Romney's running mate?

[Erc]

The man's biggest problem, like it or not, is that he's a Mormon.  It's a shame that that's still a problem these days, but it's true.  He needs someone with solid (social) conservative credentials, preferably a Southerner.  The problem is, there aren't that many eligible Southerners.

Essentially all the Senators are either too old (John Warner, Dick Shelby, etc.), too inexperienced (most of the 2002/2004 crop), too young (can't run the risk of Dan Quayle again), or too strange (South Carolina).

Of the remainder, that really does leave Huckabee, Barbour, and Alexander, as mentioned.  Alexander's day has passed in my opinion, and he might not be conservative enough for Romney's purposes (unless I'm completely misremembering his '96 campaign).  Barbour's main credential is Katrina--although it is nice to see a Republican who can apparently manage things competently, it may not be the sort of thing that the Republicans want to remind people of.  Also, he's always rubbed me as being a bit on the sleazy side (with his lobbying activities, etc.).

Which leaves Huckabee, as Vander Blubb said--exactly the sort of unimpeachable Southern Conservative that Romney needs.  Plus, he's got an added boost to the health care angle.  Doesn't have any foreign policy experience, but you can't have it all.  Unfortunately, this does hinge on Huckabee agreeing to be Romney's VP candidate, which isn't at all guaranteed.

That said, if he were to choose Huckabee as his VP candidate, I would admire Romney for his shrewdness...and then sigh and begin to seriously consider voting Democrat.

Brownback is also a possibility (having a Senator is always nice), but he is Catholic, which may hurt any forlorn effort to turn out the evangelical crowd.