These days one of the favorite games among political junkies is prognosticating about who will be Romney’s Vice Presidential running mate. An important criterion for selection, the
“incredibly boring white guy” factor previously has been examined by this writer
and others.
Now, there seems to be a consensus among inside GOP political operatives as to who will share the bumper sticker with Romney within that group of potential VP nominees who exemplify that distinguishing “boring” characteristic.
That person is
Ohio Senator Rob Portman.
Sensing an opinion wave for Portman within the last month, I asked a prominent GOP Super Pac insider (name withheld by request) why Portman is the “chosen one” and this was the email response I received:
He could bring Ohio!!! And he is very experienced and he won’t spend $100,000 on clothes in two months! The goal this cycle is “safe, not sorry. But win Ohio!”
Packed within that email are several discussion points alluding to the GOP’s 2008 VP candidate, (which are sure to be elaborated upon in the comment section of this post).
Notwithstanding a negative or positive opinion of the GOP’s 2008 VP candidate, Sarah Palin
has significantly impacted the decision-making selection process of the GOP’s 2012 VP candidate and it now looks like Senator Rob Portman will be the ultimate beneficiary.
Another veteran insider of past GOP presidential campaigns responded to my email which posed the question “Why Portman?” with this list of reasons:
[INDENT]
He’s fabulous.
Would actually be a great VP.
Not an ideologue.
Ohio.
Understands jobs and global economy as U.S. Trade Representative not OMB.
[/INDENT]
“Not OMB” is worth discussing for this is a touchy Portman resume item that Team Obama is sure to exploit as a negative talking point if Portman is officially nominated.
From May, 2006 until June, 2007 Rob Portman served as President George W. Bush’s Director of the Office of Management and Budget. (OMB)
When asked about the potential for President Obama and the Democrats to “denigrate” his OMB service, Portman was ready with an answer, as recently reported in a comprehensive piece in
Real Clear Politics (RCP) entitled, “
Does Portman Have the Edge in VP Sweepstakes?”
He told the
Cincinnati Enquirer last month: “I was there for just over a year and I put out one budget … [which] was actually a balanced budget. And not even over 10 years but over five years and I’m proud of that.” He conceded, “Frankly it was a battle within the White House to get the White House and everybody on board with that . . . but imagine that, a balanced budget.”
So Rob Portman’s defense of his one year as OMB Director includes a small salvo aimed at the Bush White House for rejecting his “
athway to balancing the budget in five years”. Now, by comparison, President Obama’s budget deficits are
projected to be $977 billion in 2013 making President Bush’s $161 billion deficit in 2007 look like chump change.
Some think Rob Portman is Romney's VP choice:
I have heard that too. J.
I think after McCain's Palin debacle, I doubt the GOP is ready to endorse anyone other than an incredibly boring white guy for veep.
If "boring white guy" is in fact the main criteria, then it'll for sure be Portman. I think this pick would take the concept beyond the extreme, but whatever.