The Rubio part does. But … I thought it was going to be Romney/Bachmann.

No Bachmann?

The Republican nomination for president is completely up for grabs, but there’s a lot of agreement on who the vice presidential pick should be: Marco Rubio, the freshman senator from Florida. My contacts in the Mitt Romney camp are boasting: “Doesn’t a Romney-Rubio ticket sound great?” One senior Romney advisor told me: “We think that could be a dream ticket.” Operatives from the pack of other wannabes are thinking ahead to the same Rubio marriage with their candidate.

Mr. Rubio was pressed to join the presidential sweepstakes, but declined because of his newcomer status to the Senate. But he has several appeals as the number two man on the ticket. First, he is a big vote getter in the electoral swing state of Florida, which is a must win state for Republicans. Second, his Hispanic heritage is a proven vote-getter with Latino voters. A third draw is that Mr. Rubio has indisputable conservative and tea party credentials, which would make him a natural pair with Mr. Romney, who is seen by some as a moderate, corporatist Republican. The same logic would apply if Minnesota’s Tim Pawlenty won the nomination.

Why would Rubio want to be the VP nominee in a race versus an incumbent president? The odds are against you winning, and if you do end up falling short, you have the stink of “loser” on you going forward when you’re looking ahead to running for president yourself. No 40-year-old with national aspirations needs that. (No wonder Rubio’s said, “I won’t consider it.”) Besides, Romney may not need him to hold Florida. He’s already out to a 10-point lead there and will surely have Jeb Bush and Rubio stumping for him in-state if he’s the nominee. Rubio’s growing status as a young hawk in the McCain mold could also be a liability (or an asset) depending upon what sort of foreign policy Romney himself settles on. And look: Realistically, if Mitt wins the nom and Bachmann finishes second, the pressure on him to name either her or another woman to the ticket will be tremendous. Out: Romney/Rubio. In: Romney/Haley?

Say this for the guy, his ad team is on the ball. Two new economy-themed spots here, both aimed not at his rivals but at The One, and one of which will be very familiar to you. Exit question: Given his immense fundraising advantage, are there any Wile E. Coyotes in the field who can catch this Roadrunner?