These days one of the favorite games among political junkies is prognosticating about who will be Romney’s vice-presidential running mate. An important criterion for selection, the “incredibly boring white guy” factor, previously has been examined by this writer and others.
Now, there seems to be a consensus among GOP political operatives as to who will share the bumper sticker with Romney within that group of potential VP nominees who exemplify that distinguishing “boring” characteristic.
That person is Ohio Senator Rob Portman.
Sensing an opinion wave for Portman within the last month, I asked a prominent GOP super PAC insider (name withheld by request) why Portman is the “chosen one” and this was the email response I received:
He could bring Ohio!!! And he is very experienced and he won’t spend $100,000 on clothes in two months! The goal this cycle is “safe, not sorry. But win Ohio!”
Packed within that email are several discussion points alluding to the GOP’s 2008 VP candidate (which are sure to be elaborated upon in the comment section of this post).
Notwithstanding a negative or positive opinion of the GOP’s 2008 VP candidate, Sarah Palin has significantly impacted the 2012 selection process, and it now looks like Senator Rob Portman will be the ultimate beneficiary.
Another veteran insider of past GOP presidential campaigns responded to my email which posed the question “Why Portman?” with this list of reasons:
He’s fabulous.
Would actually be a great VP.
Not an ideologue.
Ohio.
Understands jobs and global economy as U.S. Trade Representative not OMB.
“Not OMB” is worth discussing, for this is a touchy Portman resume item that Team Obama is sure to exploit as a negative talking point if Portman is officially nominated.
From May 2006 until June 2007, Rob Portman served as President George W. Bush’s director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).
When asked about the potential for President Obama and the Democrats to “denigrate” his OMB service, Portman was ready with an answer, as recently reported in a comprehensive piece in Real Clear Politics (RCP) titled “Does Portman Have the Edge in VP Sweepstakes?”
He told the Cincinnati Enquirer last month: “I was there for just over a year and I put out one budget … [which] was actually a balanced budget. And not even over 10 years but over five years and I’m proud of that.” He conceded, “Frankly it was a battle within the White House to get the White House and everybody on board with that … but imagine that, a balanced budget.”
So Rob Portman’s defense of his one year as OMB director includes a small salvo aimed at the Bush White House for rejecting his “pathway to balancing the budget in five years.” Now, by comparison, President Obama’s budget deficits are projected to be $977 billion in 2013, making President Bush’s $161 billion deficit in 2007 look like chump change.
This means Portman has plenty of cover when the Obama campaign unleashes their wild attack dogs in the last two months of the general election; there is no doubt that Portman will successfully defend himself and his record at OMB.
Portman’s first post in President Bush’s second term was as the United States Trade Representative. He worked in that position for one year before President Bush promoted him to OMB director in mid-2006.
To further understand the depth of experience that Senator Portman would bring to the Romney ticket, it is important to note that before serving two years in the Bush administration, Portman had a distinguished congressional career which spanned 12 years, from 1993 until May 2005.
Representing Ohio’s 2nd congressional district, Portman built a reputation for bi-partisanship, writing numerous pieces of legislation that were signed into law by President Clinton; but you can count on this part of his career to be completely ignored by Team Obama.
Instead, get ready to read how Portman was “Bush’s guy” who helped drive the economy into a ditch. You can almost hear Obama asking voters, “And this is the guy you want to let back into the White House?”
Well, the voters of Ohio had no problem sending Portman back to Washington after he served in Bush’s White House. In fact, when Portman ran for his current Senate seat in 2010 he defeated his Democrat opponent, garnering 57% of the vote to Lee Fisher’s 39%.
Now, in the midst of the 2012 election cycle when Romney is in search of a “boring white guy,” how could any guy who won an important state’s Senate race by 18 points possibly be that boring?
In response to the “boring” accusation, which supposedly helps Portman’s chances, here is an entertaining piece to the contrary which appeared recently on BuzzFeed (“15 Genuinely Interesting Things About Rob Portman”).
He’s hunts! He canoes! He bikes! He fishes! He speaks Spanish! (The latter could be a big benefit to Romney with a voting block that he needs to attract.)
So maybe he’s not that boring after all.
Consider Portman’s resume of 12 years as a congressman with stints as U.S. Trade Representative, OMB director, a U.S. senator since January 2011, and an Ohio political power player who is credited with helping Romney win the Ohio primary over Rick Santorum — and you have someone who is extremely well-qualified to be the GOP vice-presidential candidate.
