Don't Expect Romney To Choose a Conservative VP

Now that he's effectively dispatched Santorum and Gingrich, Romney apparently feels "liberated" that he won't have to choose a conservative as his running mate:

Mitt Romney’s advisers and top supporters have begun informally discussing potential vice presidential candidates and believe that the sooner he can put away the Republican nomination, the more flexibility he will have in picking his running mate.

And although they are careful to note that the campaign is far from putting together a short list, key supporters and strategists said Friday that they are beginning to see the outlines of the kind of person Romney will choose — and the kind he will avoid.

In short, the habitually cautious candidate is less likely to try to make a splash by picking a game-changing candidate and more likely to choose someone safe, whom he sees as competent and ready to be president.

The conventional thinking has been that after a long and divisive primary campaign, the challenge of uniting the GOP would force Romney to pick a running mate with strong appeal to tea party activists and evangelicals. But Romney’s team thinks he may be liberated from that pressure if he can finish off remaining rivals Rick Santorum, Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul in the next few weeks.

If Mitt picks some RINO Veep, he's done. Conservatives at the grassroots level won't work for him, many won't show up to vote for him. Not only will he lose but it could also cost down-ballot races.

At least McCain was smart enough to pick a solid conservative running mate.  I'd hate to think Romney was dumber than McCain.