Veepstakes

Veepstakes by MSW.  MGB: Rubio, whom you did not mention, would be a GOP caricature of the Latino voters that would widely miss the mark with most Latinos, much in the same way Palin was their version of women voters.  Ryan may as well be picked, because he will lose his district anyway and it would help highlight how much the GOP plan will hurt seniors and the poor.  Portman, like Mitch Daniels, were Bush OMB directors and can be tied to why the economy is hurting so badly.  Jindal is too ethinic for the GOP base, causing it to stay home (and like Ryan, too young).  This leaves Pawlenty as a default candidate, although Perry may be the essential person to attract Evangelicals who are still not so excited about Romney (and if Latinos turn out - may be essential for keeping Texas in the GOP column and averting an Electoral College embarrassment worthy of Mondale).  In the end, in order to keep the peace at the GOP convention, Rand Paul may be the nominee.  There are many more Ron Paul supporters among the Romney delegate pool than anyone knows (by the time Romney's operation figured this out, it was too late).  They can make a mess of the convention - starting with the platform and maybe even changing the rules to allow an open vote on the first ballot - in which case Paul could steal the nomination (and wreck the GOP, whose base will not like having their chosen candidate denied).