Who Is Rob Portman? The REAL GOP VEEP

He's a bit under the radar, but will be taking Marco Rubio's supposed top spot

In case you haven’t heard, Florida Senator, Marco Rubio, one of the more popular possibly republican VP’s may have competition for the coveted position. Rob Portman, a junior Senator of Ohio has been catching the attention of many members of the Republican Party — much like Mr. Rubio. And is now a top contender for the position, somewhat of an insider favorite.

In a poll conducted by BuzzFeed, two-thirds of state Republican Party chairs and members of the Republican National Committee said he was the best pick. The survey was informal and was conducted just last week during the State Chairman meeting.

Mr. Portman being from Ohio is a definite plus, since Ohio is a swing state. Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum tied in the Ohio Primary but in 2008, the state went democratic and voted for Obama, who beat John McCain by 5 points (52% to 47%). Nevertheless, Mr. Portman’s help served Mr. Romney well. He campaigned with Mr. Romney in Ohio and helped him claim a more regional base. Another reason why they like Mr. Portman is because he’s not likely to overshadow Mr. Romney. Afraid of another flamboyant VP candidate, one Midwestern committeeman even said, “He’s not going to be Palin — he’s not going to be fighting to get in front of cameras, [Portman] knows his place.” Mr. Rubio was also talked about but some members found him to be a bit more risky; since he hasn’t been involved in a national campaign and has some ethical issues in his background, they’re unsure if he could stand up to the fight against Obama and the media.

Both Rubio and Portman have offered up each other’s names as possible VP’s. In many polls, including a National Journal poll from earlier this month, Mr. Rubio is leading as the possible VP but we’ve seen in the past that the leader in the polls for VP isn’t always chosen. For both Barack Obama and John McCain in 2008, neither Joe Biden nor Sarah Palin were in the top five for VP candidates.