Ann Romney, wife of the presumptive Republican presidential candidate seeking to take on pro-abortion President Barack Obama, says Romney is strongly considering a woman as his running mate.
With Romney having already pledged to pick a pro-life vice-presidential running mate, a pro-life woman would very likely energize Republican and pro-life voters and provide further contrast to Obama, who has compiled a very lengthy pro-abortion record.
“We’ve been looking at that,” Ann Romney said when asked in a CBS interview if a woman should join Romney on the ticket. “I’d love that option as well. So, you know, there’s a lot of people that Mitt is considering right now.”
“I like to think that I have a few that I really like a lot,” she said. Romney said the person should be “someone that obviously can do the job but will be able to carry through with some of the other responsibilities” and have “the same personality type.”
She added: “Competent, capable and willing to serve this country. I think there’s lots of good people out there that fill that bill right now.”
Romney himself would not speculate publicly, saying, “That’s something I’m keeping close with my team.”
Republican presidential hopeful John McCain selected a pro-life woman, then-Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, as his running mate and was credited with shoring up his support from conservatives in so doing. It also provided Republicans a chance, following pro-abortion Geraldine Ferraro in 1984, to install the first woman vice-president. Romney potentially choosing a woman as his nominee would provide a third chance for such a historic vote.
A pro-life woman would also counter the War on Women rhetoric coming from the Obama campaign and leading pro-abortion groups like NARAL and Planned Parenthood, which have aggressively attack Romney’s pro-life views.
Specifically, Ann Romney’s comments came on the same day the Romneys participated in a Independence Day parade with pro-life New Hampshire Sen. Kelly Ayotte one of several of female politicians who could be on Romney’s short list. Ayotte also spoke last week at the National Right to Life convention, representing Romney and his pro-life views and informing hundreds of convention-goers that Romney wants to repeal Obamacare and its abortion funding.
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During her time as Attorney General for New Hampshire, Ayotte took on the Planned Parenthood abortion business and won at the Supreme Court level in her attempt to defend the state’s parental involvement law to help teen girls not have abortions.
New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez, South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, and Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin are other pro-life women who have been mentioned as potential vice-presidential selections, along with Ayotte.
Ohio Sen. Rob Portman, former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal — all pro-life — are the top men considered as potential vice-presidential selections.
