Chris Christie Illustrates Worth of VP Role with Biden Joke

Ramin Talaie/Bloomberg via Getty Images(MIDDLESEX, N.J.) -- With speculation resuming about just who will be Mitt Romney’s running mate, one potential veep pick says it doesn’t really matter.

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie told reporters Monday it’s a battle between the top of the two tickets.

“In the end nobody votes for vice president, they vote for president,” Christie told reporters at a news conference day in Middlesex, N.J.

And he joked the same goes for the other ticket.

“No one’s saying, ‘I’m not sure about this Obama guy but, boy, I love Biden,’” Christie quipped, according to video of the news conference. “No matter who Governor Romney picks, if the people of the United States are not convinced that he is the right man to be president of the United States right now, no matter who he picks for vice president, they’re not voting for him and by the same token that went for President Obama four years ago.”

Christie said Romney has been clear that the, “most important quality is that the vice president be ready to be president on day one.”

“It’s the summer, it’s a slow news time,” Christie said. “This is what occupies people’s attention. But in the end, he will make a choice. …He or she will have one debate against Vice President Biden and that’s all you’ll hear [of the running mate]…and the people will vote for either President Obama or Mitt Romney and I don’t think Joe Biden played any role four years ago, and I don’t think he’ll play any significant role now and I don’t think that whoever is selected as vice president will play any significant political electoral role.”

Christie added that the vice president could be, “significant in the White House if either President Obama or President-Elect Romney gives them the opportunity to be significant; then I think it’s much more important.”

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio

Portman Isn't Thinking About Being Picked As VP

Brendan Hoffman/Getty Images(ASHLAND, Ohio) -- There are few moments that change a politician’s life as dramatically as being picked to be a presidential running mate.

The scenario goes something like this: The call comes asking you to join the ticket. If you accept, your world as you once knew it changes in an instant. You are descended upon by a robust Secret Service detail and almost entirely new staffers who work together to seal you off from a life you once considered “normal.”

You are now an integral part of a sprawling national campaign. The press core you know by name expands exponentially to include dozens of people you’ve probably never seen in your life. And with that new group comes the searing glare of the national news media. From the moment you are announced until Election Day, you life is a sprint through swing states, a blur of speeches, and baby kissing.

Ohio Sen. Rob Portman, however, says he hasn’t spent any time thinking about the way his life might change if that call comes from Mitt Romney.

“The truth is we live our lives as if it will never happen. We really do,” Portman said when asked whether he and his family were ready if the call comes. “In our Senate office, we’re continuing to work for Ohio and promote legislation as if we’re going to stay in the Senate. We really don’t think about that and we’re not planning on that.”

Portman, 56, held a volunteer appreciation event Monday in Ashland, Ohio, with Rep. Bob Gibbs, R-Ohio, where he rallied a crowd of about 40 supporters around Romney and other Republicans on the Ohio ticket in November.

Portman said all the stumping he has done in recent months on behalf of Romney was an “honor” and an opportunity to get “get the message out.” He campaigns for Romney, he says, because he thinks the former Massachusetts governor has “the right answers,” not because he wants to be his running mate.

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Mitt Romney's VP List Narrows?

Hemera/Thinkstock(WASHINGTON) -- The list of Mitt Romney’s potential running mates appeared to narrow Monday as Republican National Committee chairman Reince Priebus announced a list of headline speakers -- including some whose names have been tossed around as a possible vice presidential pick -- for the upcoming convention in Tampa, Fla.

Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley are among seven speakers profiled in a news release issued by the RNC on Monday; the others listed in the announcement are Arizona Sen. John McCain, New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez, Ohio Gov. John Kasich and Florida Gov. Rick Scott.

“They are some of our party’s brightest stars, who have governed and led effectively and admirably in their respective roles,” Priebus said in a statement.

Just last week, ABC News senior political correspondent Jonathan Karl listed Rice and Huckabee among his updated list of VP contenders.

Karl also identified former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty as “the new front-runner” in the so-called veepstakes, ahead of Ohio Sen. Rob Portman, Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, New Hampshire Sen. Kelly Ayotte, and Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal.

Other possible VP contenders include Sen. John Thune of South Dakota, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, N.J. Gov. Chris Christie, Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell, and Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels, according to Karl.

