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range of available options is fairly limited.
Robb could run - or be drafted - for the U. S. Senate seat now held by GOP Sen. John Warner. That seat will be up for election next year. The governor, however, has repeatedly disclaimed interest in the Senate race.
Also, the possibility of his being tapped for the vice-presidential nomination in 1984, provided the right candidate heads the ticket, cannot be ruled out.
Robb’s next “window of opportunity” will not come until 1988 when Sen. Paul Trible’s term will end. A challenge to Trible’s re-election bid is generally viewed as Robb’s most likely prospect for advancing his career. It should also be noted that this will be another presidential year and, if his political fortunes continue to prosper, a spot on the national ticket will again be a possibility.
But all this lies in the future.
In the meantime, the governor’s main concern is making certain that his political fortunes do, indeed, prosper in preparation for whatever opportunities may lie ahead.
The prime consideration here, of course, is winning high marks for his performance as governor.
A close second, however, will be the quality and effectiveness of his political leadership in next year’s presidential election. If Robb can carry the state for a winning Democratic nominee - and, as a bonus, find a candidate to unhorse Warner - his stock on the national stage will soar.
If, on the other hand, the Democrats nominate a candidate who is too liberal for Old Dominion tastes - and most of the present stable of Democratic hopefuls appears to be too liberal - Robb would be trapped in a “Catch 22” situation. If, say, Walter Mondale, Alan Cranston or Gary Hart should win the nomination, any showing of enthusiastic support by Robb could wreck his political future in Virginia. Yet anything less than enthusiastic support would land him in the national Democratic party’s doghouse.
Those presently in the running who would appear to be more attuned to Virginia’s way of thinking are former Gov. Reubin Askew of Florida, Sen. Ernest F. Hollings of South Carolina and Glenn. Robb could support any of these without acquiring unwanted political baggage.
But Robb needs more than a mere political soulmate to support next year. He needs a candidate for whom he can lead Virginia Democrats in carrying the state in the face of an expected re-election bid by President Reagan. Such a demonstration of leadership is seen as an important element of whatever the governor’s future plans may be, whether they lie at the state or national level.
And since it is an important element, it is unthinkable that Robb will remain aloof from the nomination process for any extended period.
Thus, whatever the qualities of the other candidates may be, the betting here is that Robb’s choice will be Glenn. Thereafter, the governor will no doubt have a highly visible role in the national drive to secure the nomination for the Ohio senator.
Many of Robb’s supporters are convinced that his political future will be profoundly affected by the tactical decisions he makes during the months immediately ahead.
And some are convinced that these decisions could possibly—just possibly—land him a spot on the presidential ticket next year as Glenn’s running mate, if the former astronaut wins the nomination.
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