The better Romney VP?

[Cobbler]

I feel like these three (Christie, McDonnell, Rubio) are the top contenders talked about for being the VP nominee, and I added Santorum because he is the anti-Romney. Which one would be the best choice for Romney to make and why?

[LINCOLN REPUBLICAN]

Dose anyone really think that Mitt and Rick can kiss and make up?

[J. J.]

Rubio.

[Keystone Phil]

While it would be great to have a redeeming quality to the GOP ticket, it would be a shame to see one of these fine individuals have to go down on a sinking ship.

[Senator Kalwejt]

Dose anyone really think that Mitt and Rick can kiss and make up?

Have a nice voting for Obama in November, Winfield.

[Frodo]

Despite the recent ruckus over vaginal ultrasound, I still think Romney would be best served by including McDonnell on his ticket.  He's going to need Virginia, and McDonnell is still popular here.  

[RogueBeaver]

Other: Bobby Jindal. Bob McDonnell a very close second though.

[cavalcade]

I'm coming around to McDonnell despite him not being evangelical.  VA is just looking too important and Romney is just looking too weak there.  So of the four, him.

[OC]

Bubba McDonnell

[King]

McDonnell is the only one who will say yes.  McDonnell is the only one who needs the VP slot to stay relevant for 2016.

[Big Wiggly Style]

Of the listed, Rubio. He won't accept, of course.

Of anyone, Susana Martinez.

[King]

Of anyone, Susana Martinez.

Much like Sarah Palin, the idea of Susana Martinez is much better than the actual product.

[Pictor Ignotus]

Yes, Mcdonnell, mainly for the state.

[True Federalist]

Dose anyone really think that Mitt and Rick can kiss and make up?

Reagan and Bush were despite the latter's "voodoo economics" bit, so kiss and make up isn't what might stand in the way of this.

The last thing Romney needs is a Republican governor as a running mate, as the inevitable comparisons to what Romney did and didn't do as a governor is not something that benefits Romney, so that disqualifies Christie and McDonnell.

If he is the nominee Romney needs to pick someone with Congressional experience.  Rubio doesn't have enough Congressional experience yet.  Santorum has the needed experience, and if Romney decides he needs someone who has also run this time, he is the best of the other Republicans who ran to be Romney's running mate.  However, Santorum will be controversial and he has been gone from Washington these past six years.  Romney may choose to go with a sitting Senator.

There are seven current Senators that I think should be on Romney's long list.
Richard Burr (NC)
John Cornyn (TX)
Mike Enzi (WY)
Jon Kyl (AZ)
Jerry Moran (KS)
Jeff Sessions (AL)
John Thune (SD)

They each have their strong and weak points, but they all have a reasonable amount of Congressional experience, no time as a Governor, would not put a seat at risk for a Democratic pickup, and are not so controversial as to be toxic to either the base or the middle.  If Romney picks a sitting Senator as his running mate, it should be one of these seven.

[Big Wiggly Style]

Of anyone, Susana Martinez.

Much like Sarah Palin, the idea of Susana Martinez is much better than the actual product.

She's not nearly as idiotic as Palin. She's popular in her state, too, IIRC.

[asexual trans victimologist]

Of anyone, Susana Martinez.

Much like Sarah Palin, the idea of Susana Martinez is much better than the actual product.

But the idea of Susana Martinez is actually fairly good, whereas the idea and the product of Sarah Palin were both terrible.

[Senator Clarence]

Rubio does not have experience but has a new skeleton in his closet all the time it seams...

[asexual trans victimologist]

Rubio does not have experience but has a new skeleton in his closet all the time it seams...

Really? I was under the impression that Rubio had a very clean image by politician standards.

[Senator Clarence]

Rubio does not have experience but has a new skeleton in his closet all the time it seams...

Really? I was under the impression that Rubio had a very clean image by politician standards.

Me too- but this business with his family story and hidden Mormon (the hiding is hte problem not the faith) came up

[asexual trans victimologist]

Rubio does not have experience but has a new skeleton in his closet all the time it seams...

Really? I was under the impression that Rubio had a very clean image by politician standards.

Me too- but this business with his family story and hidden Mormon (the hiding is hte problem not the faith) came up

I'm not so sure it'd be a problem at all were it not for Romney himself being Mormon. This is one of the few Christian[-ish] sects that still has a lot of identity politics surrounding it, and having two people with Mormon backgrounds on a ticket even if one is now Catholic is, fairly or not, fodder for conspiracy theories in certain circles.

[TheGlobalizer]

Of anyone, Susana Martinez.

Much like Sarah Palin, the idea of Susana Martinez is much better than the actual product.

She's not nearly as idiotic as Palin. She's popular in her state, too, IIRC.

She's too smart to run on a lousy national ticket as a token latina.  She also seems much more interested in running NM.

[redcommander]

Christie or Martinez. McDonnell is probably way too conservative to help Romney at least appear somewhat centrist to the electorate with the whole abortion debate going on in Virginia right now. Rubio is overrated, and doesn't allow Romney the luxury of running an all "Washington Outsider" ticket. Martinez unlike Palin is smart, articulate, is governing a state with  diverse political interests she has to appeal to, and could actually swing New Mexico to Romney if she were on the ticket. Christie comes off as real, blunt, intelligent, and has been a very right wing governor in a blue state. Florida and Virginia could go for Mitt without McDonnell or Rubio on the ticket. New Jersey and New Mexico could cause the Obama team to put much needed resources in either of the states that could be used elsewhere.

[True Federalist]

Of anyone, Susana Martinez.

Much like Sarah Palin, the idea of Susana Martinez is much better than the actual product.

She's not nearly as idiotic as Palin. She's popular in her state, too, IIRC.

She's governor and the last thing Romney needs is another governor as a running mate.

[Secretary of Labor Earthling]

That is my point as well. He needs someone who has experience in Washington. Some credibility there. He has none. I can understand he doesn't want to pick a current senator because congress is really unpopular right now.
That's why I picked Santorum. He has 16 years in Washington, including 12 years in the senate. He is a conservative and can help getting the base behind the ticket. And he is from a swing state (although I doubt Pennsylvania will go Republican because of Santorum). And picking a rival can make you appear stronger.

[Svensson]

McDonnell.

A) Almost universally lauded as a governor, which cannot be said of Christie.
B) Far more experienced than Rubio.
C) Not a lightning rod for the great gaffe cloud in the sky, unlike resident controversy magnet Santorum.