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So now Pawlenty's out apparently?

One could interpret the ad as "We haven't leaked our pick yet (today), but prepare for a surprise tomorrow!"

I think, Pawlenty is a solid choice. I always liked how he made fun of the PeTArds, but IMHO he doesn't bring too much new to the table. Romney is probably the safest choice, moderate enough to be attractive to the center, yet conservative enough to be acceptable to the base. However choosing Romney is like saying "Here is the man that can take over for me, after all, I might not run in four years". Pawlenty says "I'll be back in four, and in eight years time, this one will be ready".

Palin is a far more interesting, but also riskier choice. An inspired choice, because it allows McCain to attack hard both center (i.e. soccer moms and working class families who would have voted Clinton because of her experience) and the base (staunch pro-lifer). A risky choice because it might look like the Hillary democrats run the Republican agenda.

In the best case, Hillary supporters will carry McCain to victory, in the worst case right-wing die-hards will be put of by the "Hillary" theme of McCain's campaign. But as Republicans are more likely to unite behind a candidate than Democrats, the benefits should outweigh the risks.