It looks like the consensus is that Mitt Romney will choose one of the architects of the economic collapse as his running mate:
There is no doubt in the minds of Republican National Committee members that Mitt Romney will be their standard bearer in the fall, and already consensus is building behind one potential vice presidential nominee — Ohio Sen. Rob Portman.
In an informal survey of more than half of the Republican State Chairmen and national committee people at this weekend’s State Chairman meeting at a resort here, two-thirds said they believe Portman is the most-likely and best-qualified running-mate for Mitt Romney. The committee members spoke to BuzzFeed only on the condition of anonymity.
“He’s from Ohio, and we need to win Ohio, it’s that simple,” said one state chair.
Rob Portman served as Bush’s U.S. Trade Representative in 2005-6 before being promoted to Director of the Office of Management and Budget in 2006-7. But he makes the most sense for Romney. He’s not a tea party Republican or a culture warrior. He’s a glorified accountant. He’s the least crazy and damaged candidate from a major swing-state, and he has worked in the White House before. I’ll be surprised if Romney doesn’t pick Portman. Remember, when picking a running mate, first do no harm.
Yet, a Romney/Portman ticket would be pretty bland. It would be very hard for them to whip up the base. It’s their best ticket, but it won’t help them too much further down the ballot. A lot of conservatives will simply stay home.