BOSTON - Republican front-runner Mitt Romney has begun his search for a running mate in the race for president, and he will be guided in part by the lessons his party learned from Sarah Palin's selection four years ago.
As he prepares for the chance to challenge President Barack Obama in November, Romney wants to avoid the blowback Republican John McCain faced in 2008 with his surprise choice of the little-known Alaska governor as the vice-presidential candidate. Questions about Palin's readiness to serve and McCain's decision-making came to define his flawed campaign.
Romney will put experience at the top of his list of qualities as he chooses a No. 2, according to senior advisers and Republican operatives familiar with his thinking. They spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak candidly about a process Romney is trying to keep as private as possible.
"The hallmark for Governor Romney's candidacy, and how he would be as president, is that he approaches these decisions in a well-thought-out, methodical way," said Steve Duprey, a former McCain adviser and member of the Republican National Committee. "It won't be like the McCain campaign, where there was a big surprise."
The former Massachusetts governor did give a few hints about his plans Monday, disclosing that he had chosen his former chief of staff and 2008 presidential campaign manager, Beth Myers, to lead the vetting and analysis of prospective running mates.
Romney said the selection would certainly happen before the Republican National Convention in late August, where he is all but certain to become the party's nominee. But when asked about potential choices -- and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, specifically -- Romney hedged.
"Well I think he's one of the terrific leaders in our party, but I think it's way too early to begin narrowing down who the potential vice-presidential nominees might be," Romney said in an interview with Diane Sawyer of ABC News. "But we're beginning that process, we'll talk about a lot of folks, and then go through the kind of vetting and review process that you have to go through to make sure whoever you select will pass the evaluation that's required by the American people."
In addition to his running mate being prepared to assume the presidency, Romney has laid out only one other public criterion: that he or she oppose abortion rights. That condition could help reassure social conservatives that Romney is serious about his opposition to abortion -- a sensitive issue because he supported abortion rights when he ran for the Senate from Democratic-leaning Massachusetts in 1994.
Several Republicans familiar with Romney's thinking downplay the importance of choosing a running mate from a particular battleground state or an important voting demographic.
Romney also is expected to avoid a candidate with the kind of star power that might distract too much attention from the party's main campaign themes -- Republicans are working to make the election a referendum on Obama -- or overshadow Romney himself.
Rubio, 40, is one such celebrity candidate. The Cuban-American Florida senator is in the midst of only his second year on Capitol Hill, but he is both a conservative favourite and potential bridge to the growing Hispanic voting bloc. Polls show Romney trailing Obama by a large margin among Hispanic voters.
Ohio Sen. Rob Portman is also near the top of many speculative lists of potential running mates. Portman endorsed Romney early and campaigned hard for him in Ohio, a key battleground state that Republican candidates usually must win to be successful in Novembe.
Romney also is likely to consider conservative favourites such as New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell. Still, if he's looking for experience, that group has just five years of gubernatorial experience among them.
More experienced Republicans could help Romney mitigate some political liabilities, such as his $250 million fortune and his struggle to connect with working-class voters.
Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty comes from a working-class background that could help. He's been aggressively campaigning on Romney's behalf since suspending his presidential campaign last year.
Republican House budget guru Rep. Paul Ryan also came from humble beginnings. Ryan campaigned at Romney's side for several days ahead of Wisconsin's recent Republican primary, a victory that helped push conservative favourite Rick Santorum out of the race.
Over the coming months, the only thing that's certain in an otherwise uncertain process is that Palin's shadow -- and the troubles of 2008 -- will loom large.
"There's one thing the people in the Republican establishment agree on: There was clearly not a thorough thought process or vetting that went into the vetting of Sarah Palin. They didn't ask the fundamental questions or spend enough time with her," said Sara Fagen, a former political director for President George W. Bush. "I don't think they're going to make the same mistake."
