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I had the honor of being able to vote for him during his first run for Congress. One of his platforms was term limits, you know, when everyone in America was sick of their government. He promised that he would only serve for three terms, and after three terms, he didn't run again! I'm quite sure that was quite the boon to his candidacy for Governor, but I no longer lived in SC at that time.

Of all the SC politicians that I've met, I wish I could have met him more than the rest of them. Maybe one day....

Long ago, before his name even came up, I thought that he would make an excellent VP pick. I'm glad he's being "seriously" considered.

I personally think Mark Sanford would be the perfect choice as John McCain's VP. Sanford is a "full spectrum" conservative who does have a maverick streak; in Sanford's case, that maverick streak is fighting Republicans in his own state legislature over spending. I give him extra, extra kudos for that.

The one possible problem that I can think of against Sanford is the issue of the Confederate flag in South Carolina. Unfortunately, a lot of cycles in this elections would be taken up about that. I had not thought of that as a problem but previously, when I mentioned Sanford as a possible VP pick for McCain, someone else here at RedState brought it up.

However, I am an African-American South Carolinian who hates the Confederate flag and all that it stands for and I have no problem with Mark Sanford. Yet even I really don't see that as a problem for Sanford.

Again, Mark Sanford is my first choice!

I am a South Carolinian and a Sanford supporter. He is a good man who doesn't mind rubbing some people the wrong way. He is a true conservative.
That said, I don't think that he has a chance of being picked as a VP nominee, as McCain will carry S.C. with no problem.

He's a likable guy who mixes Newt Gingrich (policy wonk) and Dick Cheney (partisan). That's a pretty good mix for a VP choice and it should please all parts of the Party. It plays up McCain's strength (reformer, anti-pork) while making other wings feel they get a spot of the table (immigration hawks, socons).

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She may be the Veep and she has openly admitted she is interested

As as fiscal conservative he is ok. But on social issues he is more left of center. As Governor he has accomplished almost nothing. The state has 3rd in job loss in the country and 47th in job creation while he has been Governor. And worst of all...he doesn't play well with others! Very few if any of the Republican leaders in the state will back him. I am from his state...I know.

of Mark Sanford in general. In particular, I thought his editorial in regards to Obama and the history of race in SC was appropriate.

However, I think that there are two reasons why I would prefer someone else:

1) There are only eight weeks from the convention to election day. He would spend half of that time explaining the confederate flag and SC. He would also have to take some time out to explain why he couldn't vote for his own re-election - not a big issue, but not the distraction that you would want in such a short cycle.

2) In order to win this cycle, we will need to keep working class men, and/or suburban women who voted for Bush in '00 and '04, but who now are focused on the economy, and considering "change". To be honest, these are the folks who should be died in the wool Republicans (our pro family, pro school choice, lower tax, message), but we have trouble relating to them. Due to the disparity of party registration, and the enthusiasm of the Dems, we can not win in this cycle without making serious inroads here. I honestly feel we need a nominee that can say "I am a working mother from a blue collar family, and I know what you are going through. I know what it is like to pass up a vacation, or to budget for family meals. I know what the difference a tax cut vs. a tax hike can make." In this cycle, that person is Sarah Palin (and do not try Blackburn - she is one of the most affluent mambers of the house, from one of the most affluent districts in her state.)

I'm also from South Carolina and consider our state fortunate to have a guy like Mark Sanford as our governor. He is the taxpayer's hero and a true conservative leader.

While our Republican-dominated state Legislature has completely abandoned any pretense of fiscal conservatism, Mark Sanford has almost singularly shined the light of day on the Legislature's recalcitrance and, in my view, outright corruption. Governor Sanford is despised by Democrat and Republican legislators alike in our state - many of whom freely expressed open contempt for him and his ideas after his most recent State of the state speech.

Governor Sanford's annual vetoes of pork-laden, fiscally irresponsible budgets have been routinely overridden - almost unanimously by the Legislature. The fact that he is not popular with our state Legislature is a very good thing. He is, however, very popular with the people of South Carolina who re-elected him with 55% of the vote during the 2006 election cycle that was otherwise a disaster for Republicans on a national basis.

While I think that putting Mark Sanford on the ticket would help McCain win back the conservative base, I do wonder whether Mark is ready for prime-time. He is a very good man but may be a little too folksy for some.

I don't know how Sanford would do campaigning to be the POTUS (in 2012 or 2016), and I don't even know if he would want it. Note that this is different from saying that I don't think he could do it. I'm sure he's qualified and talented enough.

I personally believe that McCain won't have a second term, so it's up to him to give us a VP that can carry the torch. Thanks to W, we don't have a current VP that can do that.

Do any of y'all think Sanford would fit the bill? Could you really say "President Mark Sanford?"

McCain is way up in Florida (Obama has no chance there with pushing for kissing Castro butt and being violenty anti Israel) or I'd be for considering Crist. I think Pawlenty could be good an bring in his state and another state or 2 in that area. How about someone from Ohio which could be close?

"Government is too big and spends too much." Ronald Reagan