It is time to winnow down the list, check the betting markets, and make some obvious deletions.
Still in the running:
Romney/Ryan: He is already the running mate in spirit, why not make him the running mate in fact? Team Obama likes this pick. (Intrade: 6%)
Romney/Jeb Bush: Jeb doesn’t seem the type to “take one for the team” and yet if he aspires to the nomination in 2016, this could make sense. After this year’s fuster-cluck, the GOP will front load the primary season try to wrap the nomination up as early as possible. Smart 2016 contenders will commence campaigning today. (Intrade: 2.4%)
Romney/Rice: If she gets he jobs of narrowing down the field, she might pull a Cheney and pick herself. While it is true that she’d raise unwelcome reminders of George W. Bush, she would diversify Romney’s base of advisors and some in the media still regard the Iraq debacle as “foreign policy credentials.” (Intrade: 1.3%)
Romney/Rob Portman, the junior senator from Ohio. (Intrade: 12%)
Romney/Christie: The same 2016 reasoning facing Jeb Bush could bring in the GOP’s favorite Governor. I said that he is too smart to hitch his wagon to the Romney debacle, but he may be too smart by half and feel the need to start building his 2016 machine early. (Intrade 10.6%)
Romney/Rubio: He has said flat out that he doesn’t want it, but he checks off a lot of boxes and the GOP is all about checking off boxes. (Intrade: 25%)
Romney/Corbett: I still don’t know much about Corbett. He is like a second tier Christie, but PA has 21 electoral college votes. (Intrade: 0%)
Romney/Kasich: Of the Republican Govornors, Kasich only lags Wisconsin’s Scott Walker in the “Governors I don’t like” department. He has perhaps been too public, too transparent in his attacks on workers. (Intrade: 0.4%)
Romney/Paul (Rand): This would be the pick that reminds everybody about what a bad choice McCain made when he picked Palin. Rand Paul has some standing in Wingnutia, but the stuff they like about him would be baggage in a national campaign. I think Rand gets eliminated in round three unless he makes some kind of overt move. (Intrade: 1.6%)
Romney/Perry: Still the longest of long shots. I haven’t seen Perry out trying to rehabilitate his image. It is possible that the primary experience was a wake up call for Perry, who now knows that he is not up to the job of being President. If that is the case, he is the most self-aware Republican since Barry Goldwater. (Intrade: 0.1%)
Out of the Running:
Romney/Santorum: No. Rick will be looking to 2016 and I doubt that creating “party unity” is going to be on his agenda. 0%
Romney/Huntsman: Too sane. Also, an all LDS ticket? Not so likely. 0%
Romney/Bachmann: A crazy conservative woman to make Romney seem sane while winning back women who hate women? 1%
Romney/Gingrich: The most hated man in America? We could only wish for that pick. 1%
Romney/Cain: Cain who? Oh yeah, that pizza guy who cheats on his wife 1%
Romney/Paul (Ron): The Paulites finally get a crumb from the GOP power brokers ?