on months of traveling the state meeting with voters and potential supporters.” Muse, a Baltimore native who now represents Prince George’s County, “is a minister and was an outspoken critic this year of legislation that would legalize same sex marriage.”
* The Washington Informer says Maryland Fourth District Rep. Donna Edwards announced her candidacy for re-election this weekend. Prince George's County State's Attorney Glenn Ivey is challenging her for the Democratic nomination, and others are eyeing the race as well.
* While the GOP race in Maryland’s Sixth District is getting most of the early attention, there are several Democrats seeking Rep. Roscoe Bartlett’s seat as well. Maryland Juice has brief profiles of John Delaney, Rob Garagiola, Milad Pooran, and Duchy Trachtenberg.
* In her Washington Examiner column, Jonetta Rose Barras says the D.C. Council should demand that Ward 5 Councilmember Harry Thomas Jr., whose home was raided by the FBI and IRS last week, “resign immediately.”
