Rob Portman's Edge: He's Dull as Dirt

Most media VP speculation is swirling around colorful personalities like Marco Rubio, Paul Ryan, and Bob McDonnell, but Politico has its eye on a candidate who exemplifies drab: Rob Portman. The last bill the Ohio senator introduced was a measure controlling Asian Carp in the Great Lakes—not exactly the stuff Republican National Convention-goers swoon over. Unlike other candidates, Portman isn't selling a book—his last one was about Ohio's Shaker society—and never appears on Sunday shows.

But some Republicans think that's the perfect post-Palin VP recipe. "I don't think bland is a liability," says John Thune. "It's probably a virtue." Democrats note that Portman bears the Bush administration stigma, but otherwise have perfectly dull things to say about him—Ted Strickland calls him a "very conservative guy with good manners." For his part, Portman says he's "consciously ignoring" the speculation, lest it distract from his day job."I'm focused on the issues."