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

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

By the way, Nikki Haley has put in her two cents as to who should be Romney's choice: either Bobby Jindal or Condi Rice.

http://www.thestate.com/2012/05/30/2295145/haley-bobby-jindal-or-condi-rice.html

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

With Romney using the short list on the stump already, there is no advantage in making a final pick before the Olympics, so I now think he'll wait till August.  If I'm wrong and he does announce before the Olympics, it'll be next week.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Drudge has some big headline out. What's it mean?

He needs to boost his ad revenue.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Can anyone put up the full article? Thx.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/18/us/politics/romney-vice-presidential-search-began-months-ago.html?gwh=E93A55FCE987AD87C3257E64BB5BF0D8&pagewanted=all

Paywalls are irritating, but don't ask people here to violate copyright, OK?

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Apparently Jindal is campaigning in Ohio for Romney tomorrow, but on the other side of the state from him.

So is Jeb.

http://www.politico.com/blogs/burns-haberman/2012/07/jeb-jindal-to-headline-romney-ohio-events-129239.html

So no one wants to get too close to Romney? 

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Just got an email from the Romney campaign:


Friend,

How amazing would it be to personally meet Mitt and his choice for VP during this historic campaign? You've still got 48 hours to enter for a chance to meet America's Comeback Team -- don't miss out.

Donate $3 today to be automatically entered for the chance to join Mitt and his VP pick at a future event.

Good luck!

Abe Adams
Deputy Digital Director
Romney for President

Remember how they said it was each week until the announcement to enter this contest? Now it's down to 48 hours. Methinks the announcement is coming this week.

Or it could be just that the chance to win this week ends Friday, with Saturday starting a new week.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

We know that the bus tour hits Virginia on Aug. 11, and we know that it'll also hit Ohio (probably before Virginia).  Why not have it start in Michigan, where Romney grew up, and have it make its way to Florida, where the RNC will be held?  I mean, if he's going to announce his running mate at this time, then what's the alternative?  Announce it in Ohio, home state of Portman, one of the shortlisters?  Only makes sense if you're picking Portman.  And even if you are picking Portman, why spoil the surprise by revealing that you're going to make the announcement in his home state?  Michigan seems like it makes the most sense.

In fact, even if the announcement isn't for another two or three weeks, I'll predict that it'll be made in Michigan.

Why Michigan?  Even if the state were to become a possible Romney pickup, he'd be well past 270 from other states by then.  If he's going to make the bus trip a day longer, Iowa and/or Wisconsin are far better States to prepend than Michigan.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Both Portman's and Ryan's home states are swing states, so if it either of them is the choice then an announcement that isn't made at the end of the bus trip is likely to be in their home state, not one of Romney's.  Maybe if Pawlenty is the choice it'll be announced in Michigan, but there are plenty of other logical choices.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Both Portman's and Ryan's home states are swing states, so if it either of them is the choice then an announcement that isn't made at the end of the bus trip is likely to be in their home state, not one of Romney's.  Maybe if Pawlenty is the choice it'll be announced in Michigan, but there are plenty of other logical choices.

In recent election cycles, presidential nominees have avoided making their announcement in the VP pick's home state to avoid tipping off the press in advance as to who it'll be.  They either announce it in their own home state or a swing state.

Kerry actually went farther than that, and didn't even have Edwards with him when he made his announcement, to help stop the news from leaking.  I believe he announced it in Pennsylvania near his wife's home, while Edwards was in North Carolina.  Then later in the day, Edwards flew out to make a joint appearance with him.

Most recent running mate picks have not been from close election swing states.  Gore in 1992 was the last and was announced from Arkansas, but Clinton was a sitting governor at the time.  Romney is free to make his announcement from anywhere he chooses.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Bus tour officially announced. VA (11), NC (12), FL (13), OH (14).

They must have multiple buses prepared.  Just from Tallahassee to Cincinnati is over 12 hours non-stop.  Makes no sense to add Ohio on at the end unless it was a last minute addition to tour with the Veep in his home State after announcing him in Tampa next Monday. 

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

I wouldn't think they'd be that obvious either, but that's a poor schedule for a bus tour unless he intends to announce in Florida and then go to the home state of his veep choice.  Also the VA/NC/FL stops were announced first.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Maybe the bus tour is for the purpose of telling some of the VP prospects in their home states that they're off the short list.  For example, when Romney is at a campaign stop in Virginia, he says:

"Bob McDonnell....Is Governor McDonnell here?  There you are Governor, please come up to the podium with me.  Isn't he a fantastic governor, Virginia?"  [cheers erupt from the crowd]

"Now Governor, I just wanted to tell you in front of all of these constituents of yours, and all of these news cameras, that you are........NOT going to be my running mate."  [The smile on McDonnell's face slowly fades, and his eyes well up with tears.]

Then he does the same in Florida with Rubio and in Ohio with Portman.  

The tribe has spoken, now place your extinguished torch over there and leave VP island.

So it'll be a surprise pick in Jeff Probst?

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

All this talk about waiting until Ann returns from London...could we be missing the most obvious hint of all? Romney - Rafalca 2012?

Rafalca was born in Germany, so she's not eligible to be Mitt's running mate.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

but here's the thing: Unless the candidate is with the running mate at the time of announcement, the candidate has to tell the Secret Service who the running mate is before announcing it publicly. The mainstream media is almost surely tagging all of the potential veeps right now just waiting for a sign of the Secret Service.

While I'm certain the SS would like to be kept in the loop that way, there's no legal obligation to tip them in advance. Nor are they the only people in the world who know how to do security.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Announcing tomorrow means Romney feels the need to change the narrative NOW, despite the fact that the Olympics are still going on.