Heath Haussamen
Unlike Sarah Palin, Martinez is smart enough to realize she’s not ready, so she’s focused on governing New Mexico – and she’s still growing into that job
The media, pundits, and some GOP strategists like to label N.M. Gov. Susana Martinez as a potential 2012 vice presidential candidate. But I’m confident that Martinez isn’t angling for the job and won’t be on the Republican ticket next year.
Put simply, Martinez isn’t ready to be vice president (or, by extension, president). And, unlike Sarah Palin, Martinez is smart enough to realize she’s not ready. So she’s focused on governing New Mexico – and she’s still growing into that job.
I don’t expect politicos to stop talking about what Martinez could bring to the GOP ticket next year. A Hispanic woman to compliment a white man on the ticket? For the party that often gets accused of not looking out for women and minorities, she’s a dream come true.
Martinez is strong on crime and one of the tea party’s favorite issues, border security, which makes her even more appealing. She’s a popular GOP governor in an important swing state, which is rare these days.
Martinez isn’t wealthy and has spent most of her life in a corner of America that is often ignored by the political class. That adds to the ways in which she could compliment a wealthy, privileged candidate like Mitt Romney or Rick Perry.
All that has led Business Insider to say Martinez is “on the Republican veep shortlist.” Politico says she’s “among many notable VP possibilities.” A blogger for The Hill calls her “a strong, potential candidate for vice president in 2012.”
But Martinez has given no indications that she wants to be on the 2012 ticket. She hasn’t been actively pursuing the job. If she was, she’d be participating in events in swing states, giving major policy speeches, penning op-eds on federal issues, and working to insert herself into the media’s coverage of national issues all the time.
In New Mexico, we know what that looks like, because it’s what Bill Richardson did while he was governor. And it’s something Martinez isn’t doing.
Martinez still has a lot to learn
As a journalist in Las Cruces, I’ve watched Martinez’s career for more than a dozen years, since early in her tenure as Doña Ana County’s district attorney. She was passionate about that job and poured herself into it. She also had her eyes on the Roundhouse, but she was patient.
I watched others recruit her to run for attorney general and Congress, and saw her reject pressure to seek those jobs. She told me in 2006 that she might run for governor in 2010. I believe she was planning her gubernatorial run even then.
When the time was right, Martinez stormed the Roundhouse, winning the primary and general elections as an underdog.
Martinez did that despite weakness in two critical policy areas – the economy and education. She had a lot to learn about those issues while campaigning, and she has spent the last eight months as governor improving her understanding of those issues.
She’s more prepared for the special session that started yesterday than she was for the regular session in January. She’s growing into the job.
But Martinez still has a lot to learn before she could be considered ready for the White House. I expect her to finish her current term as governor, which runs through 2014.
Maybe in 2016 or 2020
In high school in El Paso, Martinez reportedly aspired to become the president of the United States. I don’t know if she still wants the job, but it wouldn’t surprise me if she does. As Martinez becomes more comfortable being New Mexico’s chief executive, gets recruited to think bigger, and has her ego stroked by the Washington political and media machines, perhaps she’ll start planning, just like she did years before she ran for governor.
Maybe Martinez will run for president in 2016. Maybe in 2020. If she does, expect her to have a better chance at her party’s nomination than did New Mexico’s two previous governors – Richardson in 2008 and Gary Johnson this year.
Martinez has keen political instincts. She knows what she wants and how to prepare for it. She’s smart enough to know when the time is right – and when it’s not.
Keep an eye on Martinez’s national potential. But don’t expect her to make a move until she’s ready, no matter what pressure she gets from Washington.
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