Romney to announce running mate on Saturday @9am ET in Norfolk, VA

[Pacific Councillor Big Wiggly Style]

But she's pro-choice and is not married. Plus she doesn't want the job either.

[technical support]

Not so sure romney will pick a washington insider. Rubio is part of washington he's a senator and Portman is part of washington he's also a senator. Romney spent the entirety of his presidential primary campaign casting himself — smartly — as an outsider to Washington and its ways.

[Pacific Councillor Big Wiggly Style]

Not so sure romney will pick a washington insider. Rubio is part of washington he's a senator and Portman is part of washington he's also a senator. Romney spent the entirety of his presidential primary campaign casting himself — smartly — as an outsider to Washington and its ways.

But Rubio is a very Anti-Washington/Anti-Establishment type of guy. Even as a Senator, he maintains the Anti-Washington type image.

Portman, on the other hand, is more establishment than Rubio, therefore picking him might not end up very well. The reason Pawlenty is a safe pick is because he wasn't a Washington insider, rather a Governor from a state as far away from the DC BS as possible. If Pawlenty's the pick, he won't win Minnesota, but it might help secure some states like Wisconsin or Ohio.

[RogueBeaver]

Pawlenty won't help anywhere or with anything. The guy can't even retire his own campaign debt, how is he going to raise money for the campaign? Plus Romney said he'll pick a conservative, and Pawlenty's reputation there is hardly stellar. OK, but nothing to write home about.

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/tim-pawlenty-shows-sides-vice-presidential-contender/story?id=16879673

[technical support]

Romney may be one of the first presidential candidates to lose his home state on election night. Massachusettes. And if he chooses pawlenty he may not carry his home state either.

[HagridOfTheDeep]

But she's pro-choice and is not married. Plus she doesn't want the job either.

I think it seems like people would care more than they actually would. Herman Cain was a black, cheating husband. And I bet if he'd stayed in the race, he still would have been formidable, if only because of how much people disliked Romney. People would accept Condi.

[RogueBeaver]

Do you remember what happened in '08 when McCain floated pro-choice running mates like Lieberman, Ridge, Giuliani? Hint: it wasn't pretty. Particularly for someone like Romney who's already distrusted on this issue because of his weathervane tendencies.

To me Condimania makes even less sense than Pawlentymania, but to each their own.

[Mr. Morden]

Not so sure romney will pick a washington insider. Rubio is part of washington he's a senator and Portman is part of washington he's also a senator. Romney spent the entirety of his presidential primary campaign casting himself — smartly — as an outsider to Washington and its ways.

Every governor who runs for president runs as an outsider to Washington and its ways, yet they all pick running mates with Washington experience.  When was the last time we had a major party ticket with two current or former governors?  Hasn't happened for at least several decades.

[RogueBeaver]

Morden is right, and Jon Karl thinks that Ryan's odds are undervalued.

I believe that most people looking at this have been underestimating the chance that Paul Ryan could be the pick. You know, the Ryan budget will be attacked immediately by Democrats, of course, but the attitude up in Boston — and I am told within Romney’s inner circle — is they believe that they’re going to get attacked for that anyway and that Paul Ryan is the person who could best fight against those attacks.  Romney really likes Ryan.  I think there’s a good chance he’s the pick.  

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/07/sunday-sound-heard-on-this-week-11/

[Senator Snowstalker]

Romney may be one of the first presidential candidates to lose his home state on election night. Massachusettes. And if he chooses pawlenty he may not carry his home state either.

Gore, McGovern, Stevenson, Dewey, Landon, Hoover, Smith, Davis, Cox, Wilson, Taft, Parker, Bryan...

[wan]

The governor of va will be romneys running mate. I just have that feeling that romney knows he needs to carry va.

[RogueBeaver]

Which isn't Portlenty.

http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2012/07/heilemann-why-jindal-ryan-look-good-to-romney.html

[SirNick]

Romney may be one of the first presidential candidates to lose his home state on election night. Massachusettes. And if he chooses pawlenty he may not carry his home state either.

Gore, McGovern, Stevenson, Dewey, Landon, Hoover, Smith, Davis, Cox, Wilson, Taft, Parker, Bryan...

I was about to point that out.

[Mr. Morden]

Romney will announce his choice via a smartphone app, which you can download here:

http://www.mittromney.com/app/vp

Of course, in 2008, Obama was supposedly going to announce his choice via text message, but it didn't happen until about 5 hours after it was already reported by all the cable news networks.

[Pacific Councillor Big Wiggly Style]

Romney will announce his choice via a smartphone app, which you can download here:

http://www.mittromney.com/app/vp

Of course, in 2008, Obama was supposedly going to announce his choice via text message, but it didn't happen until about 5 hours after it was already reported by all the cable news networks.

Honestly, I think Mitt just wants to seem cool and relatable with this. He wants to show everyone that he understands what it's like to own an iPhone instead of a $500,000 robot phone that's not slated to come out until 2023. Mitt's relatable.

[RogueBeaver]

Will he announce during this swing-state tour in a few weeks?

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2012/07/31/romney-preps-swing-state-blitz-stirring-v-p-speculation/

[Former Moderate]

Romney will announce his choice via a smartphone app, which you can download here:

http://www.mittromney.com/app/vp

Of course, in 2008, Obama was supposedly going to announce his choice via text message, but it didn't happen until about 5 hours after it was already reported by all the cable news networks.

At least all the words are spelled correctly this time around.

[RogueBeaver]

Jon Karl: Shortlist down to Pawlenty/Portman/Ryan.

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/OTUS/jonathan-karls-list-vp-field-august-portman-pawlenty-ryan/story?id=16354225#.UBk1-mFfFQJ

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/video/mitt-romney-set-pick-vice-president-2012-election-16902991

[AmericanNation]

Jon Karl: Shortlist down to Pawlenty/Portman/Ryan.

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/OTUS/jonathan-karls-list-vp-field-august-portman-pawlenty-ryan/story?id=16354225#.UBk1-mFfFQJ

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/video/mitt-romney-set-pick-vice-president-2012-election-16902991

Portman  = safe/"smart"
Pawlenty = safe/vanilla
Ryan        = perfect guy to be VP/ slight risk

I buy that that is actually the top tier.   

[RogueBeaver]

I doubt Portman because of a) Bush b) flunking the chem test. The real battle is between Pawlenty and Ryan.

[Likely Voter]

True, but Romney cant win without OH and polls havent been good to Romney in OH

So I'm betting on Portman

[HagridOfTheDeep]

I know Rice was mostly floated as a distraction... but after a bad overseas trip and lagging numbers, she's a risk I'd look into. Almost every swing state poll (and some safe-D states), show Rice being a significant help for Romney.

[RogueBeaver]

Portman doesn't move the OH needle, PPP has polled that theory multiple times. The only one who moves their home state needle is Ryan.

[Jayhawker]

I know Rice was mostly floated as a distraction... but after a bad overseas trip and lagging numbers, she's a risk I'd look into. Almost every swing state poll (and some safe-D states), show Rice being a significant help for Romney.

If Romney can figure out a way to get around the abortion issue, I think she's the best pick.

[JulioMadrid]

If he chooses Pawlenty, we'll se some ads about ObamneyCare. If he chooses Ryan, will see some Medicare ads and Obama will most likely carry Fl and make AZ competitive. Portman is the best of them three, even if he worked in the GWB administration. GWB's approvals aren't that bad right now (and that makes me sick).