Now many signs are pointing in Portman’s direction except this one.
Currently Intrade has Senator Portman’s chances of being selected as Romney’s VP rated at only 22%. (But Portman’s chances are increasing by the minute.)
Portman’s closest Intrade competitor is Florida Senator Marco Rubio. At the moment, Rubio’s chances that he will be Romney’s VP are rated at 24%.
This tight VP race raging at Intrade suggests that the general betting public is not yet up to speed on what many Washington GOP insiders and members of the media are saying about Portman’s real chances.
All politics aside, the primary job of the vice president is to step in and take over as president of the United States if called upon — and for that role, Senator Portman is well-suited.
In fact, Mark McKinnon, now a political media personality who served as media strategist for President Bush in 2000 and 2004, wrote in an email responding to my question “Why Portman?”, “The guy was truly made for the job.”
Compare that description to the now deceased Osama bin Laden’s stinging critique of Vice President Joe Biden. (Bin Laden called him “utterly unprepared” to be president of the United States.)
Captured documents revealed that bin Laden dreamed of targeting planes carrying President Obama and General Petraeus so our nation would be plunged into crisis under Biden’s leadership.
In the end, the contest between “the guy truly made for the job” and the one called “utterly unprepared” will not be the determining factor in whether Obama or Romney is victorious in November.
However, according to my sources, Senator Rob Portman is the one most likely to be standing on stage at the vice-presidential debate this fall.
Reserve your seat now — because a Biden vs. Portman match-up will be anything but boring.
“…the “incredibly boring white guy” factor…”
The last two words are irrelevant to me, as long as the first two are met
Frankly, “cool” is the last trait I’m looking for in my Pres or VP. We have 3 years of “cool” now and look where that got us.
Biden was cool???
Romney-Fortuño en 2012!
http://www.theblaze.com/contributions/mr-vice-president-the-case-for-luis-fortuno
Tatler- What if the ‘debates’ don’t happen? Sounds unlikely, but I have this funny feeling…
I’m from Ohio. I’m a Conservative Republican. An NO he won’t win Ohio. I say dump all the boring white guys and put Palin at the TOP of the Ticket! I’m SICK TO DEATH of the lies and distortions about her. SHE’S the best and would whip the a$$ off the competition with NO DOUBT. NOT VOTING ROMNEY! He needs to go find a corner in some temple and practice his handshakes so he can become the god of a really good planet.
Never have I seen somebody as much of a disgrace to Conservatives everywhere than you. “He needs to go find a corner in some temple and practice his handshakes so he can become the god of a really good planet.” wins my award for “Most Ignorant Spew post of the Day”. If you are going to go out of your way to just spew with absolutely no knowledge of what you’re talking about, do the rest of us Conservatives a favor and don’t tell everyone you’re conservative.
Actually, that is exactly what Mormons do. A lot of their temple rituals were taken from the Free Masons, as both Smith and Brigham Young were both avid members.
You guys are really silly. Mitt Romney is no where near picking the nominee yet. Stop hyperventilating that your VP pick isn’t talked about in an article created solely for selling newspapers. Romney is very logical and smart. Romney will pick a guy that won’t hurt the ticket. If Palin, Rubio or Christie isn’t picked come August, don’t worry there was probably a very good reason for it. Besides of the three I mentioned, they’re still very young and have a long career in front of them.
Actually “.” you are the ignorant one, in the classical sense of NOT KNOWING that this was a reference to the ultimate goal of Mormonism which is to become a god of one’s own planet in an exalted state in the celestial kingdom. If you need some proof here’s a link for your edification:
http://www.utlm.org/onlineresources/mormonshopetobecomegods.htm
Paid Obama troll.
“NOT VOTING ROMNEY!”
So…you’re voting for Obama?
If you are a conservative, then I am a woookie living on green cheese.
I’m with you, pick Sarah Palin. I put Portman in the same boat as Jeb Bush. A piss poor pick, with a miserable record on illegal immigration, and not an asset to help Romney already considered the lesser of two evils with many potential republican voters.
I hope the Romney campaign is not this brain dead stupid. He needs to pick someone who will generate enthusiasm with those he NEEDS to vote for him. I suggest in this order: Sarah Palin, Jim Demint, or Rand Paul. These people would generate hope and enthusiasm with conservatives and unite the republican base.
