The Republican Vice-Presidential Spectulation Thread.

[RogueBeaver]

McDonnell or Jindal, preferably Jindal.

[RogueBeaver]

DeMint will not take it, nor would Romney offer. He's always preferred being King of the Teepers. I think Romney's shortlist includes McDonnell, Jindal, Ryan and Portman myself. Perhaps Rubio gets the keynote.

[RogueBeaver]

Heilemann's take.

http://nymag.com/news/politics/powergrid/romney-running-mate-heilemann-2012-4/

[RogueBeaver]

Except I'm not sure if Jindal could really pull off that good convention speech. He's not exactly very charismatic.

And come to think of it he did endorse Rick Perry, although I'm not sure there is any real bad blood there. Correct me if I'm wrong but I don't think Jindal ever really came out swinging at Romney.

He winked at Romney quite often (constant references to business and gubernatorial experience when asked about his preferences in a candidate) until Perry got in.

Ryan: I wouldn't at all be surprised if he made the final 2.

[RogueBeaver]

Jindal is disqualified by being a governor.  Romney will not be helped by having a second governor on the ticket.

Depends if Mittens wants to follow the "double up" (Obama/Biden, Dole/Kemp, Kerry/Edwards) model or "complimentary" (Clinton/Gore, GHWB/Quayle, Carter/Mondale) model. The former would (IMO) point towards McDonnell or Jindal, the latter Ryan.

[RogueBeaver]

Name recognition to a p, I see.

[RogueBeaver]

Rubio doesn't want it. Rice doesn't either. I'm still predicting it will be Jindal or Ryan.

[RogueBeaver]

On the scale of 1 to 10, how grumpy would the conservatives get if Romney picked someone who was pro-choice?

12. Romney has said pro-choicers are not even being considered.

[RogueBeaver]

Speaking of Rubio, he's delivering a foreign policy speech at Brookings tomorrow. Jindal keynoted an NY event last week and interspersed talking education and taking hard shots at Obama.

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2012/04/23/rubio-to-make-big-speech/

[RogueBeaver]

Thune is basically Sen. Pawlenty. I've read profiles of him and everything about his career since 2004 screams vanilla.

Portman: He's qualified, but Romney is not going to pick one of GWB's highest-profile Cabinet members as his running mate.

[RogueBeaver]

Saw it as well. I'm still convinced that it will be either Ryan or Jindal, in that order.

[RogueBeaver]

Romney campaigned with McDonnell again today. Will he continue these tryouts now that everyone's had at least one shot is my question.

[RogueBeaver]

Uh, no. Just no.

[RogueBeaver]

First of all, Cantor's approval rating is underwater in Virginia itself. IIRC the number was something like 49-33 unfavorable. So forget helping Romney there.

Second, the idea of demographic/homeboy solidarity has been debunked. McDonnell, Portman and Rubio (the ones most mentioned in this scenario) don't move the needle in their home states- PPP has polled each man at least once.

Finally, I don't see what he brings that others don't.

[RogueBeaver]

It looks like we'll have to agree to disagree here.

[RogueBeaver]

McDonnell, or so he claims, is not being currently vetted. Not like he'd say he was if so.

http://campaign2012.washingtonexaminer.com/blogs/beltway-confidential/mcdonnell-says-hes-not-being-vetted-romney-vp/528256