Mitt Romney for McCain VP?

When they were in competition with each other, Mitt Romney and John McCain fought bare-knuckled for the presidential nomination. But now that McCain has secured the place and is on the lookout for a running-mate, speculation that Romney will be chosen is mounting. So what would the conservative Mormon bring to the table as the country's vice president?

Romney campaigned for the primaries with a video that began "McCain is not as conservative as Romney". Describing himself as "a full-spectrum conservative" and a supporter of "limited government", the "preservation of marriage", and "a foreign policy based on the national interest", Romney sparked a fierce battle between the two. Each insisted that he was the one who would work hardest for the economy and for freedom of speech, and fight hardest against abortion rights, gay marriage and terrorism, until the former governor of Massachusetts stepped down in early February. Five months later and the dual long over, everyone wants to know whether the pair would, and could, work together in the White House.

"McCain is not as conservative as Romney"

One of Mitt Romney's campaign videos, released 1 January 08.

McCain: "I’m astonished that you haven’t found out what waterboarding is"

McCain and Romney fight over interrogation methods in a live CNN debate that took place on November 28, 2008. While ex-war vet McCain said that he disagreed with waterboarding, Romney said it was better not to discuss the matter but did insist on continuation of imprisonment without trial at Guantanamo.

"John McCain and Mitt Romney hate each other"

Alec Dale is a Republican supporter and taxi driver from New York. He writes the blog Punk Rock Republican.

Firstly, John McCain and Mitt Romney hate each other! And McCain is always willing to piss everyone off: he's not going to make a decision on whether people will like him better after - he'll go with his gut feeling. You've got to remember that he's only going to run once, so he'll only be president for four years. That means his vice president pick will also be who he's picking for president in four years time. Why would he pick someone he dislikes?

Next, McCain is an amazing human being but he looks like a little gnome. You don't want a guy smaller and whiter next to you, which is what he'll get with Romney.

I think Giuliani should do it. With him you've got a strong economic background and a great track record with terrorism. He cut the murder rate by 75% in New York and completely overhauled the economy. He's the perfect guy."

"Five reasons John McCain should pick Mitt Romney for VP"

Thomas Keeley is a Mitt Romney fan and Republican Party supporter from Washington DC. He runs the blog DCRepublican.

Long before I was a McCain supporter my top choice, by far, was Mitt Romney. Naturally, there is some bias with me when it comes to this. However to help paint a better picture, here are five reasons that I think would give John McCain incentive to select Mitt Romney as his running mate.

1. Mitt Romney brings a strong understanding of economics and economic policy to the table. This isn't something that was picked up in a committee hearing, instead something learned by operating, managing, and consulting some of America's top companies.
2. Mitt Romney will bring some much needed youth to the campaign. Yes, Mitt Romney isn't the first guy you think of when it comes to being youthful, but at least he has an understanding of technology and new media.
3. Mitt Romney understands the importance of having a strong relationship with foreign countries but, beyond that, also understands the value in having strong business relationships. Mitt Romney has dealt with foreign economies before and he will have no problem transitioning those skills and observations to a larger level.
4. Mitt Romney is an articulate speaker, who can quickly make key points without having to rely on note cards and overused talking points. It's one of my biggest pet-peeves with McCain: that most of his speeches seem overly rehearsed or reliant on note cards and talking points. I know that's how politics is, but some just pull it off better than others.
5. Mitt Romney will be able to bring in a considerable amount of money into the campaign. Even without his personal wealth, Mitt Romney is an extremely well-connected guy, both in business and religious circles. These two areas are obviously areas that McCain could be stronger in when it comes to fundraising [with Romney's help]."