A passage from a Politico story on Donald Trump's struggle to find a competent running mate stuck out.
Trump has also courted a number of Southern governors, including Nathan Deal of Georgia, Asa Hutchinson of Arkansas, Bill Haslam of Tennessee and Phil Bryant of Mississippi. Should any of them be added to the ticket, though, they would do little to broaden Trump's appeal beyond his base. None has been tested on the national stage.
Deal, a two-term governor who cannot run for another four-year stint, met with Trump last week during his visit to Atlanta. But little more should be taken from the meeting.
Deal, 73, has long said he would retire from politics and return to north Georgia when his term ends in January 2019. He disdains Washington. He has only recently cozied up to Trump - he voted for Jeb Bush in Georgia's primary - and still seems uncomfortable with his party's nominee. He's even been noncommittal about attending the party's convention in Cleveland next month.
And he's not exactly the most popular figure in his own party right now.
So while some float the names of two other potential VP picks with deep Georgia roots - Sen. David Perdue and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich - Deal seems an odd fit.
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