re: #279 Belafon

She’s more qualified than the person who will be her boss.

Pretty low bar to hurdle, there….

I’m guessing the Trump campaign is tossing Sen Ernst’s name out there for the same reasons it does most things: for the optics, based on the most simpleminded calculations of how they think the electorate will react (not the “base” for once, though, otherwise he’d be picking Ivanka, or Alex Jones). I think they imagine Ernst ticks enough boxes to be a viable candidate:

- A woman ( deflects charges of misogyny)
- A strident conservative (reassures the wingnuts)
- A sitting Senator. (respectable position -a nod to the “Establishment”)
- from Iowa ( appeals to the “heartland”)

IOW, a smarter model Sarah Palin: this time one who might be able to actually deliver a coherent speech. Still says nothing about her qualifications per se, but then again, this IS the Trump campaign …