[techno]

Bottom line folks:

Obama is now sitting at 247 EV. (sure blue states)

Romney is at 180 EV. (Sure red states).

Add Ohio, NC, Indiana and Florida (73 EV) to Romney’s column that takes Romney to 253 EV.

Bottom line if Romney loses VA (13), that takes Obama to 260 EV.

And Romney cannot win VA if Goode, the constitutionalist presidential candidate remains on the ballot. He is currently polling in the 9% range and polls show he takes way more support away from Romney than Obama.

So Romney either concedes VA and probably loses the election or chooses a constitutional conservative to win those votes back from Goode.

Now if Romney chooses to concede VA, then he must win Colorado (9) and two of these three states (Nevada (6), Iowa(6), and NH (4)) to win the presidency.

If Romney somehow edges Obama out in VA he only needs to win Iowa to become President.

So if Romney is intent on fighting to win VA, who does he pick as his running mate. There is one obvious choice, don’t you think?

[svcw]

Romney will win any state where there is a mormon voting population of 5% or more.
This cycle they are voting for him at about 98%.

[savedbygrace]

So you’re a Sabato fan, huh?

[BarnacleCenturion]

“247 EV (sure blue states)”

Wrong.

http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/archive/2012_electoral_college_scoreboard

[plain talk]

so what is the list of “sure blue states” that makes up the 247 EV? If you have a link that would be fine. I like the way you are approaching this but just interested in how you got to 247. thanks!

[faucetman]

Exactly correct. Yesterday, I think, Hannity was talking with John Sununu about the Veepstakes and Hannity put his plug in for his man crush candidate, Rubio and mentioned many others, then Sununu added Bob McDonnell to the list. Hannity had not mentioned McDonnell. Sununu also said Jindal was not mature enough at this time. Sununu seemed to be, in the know, if you ask me.

[AuH2ORepublican]

Given that (i) Romney has polled very competitively in VA throughout, (ii) the only VA poll in which Goode is at 9% was done by the Democrat PPP firm so as to prop up Obama’s candidacy, and (iii) Goode has not qualified for the ballot in VA, and qualifying for the ballot is famously difficult to do (10,000 signatures, at least 400 from each congressional district, and out-of-state petition workers are forbidden), it is risible that Romney would even consider writing off VA.

Romney does need VA, which, after adding NC, OH and FL (IN is in the bag), puts him at 266, needing only one more state (whether IA, CO, NV, WI, NH, or whatever) to win. You are correct that Romney needs a conservative to carry VA, but that’s also true for OH, NC and FL. I would also posit that picking a Protestant would help him a lot more with the Evangelical voters from whom he needs a large turnout than if he picked a Catholic. Frankly, I’m more concerned about OH than I am about VA, and believe that Romney should pick Rob Portman as his runningmate.

[GOPsterinMA]

BINGO!!!

I’ve been saying it’s Bob McDonnell for a few couple now.

[GOPsterinMA]

BINGO!!!

I’ve been saying it’s Bob McDonnell for a couple weeks now.

[GOPsterinMA]

BINGO!!!

I’ve been saying it’s Bob McDonnell for a couple weeks now.

[Alberta's Child]

I'd be curious to see how your math was done. I think there are far more toss-up states than you're accounting for. I would take all of the states that Obama won in 2008 and turn the following from "Blue" to "in play":

1. Colorado
2. New Mexico
3. Wisconsin
4. Iowa
5. Ohio
6. Indiana
7. Virginia
8. North Carolina
9. Florida
10. Nevada
11. Pennsylvania (yes, Pennsylvania)
12. Michigan (yes, Michigan)

Some of these may already be leaning Romney's way (North Carolina, for example). I don't see how Obama's chances are very good if he has to "play defense" in all of these states while there probably isn't a single "Red" state from 2008 that he has a good chance of turning "Blue."