The names of additional convention speakers, including the keynote speaker, will be announced in the coming days, the RNC says.

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Romney’s Head of VP Search in Tow for Colorado Event

Hemera/Thinkstock(WASHINGTON) -- Beth Myers, the head of Mitt Romney’s VP search, will join the Republican presidential candidate in Colorado today.

With Myers in tow, Romney will attend an event with Republican governors in Basalt, Colo., this afternoon where a number of potential running mates will be on hand, including New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal and Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell.

While there is no indication whether Romney and Myers will meet with any of the VP potentials, her presence at the event highlights how near Romney’s announcement looms with less than four weeks until the Republican National Convention.

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VP Sweepstakes: Who’s Up and Who’s Down?

Hemera/ThinkstockBy JONATHAN KARL, ABC News Senior Political Correspondent

(WASHINGTON) -- The Romney campaign won't say anything about when a vice presidential announcement will be made, but here is a hint: I know of two potential candidates who have been told to stand ready for an announcement any day now that Romney has returned from his foreign trip. The messages were delivered before Romney returned; the candidates were told to be prepared to jump into action anytime after the end of the trip.

Only Romney ultimately knows when he will pull the trigger, but the widespread expectation of those close to him is that it will happen well before the Republican convention, although likely not before next week.

As for whom the pick will be, I believe the short list comes down to three names: Rob Portman, Tim Pawlenty and Paul Ryan.

Ryan is the dark horse here, dismissed by many as relatively inexperienced and tainted by his controversial "Path to Prosperity" budget, but Romney confidants tell me Romney thinks highly of Ryan and sees his budget plan as a positive, despite the predictable attacks that would come from Democrats. After all, those attacks will come anyway (Democrats already speak of the "Romney-Ryan Budget"). Picking Ryan for VP would put on the ticket the person best able to respond to those attacks.

And get this: Some of Romney's political advisers believe Ryan could put Wisconsin in play, giving a Romney-Ryan ticket a chance of winning a state that hasn't voted for a Republican presidential candidate since Ronald Reagan beat Walter Mondale in 1984. They point to a recent PPP poll that showed putting Ryan on the ticket cuts President Obama's lead in Wisconsin to a single point.

Here is the poll.

There are other longer shots potentially still in play. Marco Rubio, of course, has strong advocates in the party and continues to draw the largest and most enthusiastic crowds of any of the others. There's also Kelly Ayotte and Bobby Jindal.

One thing to consider is the Rafalca factor. Rafalca, of course, is Ann Romney's horse that is in the Olympic dressage competition. Although Mitt Romney is back in the United States, Ann Romney is still in London to watch Rafalca compete.

If Rafalca does well this week (and our money is on the horse doing well), she will make it to the final round of the Dressage competition, which would delay Ann Romney's return from London until Aug. 9. The question is, would Mitt Romney make such a big announcement without his wife?

So, now, here is the new short list of those most likely to be Mitt Romney's running mate:

The Top Tier

1. Tim Pawlenty: Pawlenty is the new front-runner. He has won high marks from Republicans for his work on the Romney campaign: on the stump, in interviews and in fundraising. As the former governor of Minnesota, he has executive experience. He's popular with evangelicals who still might have reservations about Romney. And this might be most important: He is fully vetted (remember, he went through the process in 2008, when he was a top contender to be John McCain's running mate).

2. Rob Portman: He's the man with the golden resume: Two-time cabinet member, congressman, senator.

3. Paul Ryan: Romney has already endorsed the Wisconsin congressman's budget, so why not go all-in?

The Second Tier

4. Marco Rubio: He is the top Republican rising star and to count him out would be foolish.

5. Kelly Ayotte: Kelly Ayotte might be a political novice (Her successful run for the Senate in 2010 is the one and only campaign she has ever run), but she has high-level law enforcement experience as the former appointed attorney general for the state of New Hampshire. She's also well-liked in Romneyworld.

6. Bobby Jindal: The Louisiana governor has policy smarts, executive experience and credibility among conservatives. Then again, he endorsed Rick Perry for president, which, for at least some Romney confidants, makes him virtually disqualified.

