Jessica DeLoach Sabin: Has Tom Cotton Vaulted To The Top Of The VP Watch List?

Last week, Senator Tom Cotton made himself a household name by deviating from “Senatorial” norms and circumventing the president’s authority by sending a letter to the Iranian government for the purposes of educating their leadership about our Constitution.

In return, the Iranian Foreign Minister Dr. Javid Zarif dismissed the letter as having “no legal value” and as “mostly a propaganda ploy.”

Zarif noted that perhaps it was actually the authors who may not fully understand international law and was quick to remind them that a change in administration would not relieve the next administration of any international obligations undertaken by their predecessor.

This response did little to phase Cotton, who even went so far as to maintain his belief that the Iranian government was severely lacking in its understanding of our rules, and stated that he regretted nothing when pressed over his efforts by Bob Schieffer during an interview on last Sunday’s Face the Nation.

And why would he regret this move?

His actions have garnered a response from the President, Vice President and Secretary of State as well as scored him countless headlines throughout the nation.

So, scrutiny and our embarrassment aside, could this move have been an attempt for the young politico to fast track his way to the short list of vice presidential contenders for 2016?

Given his astounding political ascension over the past couple of years, I wouldn’t rule it out.

Also, it is my belief that a compelling pairing exists.

In December 2014, Nate Silver wrote an article titled “Is Jeb Bush Too Liberal To Win The Republican Nomination in 2016?”

Within the article, he constructed a “conservatism ranking” which measured potential GOP candidates by their congressional voting records, fundraising and public statements on issues. What he discovered was that Jeb Bush fell almost exactly in line with the last two GOP nominees for the presidency.

So, if conservative America ends up bestowing Bush with the GOP nomination, the next order of business will be to look for a vice presidential candidate who can be aggressive where he cannot, bring a level of expertise to an area that he cannot and who will strongly appeal to voters based on what the greatest concern of voters is to be through the duration of the campaign.

Given that our young junior senator has no issue with taking a hardlined stance on various issues (as that’s what got him elected to office in the first place), his affinity for strong rhetoric and an all-or-nothing mentality when it comes to party ideology, he could add significant dimension to a Bush candidacy.

Throw in national security as the top issue among voters, and we may very well be looking at yet another national contender from the great state of Arkansas.