Who would Romney pick as a running mate?

[Mister Mets]

If Romney runs for President again, he'll have to pick a running mate, and this choice will be compared to his selection the last time around.

We could look at Dewey, Stevenson, Nixon and Reagan for precedent.

Dewey chose the same type of running mate he had before, opting for an older Governor (and former AG) of California four years after picking a slightly older Governor (and former AG) of Ohio.

Stevenson picked another southern Senator. It was a different situation in that his 1956 running mate had run against him in 1952, and he had left the decision of the Veep nominee up to the DNC delegates.

In 1960, Nixon picked an older former Senator with foreign policy experience. In 1968, Nixon ran as the foreign policy expert, so his running mate was a newly elected Governor.

Reagan had announced a moderate Pennsylvania Senator as his running mate in 1976, during the deadlocked convention that opted to go with Ford. In 1980s, Reagan's initial plan had been to offer President Ford the nomination, but he eventually settled on primary runner-up George HW Bush.

It's a small sample set, but it does seem that nominees prefer to do something big when selecting potential Veeps the second time around. Though it could all be for moot if a candidate who provides balance to the ticket finishes a strong second in the primary (think John Edwards in 2004) becoming the obvious choice. Otherwise, he could pick a newcomer or someone elected to statewide office in 2010 (with the explanation that they weren't ready in the '12 cycle.) I can't see him going with someone who would have been an obvious choice in '12 (IE- Pawlenty, Portman.)

[Blue3]

With the modern media, it would be viewed as a betrayal and a lack of commitment and being wishy-washy/flip-floppy if Romney was nominated again and didn't choose Ryan again.

[IceSpear]

Ryan. Romney probably sincerely believes he ran a perfect campaign and did everything right, and it was all the dumb voters' fault for his loss, and now he probably thinks they've "learned their lesson" and will right their wrongs by electing him in a landslide.

[New_Conservative]

If he runs I will quit politics.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

I'm still horrified that it's actually possible that man might run for President again.

I'm less horrified than the thought of a Jeb Bush candidacy. Bush vs. Clinton would be the worst.

[Dixie Reborn]

He'll probably choose Rubio or Martinez.

[ShadowRocket]

I also think that he'd just pick Ryan again. Barring that, Portman or Rubio; maybe Pawlenty.

[Suburbia]

I also think that he'd just pick Ryan again. Barring that, Portman or Rubio; maybe Pawlenty.

Ryan or Pawlenty. Romney prides on loyalty and competence. He will not pick someone he doesn't see as presidential material. He may bring Pawlenty back in the political picture.

[Cory]

Susana Martinez.  She provides geographic balance and is a Hispanic woman. Ryan is being promoted within the House and wouldn't throw that away to be Vice President. Not to mention the senior folks in the House wouldn't be pleased if he did.

Romney isn't stupid, he's learned his lesson.

[solarstorm]

Susana Martinez.  She provides geographic balance and is a Hispanic woman.

Isn't Martinez said to stay in NM due to family issues?

[Cory]

Isn't Martinez said to stay in NM due to family issues?

I don't know, but if not her then I guess he could pick Jindal or something.

[Maxwell]

I assume Romney is going to try to run as an outsider. He needs an insider with foreign policy experience. Only picking a VP that helps with actually being President can save him. Picking a VP for electoral reasons or raging the base reasons, as they recently have been, have all flopped dramatically (see: Ryan, Palin). Going with Rubio, Martinez, hell, even Portman (who i think would be a big gamble but could be a big payoff) would probably backfire, possibly in a dramatic fashion. I'm not even sure the person I'm thinking of exists, but Romney picking a VP for "running the country" purposes would be a big sign that Romney is serious about governing.

[KCDem]

With the modern media, it would be viewed as a betrayal and a lack of commitment and being wishy-washy/flip-floppy if Romney was nominated again and didn't choose Ryan again.

Don't take this personally, but that's the dumbest things I've heard about 2016 so far.

[Grumpier Than Thou]

Please, let's not feed the fire on this. Don't let Mitt Romney think it's okay to run again.

[New_Conservative]

Please, let's not feed the fire on this. Don't let Mitt Romney think it's okay to run again.

[Suburbia]

Pawlenty or Martinez most likely. Romney likes loyalty.

[Mister Mets]

According to Ryan, part of Romney's rationale for picking him was the way his experience complemented what was needed for a presidency focuses on economic matters.

Romney claimed he knew economics, how business worked and how to manage large organizations.
Ryan was familiar with how Washington worked.

So he might pick a veep who complements him somehow, someone who knows Washington or foreign policy.

Or he could just go with whoever might swing a key state.

