Mitt Romney's 'VP tryout extravaganza': Rating the contenders

Romney's five-day bus tour through six swing states doubled as a public audition for potential running mates. How did they do?

Mitt Romney spent the most time on his bus tour with former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty: Here, they address a crowd in Cornwall, Pa.
(Image credit: AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Mitt Romney is wrapping up his six-state "Every Town Counts" bus tour, and he hasn't been traveling alone. As his bus swung through New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and the upper Midwest, Romney held "a series of rolling auditions" for potential vice presidential candidates, say Jeff Zeleny and Ashley Parker in The New York Times. Many of the Republicans believed to be on Romney's short-list joined him on the bus and on the stump, showing their mettle at rallies and allowing "Romney and his family to measure their comfort level with a potential partner on the ticket." The selection process is still a closely guarded secret (though a new ABC report suggests that Florida Sen. Marco Rubio isn't even being vetted), and Romney is reportedly putting priority on finding a team player who's "unquestionably prepared to be president," well-vetted, used to the national spotlight, and unlikely to harm his White House bid. Who stepped up for Romney's rolling "VP tryout extravaganza," and how did they do? Here, a brief scorecard:

1. Kelly Ayotte

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