Looks like PJM has some Moby’s. http://www.zombietime.com/lgf_dictionary/
“moby – An insidious and specialized type of left-wing troll who visits blogs and impersonates a conservative for the purpose of either spreading false rumors intended to sow dissension among conservative voters, or who purposely posts inflammatory and offensive comments for the purpose of discrediting the blog in question. The term is derived from the name of the liberal musician Moby, who famously suggested in February of 2004 that left-wing activists engage in this type of subterfuge: “For example, you can go on all the pro-life chat rooms and say you’re an outraged right-wing voter and that you know that George Bush drove an ex-girlfriend to an abortion clinic and paid for her to get an abortion. Then you go to an anti-immigration Web site chat room and ask, ‘What’s all this about George Bush proposing amnesty for illegal aliens?’” The strategy has been frequently attempted on LGF and elsewhere, but has not been nearly as effective as Moby envisioned, since false rumors are easily debunked by fact-checking minions, and cartoonishly extreme commenters often get immediately identified as mobys and banned from LGF.”
So, I take it you don’t like Mitt Romney? Planning to vote for comrade Obama instead? Sheesh.
Sarah Palin did not spend $100,000 on clothes. The RNC and the geniuses at the McCain campaign did because they thought her clothes weren’t upscale enough. I hope the people advising Romney are better informed. Romney is going to win Ohio anyway. If Romney wants a boring white guy who can excite the base (and maybe win a state Bush lost twice), there is only one choice: Scott Walker.
If you try to tell the truth about the RNC spending $100,000 on Palin’s wardrobe that would warp their fixed-in-cement sense of reality.
The political consultants and strategists are Political Professionals and elections are just a perpetual cottage industry for them to collect billions in campaign cash.
Political consultants and strategists do not give a rat’s behind about you, the country, the future, the economy or the Constitution; they want everything to remain the same status-quo regardless of which party is in power.
Well, it is now evident that we all must vote for Gary Johnson on the libertarian ticket. I can no longer support the Republican nominee this time around. Let the chips fall where they may.
I guess you want an Obama second term. Please use your brain.
Nope, he is exactly right. The ones being fooled now are everyone in the conservative movement who thought we could make a difference. This election will have nothing to do with us. If it did, we would have Cain or Santorum. Romney was hand-picked by the GOP which is sitting back laughing at all of us who think we make a difference. You CAN be brainwashed to the right, too.
What, you expected the Tea Party to become overnight kingmakers??? Patience, grasshopper. Geez, youse guys really need to redefine long term as something more than the next election. Romney and (fill-in-blank) now, Someone else, hopefully more suitable in 2020. Mao didn’t take over China overnight. The democrats and their marxist/socialist fellow travellers have been engineering their long march through the institutions since Kennedy, and before. It may take at least that long for lasting change.
To hell with that! Like I’ll get behind Romney just because of blackmail.
Blackmail? The choice couldn’t be more clear. You vote for a committed Communist or you vote for a committed Capitalist. You don’t have to vote for the Capitalist, but don’t call this blackmail. You should thank God that you have that choice because your problem will get worse than blackmail if not for that.
let the chips fall where they may? my goodness you will help obama destroy the usa? i advise you to think again about he welfare of your family and put aside you views.
Right on, Ms. Adams. You have hit the nail on the head regarding Sen. Portman’s chances of being selected by Romney for the GOP ticket. Romney could not make a better choice.
Sure, Rubio might gain him a few more percentage points with Hispanics, but by Rubio’s own admission he is hardly ready to step into the president’s shoes in the event of a tragedy in the near future.
And the fact that Portman speaks FLUENT Spanish (see Wall Street Journal editorial today) could be huge. Romney would do well to deploy Portman to court the Latino vote during much of the campaign after the convention. Portman could help Romney sew up Ohio and effectively court Hispanics. No contest, Portman it is!
It is shameful that the Republican Party must resort to pandering like Democrats just to get votes. Balkanizing divides US further. Evil-Enablers Enabling Evil.
Like Ted Cruz from TX basically points out, instead of pandering to ‘Latinos’ why not simply treat them as people who hold Conservative values?
Rubio does not have to pander to win because he speaks a Conservative ‘language ‘Latinos’ understand, the same Conservative language spoken by every other race or color who believes in American Exceptionalism.
