VP Suspense Continues
by Kathleen Parker - Shreveport Times (excerpt)

Drum roll. Suspense. Who will it be? In this corner, we have Stormin' Mormon Mitt Romney. In the other, we have Brain-Buster Bobby Jindal.

Amid speculation that John McCain will announce his vice presidential pick soon, political nail-biters have begun placing bets. Favorites include Louisiana Gov. Jindal and former Massachusetts Gov. Romney, whose resume is familiar.

Can McCain's former foe become his new best friend? Romney would bring more than squeaky clean qualifications and youthful good looks to the ticket. New polling in Michigan by Ayres, McHenry & Associates shows that Romney gives McCain a significant jump — "off the charts," as someone familiar with the still-unreleased poll described it — and makes him competitive in a state that hasn't voted Republican since 1988. Mike Huckabee had little effect on the survey results and Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty's name was of negligible value.

Given the importance of even that single state, where 17 electoral votes are at stake, Romney would seem a logical choice. Then again, as conservatives frequently note, logic doesn't always work with McCain, who seems to enjoy doing the opposite of what he senses people want him to do.

Although Jindal is less well-known, he's got rising star power.

He's been governor only for six months and has the unique opportunity to create a new state, literally, from the ground up. Politically, the fallout would be significant, as Lt. Gov. Mitch Landrieu, a Democrat and brother of U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu, would take Jindal's place.

Staying put might allow him time to further burnish his executive credentials while honoring his contract with Louisiana voters. Jindal's resume would suggest that he's always been a man in a hurry, but there's no rush for the nation's junior governor.

When you're Bobby Jindal, the night really is young.