HMM.  AN ORGANIZED CAMPAIGN? – AT 9:29 A.M. ET:  First Jeb, now Rudy.  In the last 48 hours two Republican heavyweights have endorsed Marco Rubio for vice presidential candidate.  Is this coincidence, or is it an organized campaign, part of a buildup?  By some strange coincidence, Rubio will be campaigning heavily for Romney in the next few days.  From The Politico:

Rudy Giuliani, stumping for Mitt Romney in Florida, offered his own take on who the candidate should pick for a running mate:

In an interview in Tampa with News Channel 8, the one-time presidential candidate said he was comfortable with all the potential running mates being talked about in the press, but thinks U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio would be the best choice.

Giuliani said the Florida senator could help the campaign attract young people.

On the one hand, he was making the comment in Rubio's home state. On the other, he's the latest Romney endorser to openly make the pitch for Rubio (Jeb Bush said yesterday he's even approached Romney about it).

COMMENT:  It is a bit unusual for major party figures to pump for a particular choice for VP.  Rubio happens to be my choice as well.  I think he will add dynamism to the ticket, help substantially with Hispanic voters, and bring in his critical state of Florida, the nation's fourth most populous state.

I also think Rubio may be a long shot at this point.  Romney tends to favor safer, more conventional choices, like the able senator from Ohio, Rob Portman. 

By the way, Condi Rice is out with a piece in the Financial Times that reads like a convention speech.  This is not the kind of writing she normally does.  She claims she's not interested in the VP slot, but, for an uninterested person, she sure knows how to craft a good political document.  Let the intrigue begin.

July 27, 2012