7/18/00 4:15 p.m.
Veep-O-Rama!
Our favorite political observers speak out.

By NR's John J. Miller & Ramesh Ponnuru

e asked some of our favorite political observers to suggest a running mate for George W. Bush. Here's what they said:

Mike Farris, Home School Legal Defense Association: Gov. Frank Keating of Oklahoma. "He's a pro-life Catholic with a good public persona, a popular and a nice guy who would immediately have what it takes to run the country during a crisis."

Deal Hudson, publisher and editor of Crisis magazine: Frank Keating. "The candidate must be pro-life, and Keating is balanced and reasonable in his discussion of issues that will debated in the campaign."

Terry Jeffrey, editor of Human Events: Frank Keating. "He's a pro-life conservative with outstanding qualifications to be vice president of the United States."

Ed Kilgore, Democratic Leadership Council: Rep. J.C. Watts of Oklahoma. "With the Bush camp apparently obsessed with nailing down the Oklahoma electoral vote, he might as well pick the state's best Republican."

Steve Moore, Club for Growth: Sen. Dick Lugar of Indiana. "He has foreign-policy experience and he's been through a presidential campaign, at least briefly. There's no substitute for having done it. He's also a reliable conservative."

Lyn Nofziger, former Reagan aide: Gov. John Engler of Michigan. "If I were advising Bush, I'd tell him to go with Engler. Bush has to pick a pro-life running mate. A pro-choicer would cost him support and votes."

Grover Norquist, Americans for Tax Reform: Gov. Jim Gilmore of Virginia. "He's a party builder, and so few politicians are willing to spend political capital to build the party. He's good with the Reagan coalition on taxes, guns, and traditional values, and he's a civil libertarian at a time when too many Republicans want to be prosecutors."

Marshall Wittmann, conservative pundit: Senator Chuck Hagel of Nebraska. "If Bush can't get John McCain, then he should get the other independent, Vietnam war hero in the Senate."