Rubio has some Mormon participation during childhood. No big deal for me personally, but some of the ardent Christians who don’t care for the Mormon Church would object.
If we are speculating about voting demographics again let me say that “ardent Christians” who always vote for Democrats will likely vote against Romney. ABO2012
Am I excited about a Romney/Portman ticket? No, but then I am not looking for a tingle up my leg. Can I vote for a Romney/Portman ticket? Well, being the pragmatist that I am the answer is – Yes, I can.
Sitting out this election is not going to improve the situation in this country. A lot of conservatives sat out the last election because of our dislike for McCain, and indeed there was a lot to dislike, but look where that has landed us.
To each his own, but for me and mine, we will be at the voting booth early on election day and if it helps you to make the decision, don’t think of it as a vote for the uninspiring guys, think of it as a vote against those who will continue to destroy this country if they continue in office.
“….don’t think of it as a vote for the uninspiring guys, think of it as a vote against those who will continue to destroy this country if they continue in office.”
Your thinking is right on! This election is our last great hope to turn things around. Thanks for commenting.
Yes simply returning to the GW BushCo years spending a little more than Clinton and a little less than Obama is our last great hope of turning things around.
Putting into power the same people who will do just a little less than the Democrats is same boring status-quo that brought us to where we are today.
Yes, it’s bi-partisanship; both parties are corrupt cronies lying about how they’ll save us from themselves.
ABO 2012 but I’m not sticking my neck out for Romney/Portman.
After the primary I am registering Independent and will hope that one day Allen West is Prez!
If it’s ABO2012 than you’ll be voting for the Rominator and (fill-in-blank). Just keep the ratchet ticking in that direction.
I have a question for all the purists who sat out 2008 because they wouldn’t vote for McCain and who intend to do the same by not supporting Romney:
If McCain had won, do you think our country would be in better shape or worse shape than it is currently under Obama? If you answered “worse”, then you are delusional and probably shouldn’t vote anyway. If you answered “better”, then you’re admitting that you not only helped create this disaster, but that you intend to do it again.
If you think that by allowing Marxists to win elections and destroy even more our way of life, it will finally teach the American people to support only strong conservatives for the rest of time, then why didn’t the strategy work last time?
How bad does it have to get?
Well, one thing I’m pretty sure of is that we’d have a bipartisan “McCainCare” that would slag the drug companies (who he hates) and that we’d never get rid of, at least until we just plain run out of money.
He’d almost certainly do better on the latter, enough better to make a big difference, but in other things, not so clear. Might even do worse in the “War on Terror”.
You’re a fool.
A president McCain would be all to happy to compromise with the dems in Congress. And he would constantly be pulled further to the left by them and the socialist media. There would have been no republican renaissance in 2010 and this year he and the few remaining republicans in Congress would get slaughtered.
McCain would have signed some version of Pelosi-care and Stimulus and done the Tarp bailouts of GM & Chrysler. Overall the economy and the country would be in as bad a shape as it is now and worse it would be blamed on conservative policies by the socialists.
There is a real possibility that we would be involved in at least one more open war in Yemen, Syria, Iran or Pakistan.
So yeah, we are better off by Obama being elected than McCain.
You’re so right. I’m a fool.
Obama/Biden is much better than McCain/Palin would have been. What the heck was I thinking?
Maybe someday we’ll have an opportunity to vote Al Franken into the White House. That’ll show those RINOs. Thanks for the wake up call.
McCain was not my choice, however:
If McCain had won, he would not have spent because he was a budget hawk. Right there we would already have fifty percent of our troubles fixed. If McCain had won, he would not have appointed czars, no left wing or communist people earning six figures with big staffs, unelected, not answerable to anyone. Look at all the money and trouble we would have avoided there.
If McCain had won, he would not be playing golf ten times a week or campaigning instead of governing, wasting money living like a king and queen on our dime while impoverishing ordinary Americans.
If McCain had won, we would not be wishy washy about foreign policy. He would have supported the Greens in Iran at once and tried to help them not only with rhetoric, but with any help he could and perhaps there would have been a better result. If McCain had won, Hondurans would have been supported against the would be dictator Zelaya. If McCain had won, Israel…need I say more on that subject?
If McCain had won, our economy would not be flailing the way it is and the Bush tax cuts would not be overturned as they will be in January bringing in the biggest tax hike in our history.
If McCain had won, the Keystone pipeline would be going strong and drilling would be allowed and gas prices would be half what they are now.