[IceSpear]

Romney, if he runs, will already be the twice failed retread presidential candidate. Romney/Ryan 2016 would be a foolish proposition. Ryan doesn't bring much to the table, and has other plans for himself already. He wasn't a great campaigner, nor debater. Also, nobody was excited about Paul Ryan who wasn't already excited about Mitt Romney. He satisfies the same branch of the party, and even looks like he could be one of the Romney kids. He'd probably say yes if asked, but I doubt Romney asks him. I say Ryan stays in the house until 2022, when he either challenges Ron Kind for the Senate (assuming he wins Ron Johnson's seat in 2016) or runs for governor (if Walker becomes president in 2016 or 2020 and Rebecca Kleefisch loses in 2018).

Romney will irritate a lot of people simply by getting into the race. H doesn't do well with self identified very conservative voters, minorities, women, or young people. His vice presidential pick, should he be the nominee, will likely be someone who keeps his supporters satisfied, while appealing to one of the above groups. There are four likely choices in my opinion.

Marco Rubio- Marco Rubio could be seen as a polar opposite in terms of style to Mitt Romney. He's young, he knows how to talk to young voters, he's Latino, he speaks fluent Spanish, and he could probably deliver Florida. He pissed off a lot of conservatives with his immigration bill, but immigration is the issue in which very conservative voters most identify with Romney. Romney's stance would likely alleviate some of the concerns of the anti-illegal immigration crowd. If he runs for president in 2016 and loses the nomination, he'll also be looking for a job, since he can't run for senate simultaneously.

Scott Walker- Scott Walker is the one candidate who I feel appeals to the broadest base of Republicans of those being talked about in 2016. If he wins re-election in 2014, he will have won three elections in a purple state in 4 years. He has much more appeal to blue collar workers than someone like Mitt, and is a fantastic politician. He's a boring white guy, which won't help, but he's got a fantastic record and would help with Romney's conservative credentials. Blue collar appeal, mid-westerner, purple state governor, conservative fan base, and universal admiration in the Republican party makes Walker a likely choice.

Carly Fiorina- She's been talked about on this forum, and been dismissed by a lot of people on here, but I think that's a mistake. Carly Fiorina is making a name for herself fighting the war-on-women narrative that was so effective in 2012. Yes, she has only run for office once and she was beaten in a landslide, but in all fairness, she was running against Barbara Boxer in California. Fiorina is pretty clearly trying to position herself for a place in the next Republican administration. I suspect that she'll run for president with no expectation of winning, but with a hope of being looked at for VP, or a cabinet post. If Romney chose her, he would be doubling down on the business part of his resume, while aligning himself with a breast cancer surviving, former CEO of a Fortune 500 company who has been out there speaking to women for years.

Susana Martinez- She's not a favorite of conservatives, but she's a woman of Mexican descent, and a popular governor of a blue state. I think Romney will ask her, but I think she'll decline to be considered, as she did in 2012. If I remember correctly, she called his "self deportation" idea offensive. That's not the words of someone who has any interest in being a vice presidential consideration. Martinez will be governor of New Mexico as long as she keeps running for re-election. She doesn't need to take the first promotion she's offered. She's more likely to take the VP spot from a governor who she likes more (Walker, Christie, Pence or Jindal) or run herself in 2020 or 2024.

A wild card would be Chris Christie. Romney/Christie would excite moderates, and may help with independents, but Romney already does fine with these groups. The only reason I'd consider him a wild card is that he was Romney's first choice in 2012, according to Mark Halperin's book Double Down, and it was only after Christie's convention speech when he was passed over. Romney may give him another look in 2016, depending on how the primaries go.

Didn't Romney already pick Ryan as his VP long before Christie's convention speech? I remember hearing he didn't pick Christie because he found some skeletons in his closet during the vetting process.

[Attorney General, LGC Speaker, and Former PPT Dwarven Dragon]

If he believes he ran a perfect campaign, he'll pick Ryan again. If he realizes he made mistakes, he'll pick Portman, Daniels, Kasich, Pawlenty, Rubio, or Bush.

[Mister Mets]

Nikki Haley seems like a good choice. She's on the verge of getting reelected big, so she'll be qualified as a second-term Governor. A younger brown woman would add diversity to a ticket with the old white guy. And she has a small business background that could add to Romney's positives.

She won't help with Washington, but that's what a Chief of Staff is for.

[Former Senator Haslam2020]

ha!!! TRUMP VS HILLARY

[Kingpoleon]

According to Ryan, part of Romney's rationale for picking him was the way his experience complemented what was needed for a presidency focuses on economic matters.

Romney claimed he knew economics, how business worked and how to manage large organizations.
Ryan was familiar with how Washington worked.

So he might pick a veep who complements him somehow, someone who knows Washington or foreign policy.

Or he could just go with whoever might swing a key state.

Kasich served eighteen years on the House Armed Services Committee and was Chair of the Budget Committee for six years. I'm surprised he didn't occur to Mister Mets back then.

ha!!! TRUMP VS HILLARY

How mature.

[Young Conservative]

Romney/Rubio 2020 would garner my support enthusiastically or Cruz 2020