Google hangout: Romney VP choices, how to pronounce Kelly Ayotte
In the race to be Mitt Romney’s running mate, does it help or hurt Tim Pawlenty that he took a pass when he had a chance to hammer Romney’s healthcare plan during the debate season?
Some critics have called Sen. Rob Portman of Ohio a bland white guy. But did any other potential VP pick for the Republicans kayak their guts out -- and then slam their own dislocated shoulder back in place? What’s bland about that?
On the other hand, why wouldn’t Romney, the former Massachusetts governor, choose a woman? He’s trailing badly in the polls among women and presumably could get a boost by tapping, say, Gov. Susana Martinez of New Mexico as his No. 2.
The answer to these and other pressing questions await in our Politics Now hangout, which can be seen here. Political reporters Maeve Reston and Robin Abcarian talk to me about who will be the first post-Sarah Palin veep nominee for the Republican Party.
PHOTOS: The search for Romney’s running mate
Romney is expected to make his choice known in the coming days, perhaps following a weekend tour of battleground states. That will still leave time for the Republican and his new running mate to soak in what they hope will be some positive afterglow, leading up to the Republican National Convention, which begins Monday, Aug. 27, in Tampa, Fla.
The first to get the news will not be a political reporter or the many pundits who have been following the race, but rather rank-and-file Romney backers with the campaign’s “Mitt’s VP” app, who are intended to get early word on the selection. As the political world waits for the decision, the Politics Now crew sets the mood.
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