Republicans Want an Unqualified and Ineffective Veep Pick

YouGov have released a poll that indicates that forty percent of registered voters do not think that Romney's choice of VP is an important factor in how they plan to vote. Only nineteen percent think Romney's VP pick is "very important". Among Republicans only twenty five percent think the VP pick is "very important". This poll comes to quite different findings to a CBS poll that shows that Romney's choice of running mate is a major factor in how they will vote. 

Regardless of how important voters might think the Republican Vice-Presidential nominee is, the candidates that they seem to think are leading the way is baffling.

Over half of Republicans polled by YouGov said that they were not sure who Romney would pick as a running mate. However, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Condoleezza Rice are the two candidates that Republicans who believe that they are sure think are the most likely to be picked. 

Recently Rice has been fading as a potential VP pick. She has never held an elected office, and is too close to the Bush years for the Romney campaign. Reuters reported on Monday that there is a new top list of candidates: 

Romney's short list of potential running mates is believed to include a host of leading Republicans, including Ohio Senator Rob Portman, former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty, Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal and Florida Senator Marco Rubio.

Although Reuters included Rubio on the list reports are indicating that Rubio is unlikely to be picked for the VP slot and may not have ever been seriously considered. One of Rubio's main appeals, the effect he would have on Hispanic voters, is exaggerated. Politico reported that Obama has the support of seventy percent of the Hispanics, a lead that a Hispanic Republican VP nominee would be incapable of reducing significantly.

What is revealing, and slightly worrying, is that Republicans seem to think that Rice is the most qualified of the possible candidates.

Even Sarah Palin had (somehow) been elected to an office before her memorable VP campaign. Only three percent of Republicans think that Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH) is qualified to be the VP pick. Quite what qualities the Republicans want in their VP nominee remains a mystery.