If McCain had won Palin would have been able to show how excellent she is and could be running now.
So let’s see, a better economy, lower deficits, better foreign policy, honesty, no bowing to foreign heads of state, no apologies to other countries for America, a decided love of this country. Goodness I can’t think of a single way this country would not be better off if McCain had won.
Incidentally, I would prefer that Romney choose a very conservative veep rather than a tepid moderate.
You are quite the optimist. If comrade Obama gets re-elected, your chance of Allen West ever getting to run for President just went out the window along with what is left of our form of government. We will all be subservient to the morons over at the UN.
This. +1
Just better hope Obama doesn’t swap out Biden for Hillary, in which case the Boring Old White Guy will be pitted against an “historic” opponent whose brilliance and competence and resume will be touted as making the Dem VP “ready from day 1″. On the other hand, up against Sen. Rubio or, even better, Rep. West, the myth of Hillary’s genius will evaporate following the first debate, and though the MSM will deny this, the contest will, furthermore, be “historic” on both sides.
Even with Biden on the ticket, picking a Boring Old White Guy for the VP slot would be moronic — such a move will reinforce all the old stereotypes of the GOP, which the MSM will push 24/7 till election day.
Not that I’d be surprised if Portman’s tapped — the GOP isn’t known as the Stupid Party without good, consistent cause.
You couldn’t be more wrong, Dogman. Allen West? Please. I live in Florida and while I admire Allen and, in fact, voted for him as a resident of his now former district, he would scare away independents in droves nationally.
We need to return to selecting our candidates based on merit. Portman all the way. “Boring” and extremely competent.
It’s that same thinking that got McCain on the ticket, and he lost the independents worse than Bush did. Fact is, a leader attracts voters. Instead of pandering to liberals, they should be pandering for American values. Of course, since Romney is a leftist, he’ll pander to the left.
Au contraire, it’s not that Republican is the Stupid Party it is that the Democrat Party is the party of Evil while the Republican Party is the Party of Evil-Enablers.
I cannot decided which is worse so I am going Independent.
Let the political consultant’s holier-thans figure out the political landscape after so many voters their perspective parties.
I’m from Ohio. Romney is gonna win Ohio with or without Portman. Pick someone that will excite the base not put us to sleep. Rubio. Even Rand Paul would be a better choice, even if his dad is a nut.
Agree that Romney does not need Portman to win OH. I’m not convinced he’s the best VP pick but I’m open to hearing more about why he is.
These people have got to be the dumbest people around. There is enough Palin supporters in OHIO that could stay home and give it to Obama. Keep up the good work you freckin idiots in the RNC.
Do you think Palin is going to continue to let you jerks trash her. Keep it up you freckinn clowns and see what happens.
That’s a shame. Romney snatching defeat from the jaws of victory, maybe I was wrong about him, he can lose it and this is how.
I too am from Ohio, not far from Portman’s district, in fact. To me, Portman is perhaps the most risk-free of all the VPs being touted at the moment. As a corollary of this, he is the least likely to give Romney the sort of bump that Palin give McCain for the few weeks between the end of the 2008 convention and the collapse of Lehman. But the way things are shaping up, I like this approach better. Portman is exceedingly competent and very offensive. I say this as a part of the conservative base, but, I’m sorry, the “vast-left wing conspiracy” has succeeded in making the likes of Palin and West terrifying to independents. I despise as much as any of you the reality of independents’ deciding elections, but it is reality nonetheless. Election is the priority.
2016 will be too late.
Boring sounds better and better all the time.
