Fortuño (pictured) is governor of state that, not to put too fine a point on it, is not a state yet. And he’s, obviously, Puerto Rican, not Mexican-American, which would help Romney more. That’s an issue with Rubio, too — his parents came from Cuba — as is Rubio’s opposition to the DREAM Act, which is popular among rank-and-file Latino voters.

Sandoval is highly regarded in Nevada, but he’s pro-choice on abortion, which would be a problem for any vice presidential nominee in the modern Republican Party, but most especially for Romney, whose own late-in-life conversion on that issue is a source of suspicion among social conservatives.

Martinez’s problems stem less from anything in her makeup or résumé than with a certain movie airing this spring on HBO — about another Republican governor from a western state who was tapped as a vice-presidential nominee after having been governor for about an hour. But the lesson of Sarah Palin cuts two ways: Her choice thrilled the Republican base, energized the nominee, enlivened the 2008 GOP convention — and provided a boost in the polls. So maybe Martinez would be a live ticket.

Who else might fit that bill? Perhaps the man from Miami. He’s a fiscal and social conservative who was elected with ardent Tea Party support.