The Unlikely

7.  Former Secy. of State Condoleezza Rice

8.  Sen. John Thune of South Dakota

9.  Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush

10.  N.J. Gov. Chris Christie

11.  Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell

12.  Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels

13.  Mike Huckabee

For continued analysis from ABC News Senior Political Correspondent Jonathan Karl: http://abcn.ws/NaBaEW

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio

Mitt Romney's VP Pick? There's an App for That!

MittRomney.com(WASHINGTON) -- Mitt Romney’s campaign said Tuesday it will announce the presumptive Republican presidential nominee's running mate via a new smartphone application.

The app, appropriately named “Mitt’s VP,” allows users to sign up to become the first to learn who Romney selects as his running mate.

“The historic announcement is getting closer,” Beth Meyers, Romney’s senior adviser tasked with leading the vice presidential search, said in a statement released Tuesday.  “Soon everyone will know who Mitt Romney selects as his Vice Presidential running mate.  With this new app, users can be the first to know the second member of America’s Comeback Team.”

When users download the app, a message promises they’ll get “the exciting news before the press and just about everyone else (except maybe Ann.)”

The president’s campaign launched its own smartphone app Tuesday to provide grassroots supporters resources to help persuade, register and turn out voters; collect field data to send back to the campaign’s Chicago headquarters; and process donations.

Obama first pioneered a smartphone app late in the 2008 campaign. This refinement of that app features greater integration with social media, like Facebook and Twitter.

In 2008, the Obama campaign announced via text message its vice presidential selection of then-Delaware Sen. Joe Biden.

Digital promotions like the ones being utilized by the Romney and Obama campaigns allow them to collect personal information -- like mailing addresses, email addresses, phone numbers -- from their supporters.

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio

How Ann Romney's Horse Could Decide VP Announcement Date

ABC News(WARSAW) -- The success of Ann Romney's dressage horse Rafalca in the London Olympics could determine when Mitt Romney announces his running mate.

As Mitt Romney prepares to head back to the states tomorrow evening after several days abroad, the frenzied speculation over who he will choose to be his running mate will reignite after a momentary pause.

But not so fast, veepstakes trackers.

One person who isn't heading back to the U.S. quite yet is Ann Romney, who will return to England to see her horse compete on August 2 and 3. Depending on how the horse performs, he could show again on August 8 and 9, according to Mrs. Romney's spokeswoman Sarah Haley.

That means Ann Romney may not be back in the United States for at least another week. It's unlikely that the presumptive GOP presidential nominee will announce his running mate - perhaps one of the most important moments of his campaign - without his wife, whom he often refers to as his "sweetheart," by his side.

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio

Romney’s VP Search Chief Teases on Twitter

Hemera/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) -- Beth Myers, the head of Mitt Romney’s secretive vice presidential search, kept the mystery alive Friday when she gave a “Friday Follow” shout out to a number of potential running mates for the presumptive Republican nominee.

Tweeting from the handle @BethMyers2012, Myers, who only has one other tweet on her account, sent out a Follow Friday message with the names of six potential vice presidential contenders and one person most people don’t even think is being considered for the number two spot.

“#FF @KellyAyotte @timpawlenty@GovChristie @BobbyJindal@marcorubio @RepPaulRyan@newtgingrich,” Myers tweeted, spurring a flurry of speculation from reporters on Twitter about the names both on and off the list.

But soon after, Myers, tweeted a second message, rounding out the list with more names widely considered to be on Romney’s list.

“#FF @robportman @bobmcdonnell@CondoleezzaRice @johnthune@Gov_Martinez @RickSantorum.”

That doesn’t exactly narrow it down.

While Romney is on his foreign trip, the Romney campaign has dispatched a number of potential candidates, including Govs. Bobby Jindal, Bob McDonnell, and Tim Pawlenty, Sens. Rob Portman and Marco Rubio, and Rep. Paul Ryan to host events as a means of keeping his message in the news while he’s abroad.

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio

Romney’s VP Search Head Keeps Secrets, Even at the Dinner Table

Hemera/Thinkstock(ASHBURN, Va.) -- Beth Myers, who is leading Mitt Romney’s search for a running mate, rallied about 55 Republican women at a Mexican restaurant in Ashburn, Virginia, on Tuesday.

While Myers gave few details on the search process and took no questions afterward, she did say she was pleased with Romney’s options.

