Young voters' VP wish list

Alexander,

The question you posed earlier this week is the one we'll probably be hearing most often as the rest of this campaign plays out.

While there are dozens of potential GOP vice presidential candidates, there are only a handful who could successfully mobilize (or attempt to) young voters.

Marco Rubio - This Florida senator is at the top of anyone's VP list. He's got obvious chemistry with presumptive nominee Mitt Romney, and his minority status will certainly help the GOP ticket in a 2012 race that will largely revolve around each ticket's ability to mobilize the minority (especially Hispanic) vote.

Ron Paul - The longtime Texas congressman is on few people's VP list, but I'd caution the Romney camp against given this current presidential hopeful a serious consideration. No potential GOP vice presidential candidate has as much potential to mobilize the youth vote as much as Ron Paul. He's got a devoted following, national name recognition and, the active opposition he faces with mainstream GOPers will most likely not be mobilized with Paul at the bottom of the ticket. Also, Reuters published an interesting poll earlier this month that showed Paul would pull 17% of the national vote were he to run third party. If you're Mitt Romney, you need to do everything in your power to keep that from happening.

Chris Christie - The NJ governor is a GOP darling whom many pundits believe would have won the Republican contest had he entered the race. That said, I'd be extremely cautious to putting him on the ticket were I the Republican candidate. Christie is hated by most moderates and all liberals in his home state, and could not guarantee the GOP ticket a win in the Garden State. I personally like Christie, but don't see the upside to including him on the GOP ticket.

Those are a my thoughts on some of the potential GOP VP candidates. What do you think, Alexander?

Romney's VP pick could court youth

Governor Romney is the presumptive Republican nominee. In due course, he will likely rack up enough delegates to effectively run a national election campaign.

But as we have reported here, millennials take issue with many elements of the platform that he has adopted as a self-proclaimed genuine conservative candidate seeking the GOP nomination.

If President Obama's health care legislation is ruled unconstitutional, including the provisions providing coverage for young adults under their parents' plans and for patients with pre-existing medical conditions, Romney will likely experience a visible backlash among youth who have merely not followed his candidacy to date.

In addition to the list of moves that Wesley has proposed last month, Romney's VP pick, too, could potentially position him more strongly with the younger 18-29 demographic. One former Obama aide said Condoleezza Rice, the former Secretary of State, could bring new voters into the Romney camp.

Wesley, who are some other potential Romney VPs that could have appeal to the youth vote?