Who should GOP pick to be ‘one heart beat away’?

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In the wake of John McCain’s defeat in 2008, the Republican base insisted that it would never again allow a moderate to become its party’s nominee.

So why is Mitt Romney now that nominee?

And after endless claims that the central issue of the 2012 campaign would be ObamaCare, why did the party end up selecting the godfather of ObamaCare as its champion?

Most importantly, in a year in which the Democrats hope to depict their Republican opponents as captives of the rich and powerful, why has the GOP chosen to play into that narrative by nominating the walking epitome of wealth and power?

Why why why?

Of course, Rick Santorum is still pretending it’s not over, and Newt Gingrich is still pretending to pretend that it’s not over. But it’s over, and even they know it. It’s time to turn to the next question:

Who should Romney pick as his running mate?

A playful McCain suggest Sarah Palin. Palin suggests Allen West, and West rather likes the idea. Barack Obama is trying his best to handcuff Romney to Paul Ryan, and Romney’s people seem open to the idea. Romney strategist Stuart Stevens told the Washington Post that the two men had “chemistry” as they campaigned together for five consecutive days in Wisconsin.

"You can go with him, or you can go with her..."

The British bookies have installed U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio as the 11/4 favorite to get the nod, with Chris Christie as the second most likely. But the reaction of the New Jersey governor continues to be a big “fugetaboutit.” He says he has his eye on a national race four years from now, which implies a lack of confidence that Romney will be running for re-election come 2016.

Mitch Daniels, the governor of Indiana, has Washington experience, but a Romney/Daniels ticket would make even CSPAN junkies nod off from boredom. And from what I’m seeing, Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin may be looking for a job soon, so he might be available.

With Romney trailing Obama among women voters by an almost 2-1 margin in some polls, a gender-balanced ticket might be smart. If the party isn’t yet terrified of the idea of picking obscure small-state governors for the job, maybe Susana Martinez of New Mexico will fill the bill, although she’s said she doesn’t want the job.

And hey, there’s always Herman Cain. Can’t you just see the Hermanator smiling on a stage in Tampa, telling the crowd “I told you I’d be back”?