“This year we have a ton of qualified Republicans. It is amazing. It made my job really, really hard because it wasn’t a year where there were three people who might fit the bill. We have a deep bench, including your governor,” Myers said, referring to Virginia’s Gov. Bob McDonnell, who has been seen as a second tier possibility in Romney’s search.

Myers also listed prominent women who have worked with Romney and talked about selecting one to be his chief of staff.

She also made light of the difficulty of keeping her work under wraps, particularly in a family setting. “Wherever I go, and it’s been very strange, I can’t tell — because I’m a pretty open person — but I can’t tell anybody about this at all,” Myers said. “My children and husband are really kind of upset, because they — they’ll start — I can sort of tell they’re plotting against me, and they’ll have like — dinner table — just a casual conversation, ‘Gee, who would be a good VP?’ And I just sit there silently.”

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Vice President Joe Biden Hits Mitt Romney, GOP on Outsourcing

Joe Raedle/Getty Images(COLUMBUS, Ohio) -- Speaking to a union in Columbus, Ohio, Thursday, Vice President Joe Biden accused Mitt Romney and Republicans of fostering a business environment that promotes outsourcing. He accused Romney of making his business experience the hallmark of his campaign and even credited him for creating jobs -- not at home, but overseas.

“He’s not running on his experience as governor, where he had a couple good ideas like health care and other things he did,” Biden told the Plumbers and Pipefitter Local Union. “He’s running as the chairman of the board and the founder of Bain."

“I honest to God think it’s totally appropriate to judge whether he was a job creator, and if he did create them, where did he create the jobs?” Biden added. “I have to admit, after really going into detail, that he did create jobs. But they were in Singapore, China, India. They weren’t in Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania.”

Biden said those who are willing to generate incentives for companies to outsource jobs are guilty of promoting other countries and “betting on China.” He noted that he and the president aren’t “betting on anybody else. We’re betting on Ohio. We’re betting on the United States of America.”

The vice president’s remarks came shortly after Senate Republicans rejected a Democratic bill that would have eliminated tax breaks for businesses that ship jobs overseas.

“They prevented us from even being able to get a vote on that,” Biden said to boos from the crowd. “So it’s dead. It’s dead. They maintained a tax cut to take your company abroad and refused to give a tax cut to bring your [company] home.”

Biden shifted from criticizing Romney and the GOP for allegedly promoting outsourcing to harping on Romney for opposing the auto bailout. He expressed disbelief that people would consider voting for a candidate who maintained foreign bank accounts.

“Romney said the president is out of touch. Out of touch? A guy who has a Swiss bank account? A guy who has, apparently, millions of bucks invested in the Cayman Islands, and my guy is out of touch?” Biden asked. “Did you ever think you’d see a presidential race where you’re choosing between one guy who has millions of bucks in the Cayman Islands and a Swiss bank account and another guy who’s invested in America?”

The vice president spoke in Ohio as part of his “Made in Ohio Manufacturing Tour,” highlighting the Obama administration’s work to enhance the industry in the state. Calling the manufacturing industry in Ohio a “renaissance” that boosted the number of jobs created in the state, Biden lauded the advancements the industry has made as it helps the country inch closer to its goal of becoming the “leading manufacturer in the world.”

“Ohio’s coming back! America’s coming back! The middle class is coming back!” Biden said.

Romney’s campaign called the vice president’s speech “misleading” and classified it as an attempt to distract voters from closely examining what it called the president’s failed initiatives.

“Just weeks after admitting the truth about the president’s failed policies, Vice President Biden today tried to cover up for three years of broken promises by the administration and its failure to fix the economy and create jobs,” Ryan Williams, a spokesman for Romney, said in a statement. “No misleading campaign speech can hide the truth that President Obama’s policies have not helped the struggling middle class. While this administration puts their faith in government, Mitt Romney puts his faith in the American people and their entrepreneurial spirit.”

The Romney camp has also hit back at the outsourcing claims, saying if anybody is a "pioneer of outsourcing," it's President Obama, who the Romney campaign claims diverted hundreds of millions of taxpayer-funded stimulus dollars to companies like Fisker, which developed electric cars in Finland, and Chinese companies to create windmills and solar panels in China.

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio