It's an old axiom in American Presidential politics that the most important decision any President can make is who his or her Vice President will be. With the 2012 Election, that axiom is just as true as it's ever been, for either major candidate - though we certainly don't envy the task of Mitt Romney and his advisors.
For President Obama, the choice is easy, for a whole host of reasons. For one thing, current Vice President Joe Biden has a long history in the U.S. Senate - thirty-six years as a Senator - which gives him and the President some leverage in Congress they might not otherwise have. It also gives President Obama a sort of institutional memory of Washington, DC, which may explain why some politicians act so oddly at times. Their actions may simply be because of perceived slights or actions that Mr. Biden may have observed from many years ago, back when Barry Obama was in college for a bachelors degree.
Mr. Romney, on the other hand, is facing a staggering array of choices - and he's almost certain to disappoint some voters.
That's part of why non-incumbent presidential candidates like Mr. Romney, traditionally do what Mitt did recently, when he chose his longtime advisor Beth Meyers to head up his vice presidential search committee. Meyers has been an advisor to Romney for years, and acted as his Chief of Staff back when Mitt was governor of Massachusetts, so she may have as good a feeling as anyone about what kind of person might help compliment Romney's strengths and weaknesses.
One thing we don't advise Ms. Meyers to do is look to the media for help on who might make a good vice presidential pick. Nearly every media pundit and media organization seems to have their own idea of a good vice presidential choice for Mr. Romney.
From so-called "star" picks, like New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and freshman Florida Senator Marco Rubio, to former Bush director of Office of Managment and Budget - and current Indiana Governor - Mitch Daniels, the names that members of the media keep throwing out there continue to pile up.
Some political handicappers look to potential candidates like Congressman Paul Ryan or former Florida governor Jeb Bush, as choices that might help pull a swing state into the win column for Romney in November.
Other possible choices like New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez, or former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice are seen as ways to hypothetically swing more of the minority vote towards Mitt - though we highly doubt either choice could swing enough votes, or would satisfy the Republican base of Mr. Romney's party.
Of course, as Matt Negrin of ABC News noted on Wednesday, the political ghost of Sarah Palin haunts any choice that Mr. Romney might make, much as the references to the Titanic have haunted the media throughout this month, on the hundredth anniversary of its sinking.
We don't suggest Mr. Romney & Ms. Meyers look to the members of the Republican Party for help on this either. The latest polling confirms Republicans are almost as divided on who they'd like to see Mr. Romney pick for VP, as the GOP base has been about who they've wanted for their Presidential pick.
If we were to give Mitt Romney any guidance at all on this issue, the best advice we could give is to choose the person that he'd pick for President if Mr. Romney knew he were dying of some horrible disease.
That person, man or woman, who is organized enough, disciplined enough, trustworthy enough, knowledgeable, wise, smart - and hopefully, somewhat humble - would be the person we'd recommend he pick.
Of course, if the GOP could find someone like that, who both the Republican Party base would vote for, along with the rest of the country, we doubt Mr. Romney would be the Republican Party's current presumptive nominee.
