Nothing like killing time with a post about VP speculation to ruin a perfectly good day. The rumors and leaks are flying at breakneck speed and NBC News thinks they have the definitive rumor of the day.
Report from First Read:
We can say with a high degree of confidence that Mitt Romney’s vice-presidential pick has largely come down to three men: former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, U.S. Sen. Rob Portman, and House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan.
And it’s more than possible that Romney has already made up his mind. All three VP finalists bring something different to the table. Pawlenty is the loyal outsider, who would enable a Romney-Pawlenty ticket to run as former governors vowing to take on Washington; Pawlenty also potentially would add some blue-collar appeal to the ticket. Portman would be the insider, someone who knows the ways of Washington and who could help govern starting on Day 1. And Ryan would be the crusader, who wants to substantially transform America’s entitlement programs and who would excite a good portion of the GOP’s conservative base.
Indeed, Ryan has emerged a VERY REAL possibility, but he also brings the most risk. If Romney selects him, it’s more than conceivable that the dominant campaign discussion in the fall won’t be the economy — but rather the deficit and Medicare. Of course, there was already a good chance the Ryan plan will get plenty attention regardless of Romney’s VP pick.
NBC thinks either Ryan, Portman or Pawlenty. That flies in the face of those thinking Jindal or Rubio are in the mix. That again flies in the face of the Weekly Standard which recently said New Jersey Governor Chris Christie could still be in the mix. I’ll give an outside prediction and say Hillary Clinton might be in the mix just to keep it interesting.
The real answer? Nobody has a clue except Romney and his inner circle. Of course, don’t forget you can get the notification via the “Mitt’s VP” app if you’re so inclined.
Your guess is as good as mine.
