Let the VP Speculation Begin!

I boldly predict that Romney's running mate will be a boring white guy.

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Let's face it: never in our lifetimes will we see as disastrous/awesome a vice-presidential choice as John McCain made four years ago when he plucked Sarah Palin from the wilds of Wasilla and set her before the nation. Whoever Mitt Romney chooses to be his running mate, he (yeah, it's going to be a he) is not going to be anywhere near as interesting, maddening, or costly to the GOP ticket. Unlike McCain, Romney is not a gambler. We can be fairly sure that his choice will be vetted a lot more closely, and the ultimate pick will be, above all, safe.

This is bad news for people like me who write about politics for a living. I'd go back and see how many words I've spilled over Sarah Palin in the last four years, but I'm afraid of what I'd find. I'm fairly certain I won't be anywhere near as inspired by the person Romney chooses. Will it be repellent white guy Rick Santorum? No! Will it be boring white guy Rob Portman? Maybe! Will it be some other boring white guy? Probably! And if Romney's inclination wasn't already to stick with someone safe and unremarkable, the Palin experience will make him even more likely to choose a running mate guaranteed to be as uninteresting as possible. So why not start the speculation now?

And speaking of Sarah Palin, the other day she was interviewed on CNN, and not only did she not rule out a run in 2016, when she was asked whether she'd be open to being drafted for the top slot by a desperate party at the convention this summer, she said, "I wouldn't close that door." It's not too late, Republicans.

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