Only if she quits the Senate, so we can get a competent Senator in the spot. She is a doctrinaire Bushbot, with an unappealing voice and a shaky record as AG in NH.

After the Sarah Palin debacle, and knowing Romney's issues with the female vote, picking her would be seen as nothing more than a desperate political move. My guess is that he's just piggybacking off her popularity in a state he has to win - but he's not going to pick her. I'd be shocked if he did.

Might alienate a lot of Southern voters.

So yeah, go for it!

I'd be surprised to see a woman picked this year. I think Sarah Palin poisoned the well for women candidates for the next cycle.

Mitt seems very uncomfortable around women. He'd be certain to make some pretty serious gaffes with a female candidate.


Then again, I also don't think the party would be too happy about her being another New Englander.

I'm guessing Romney is looking for someone to help him win rather than help him govern. If he decides he can't win without New Hampshire, he may just pick her.

I still think Mitt will go with the "safe" choice, Rob Portman of Ohio.

Portman's one net negative is that he was in the Bush administration, and the Republicans are desperately trying to forget 2001-2009 ever happened.

In fact, if Portman gets selected, I expect they'll simply tout his credentials as "Former Trade Representative" and try very hard to avoid saying, or even admitting, that he was Trade Representative during the Bush pResidency.

especially after the way McCain botched his VP pick in 2008. Rmoney is going to have to be a lot more careful with his pick then McCain was and if that means not picking a woman, I think he'll probably do it. She could be Palin all over again.

I still think he's going to go with Pawlenty, Ryan or Portman.

I don't know that he'd pick Ayotte, but unlike Palin she's well educated. I'm guessing he'll go with Portman for the Ohio vote.

and will be under scrutiny.

especially if on women's issues Sen. Ayotte is no better than Romney. Women are smart they look at issues not simply the sex of a candidate.

nt

I don't understand why Pawlenty's name keeps coming up lately.

1. He's the former Governor of Minnesota - a state that hasn't voted Republican since 1972.

2. Isn't he considered a moderate and unacceptable to the social conservatives?

3. It's unusual for someone who is already a co-campaign manager for a Presidential nominee to make the jump to V.P. pick.

Mitt Romney's VP Search Takes a Surprising Turn Closer to Home

Posted: 07/12/2012 8:34 am



When New Hampshire's freshman Republican senator Kelly Ayottte marched with Mitt Romney in last week's July 4th parade in Wolfeboro, it triggered speculation that the presumptive nominee is taking Ayotte seriously as prospective running mate. And indeed, despite her slender political resume, he is. There are four good reasons to think that Ayotte, despite the odds, might end up getting the nod:

First, there's Ann Romney, Mitt's wife, who is is clearly pushing for a female VP. In recent interviews she has gone out of her way, unprompted, to suggest that her husband is considering a woman for the ticket. Romney has been left to nod in agreement, which suggests that his wife is exerting considerable influence over his campaign.

Second, Romney still has a gender problem. It's nowhere near what it was two months ago when Obama enjoined a 15-17 point lead among women. The current lead is down to high single digits, but narrowing that gap is still a Romney priority. Putting a woman on the ticket is certainly one way to think about achieving this goal.

Third, the pool of available women is shrinking. Two other attractive female candidates, New Mexico governor Susana Martinez and former Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice, have issued firm denials of interest in the VP position. In fact, each has liabilities - Martinez, because of her recent outspoken support for comprehensive immigration reform, and Rice, because she served under George W. Bush. A third prospective candidate, Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, the party's fourth ranking official, hasn't caught fire, despite being pushed by GOP insiders.

more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/stewart-j-lawrence/could-new-hampshires-kell_b_1658068.html

There's this little clause in the Constitution that says electors must vote for at least one of the president/vp candidates not from their state, so picking someone from New Hampshire might be a problem. Unless he's still living in his kid's basement in Massachusetts or one of his other residences.

because Romney really needs to appear to seal up the evangelical vote (a real Christian to keep and eye on Romney) and the female vote (because Romeny thinks women will always vote along gender biases instead of issues) all in one swoop. I think Bachmann would fill empty space