Of these four, who do you think is most likely to be Romney's running mate?

[Cory]

Portman or Jindal I think (voted Portman). I honestly don't get why Pawlenty is being mentioned at this point, what does he bring to the ticket? Never mind "Obamneycare", although I think that saying would come out either way.

I think Jindal can bring more to the ticket then most people seem to think. He's a popular young Southern Conservative Governor who actually is known for being very intelligent and brings some excitement to the ticket. I think he could rally the base (his ethnicity won't matter, it will only help I say). And also let's be honest, Jindal is a good "optic" for the GOP as well. Also, being on the ticket in 2012 could help him get more recognition going into 2016 (If Mitt losses). But we can't assume that, so maybe Jindal would stay off the ticket fearing that he might actually be stuck being Romney's Vice-President.

Side note: I think a problem for Romney could be that if he picks a minority or woman it will be seen as a gimmick to "compete" with Obama being black. Like McCain did in 2008.

I think Portman is the more traditional choice. He's a Midwestern Senator who appeals to conservatives and isn't to "flashy". He could bring balance to the ticket without being seen as some kind of "gimmick" (i.e, Palin 2008). He also has a working relationship with Romney personally, so they kind of "jive", if you will. If I had to bet I would say Portman is the pick.

As for Ryan, I don't know. I think after the 2012 election (especially if Romney wins) there could very well be a serious challenge to Boehner for Speaker. I think Eric Cantor and Paul Ryan are two possibilities. That being said if Romney wind Ryan may deliberately stay away from the position in anticipation of a tough midterm in 2014, if he plans to run for President in 2016.

I'm convinced that Rubio will not be on the ticket and was never seriously considered by the Romney folks. Same for Christie. I really wish the media would stop harping on them so much. At this point I'm sure the short list for Romney's VP is Rob Portman, Bobby Jindal, Kelly Ayotte, and Paul Ryan.