I would recommend to Governor Mitt Romney that his VP Selection Process, which is facilitated by Beth Myers yields a qualified nominee who is competent and represents the politically conservative philosophy. Mitt Romney should not adhere to the establishment members of the Republican Party on a vice presidential nominee who covet a bland agenda that serves his/her political needs. Rather, Mitt Romney should adhere to the populist members of the Republican Party on a vice presidential nominee who covet a bold agenda that serves the nation’s need. A person who should be selected and would therefore qualify for the vice presidential nomination is WA Congresswoman Cathy McMorris-Rodgers. Congresswoman McMorris-Rodgers of the Fifth Congressional District on a Romney-Rodgers ticket could be the candidate who makes western regional swing states difficult for the Obama-Biden ticket with the independent female vote as well as being a western state office holder. The Obama-Biden campaign would have to spend more resources in southern regional swing states like Florida, North Carolina, and Virginia rather than Colorado and Nevada as a result. Mitt Romney should appeal to the conservative faction of his political party for unison at the national nominating convention at the Tampa Bay Times Forum in Tampa, Florida. I believe that Senator Marco Rubio is a staunchly conservative person that is consistent with the philosophical values, but it is a risk that Mr. Romney should not take. I would conclude that DeMint, Pawlenty, Thune, Fallin, or Jindal would be the appropriate vice presidential picks from the VP Selection Process, but those potential nominees for the vice presidency all have their own negatives that would incur more corrosive risk to the duly nominated ticket opposing the Obama-Biden ticket on Tuesday, November 6th, 2012. A moderate establishment candidate over a conservative populist candidate being selected by Mitt Romney for the vice presidential nomination equals and incurs an ideological holy war of jihad from the Tea Party Movement.
Uh, Jinsky? Hadn’t you noticed? Romney IS an establishment member of the Republican Party who covets a bland agenda.
Pick Portman and help the media reinforce the “war on women” and “republicans hate minorities”.
Our president for the next four years will have to deal with national security threats, from within and without.
Islamist sleeper cells and creeping sharia folks will become more open and active here than ever before.
Turkey, Iran, Egypt, China, Russia, North Korea, Venezuela et al., will start to push and throw their weight around.
Europe will keep falling apart and sinking, economically and culturally, surrendering to Islamic pressure.
And so forth. So take your pick, Obama or Romney. I say Romney. Obama’s in bed with all who would do us harm.
McCain redux.
What preppie idiots at the RNC!
The time for griping about our choice of candidates is over. Now it is time to bring our wrath down on the Communist monster in our White House. ABO2012
The Palin people really need to give it a rest. Palin opted out of this election when she decided not to run for president. There was never any chance she would be picked for VP. It would be 2008 all over again.
Portman sounds better qualified than Rubio and less divisive than Christie. If he’s the pick, he’ll probably be a good one. And yeah, Ohio matters.
Romney needs to stress competence, maturity, responsibility, leadership – all qualities missing from the current administration. His implicit message should be “The grown-ups are back in charge.”
Mitt Romney, Mormonism and the 2012 Election
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KcnFtqYSHpU&feature;=colike
Ah, yes, one of Adam’s dream candidates: Someone who will get along with the Democrats, and whimper softly when they call him names, and suitably grovel until they stop.
Just perfect for ol’ Myra the RINO.
Not so good for the country, of course, but as long as she keeps getting paid to promote the Establishment, and gets the occasional pat on the head, life is good.
For her.
“Not an ideologue.” In other words, “not a conservative”. I don’t know anything about this guy Portman, but I do know establishment code-speak.
But hey, what does that matter? We have a lib at the top of our ticket, why not the number two man too?
Exactly.
Oh, great. Two buttoned-down white guys. That oughta inspire the voters.
Here’s a question for all the Myra Adams of the world:
How many times does, “He’ll bring in X state (or states)!” have to NOT WORK before you people see the nose on your face?
Oh, well, I’m sure it doesn’t really matter. All that DOES matter is making sure no real conservative gets in there and rocks the boat.
Not stopping Reagan was a huge failure for the Establishment, and they are determined that it will not happen again.
(too many Josh’s posting hereabouts, I’ve *got* to choose a better handle!)
If in 2008 McCain had gone the boring white guy route by chosing Romney as VP odds are they would have won.
I wonder if even Palin might agree with that in retrospect. Too bad 2008 McCain didn’t have access to 2012 Palin, or it might have been different, too.
You have no clue what you’re talking about. The ONLY reason McCain didn’t lose more badly than he did was Sarah Palin. There are a TON of people who voted for Palin, who would NOT have voted AT ALL if McCain had put another RINO on the ticket.
I’m sure Senator Portman would make an excellent VP, but please…. Choosing Portman would be a gutless decision based solely on the hope that he’ll give Romney an edge in a single state. Romney needs to think outside of the box and pick someone less conventional, less boring, and less whitebread (and I don’t mean Sarah Palin) and, more importantly, someone who will bring large numbers of independents and even Democrats in many battleground states to the GOP side.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again:
Puerto Rico Governor Luis Fortuño for Vice President!
Read this!
http://www.theblaze.com/contributions/mr-vice-president-the-case-for-luis-fortuno