Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell, since his election to office in 2009, has been talked about as a rising player in the Republican party — though he has repeatedly batted away talk of national plans in 2012.
But if someone came to him and asked him, for the good of the country, to join a presidential ticket, wouldn’t that be a difficult thing to say no to?
“Probably,” McDonnell, the vice chairman of the Republican Governors Association, said in an interview with NBC12 in Richmond.
McDonnell, though, went on to say that he is “solely focused” on being governor, and that he was concerned about having a good nominee to take on President Obama in 2012.
“If we have a good candidate in 2012, then I’m going to feel a lot better about the future of the country,” he said.
Still, McDonnell has consistently been on the forefront of national issues, supporting Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli’s lawsuit over health care, as well as Cuccinelli’s petition for the case to go directly to the Supreme Court, for example. McDonnell also recorded a video message supporting Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker in his current battle with public employee unions.
And, notably, McDonnell did have dinner in Richmond recently with former Minnesota governor and possible presidential contender Tim Pawlenty.
But McDonnell says he’s focused on governing. And regardless, in the age of the perpetual campaign (just look at the Virginia Senate race), at least McDonnell will have ample time to make any kind of decision on a veep slot — if he’s asked, of course.
