All Matt Drudge had to do was put Condoleezza Rice’s picture on the Drudge Report with a story containing rumors that she was leading Gov. Romney’s list of possible vice-presidential candidates, and the media went wild.

That’s not surprising as Condi Rice would be an out-of-the-box choice; and people are looking for any indication that one candidate or the other is about to break out of what has been, for some time now, a dead heat. Have no fear, the Romney veepstakes isn’t over; and Condi isn’t likely to be Romney’s running mate.

Whether or not former Secretary of State Rice would give Gov. Romney a break-out advantage over President Obama is debatable. That’s just what talk show hosts on the left and the right have been discussing with their guests ever since Drudge posted the story.

A black-conservative woman of Condi Rice’s accomplishments is no one to be scoffed at. She is worthy of the attention she is receiving. She has gravitas, experience, and she has held high, albeit unelected, office. That’s why moderate conservatives like Peggy Noonan are saying she “might be a brilliant choice.”

On the other hand, Ms. Rice has her negatives. She is not a seasoned politician, she calls herself a “mildly pro-choice” conservative, and having her on the ticket would allow Democrats to reopen old wounds. They would go after her on President George W. Bush’s decision to invade Iraq and those elusive weapons of mass destruction.

So why did the Romney camp float the Rice story. Many observers believe they did it to counter NAACP members booing him when he spoke to the organization last week.

Nevertheless, Gov. Romney has said, and recently reiterated, that he won’t choose a pro-choice running mate; and he doesn’t need to carry any more of George W. Bush’s baggage in this election than absolutely necessary. Pro-life conservatives would resent Ms. Rice. They would see her selection as a sellout. Gov. Romney needs an energized base to turn out on Election Day if he’s going to win. He can’t afford to throw cold water on it.

Sec. Rice won’t sway many African American voters from their sworn allegiance to the Democratic Party. She might cut into President Obama’s edge with single women that traditionally vote Democratic; but that gain likely would be offset in battleground states by depressing the Republican base. Romney would be taking an unnecessary risk.

As for whom Mitt Romney eventually will pick as his running mate; we’ll find out in due course. In the meantime, the national veepstakes will continue. After all, it’s a fun game; and Romney himself is encouraging all to play by floating stories and cavorting before the cameras with potential choices.

Almost everyone has someone they either favor or believe Romney will likely choose to join the ticket; and it’s easier to argue with someone that disagrees with you about who Romney should pick as his VP, without coming to blows, than it is to argue about who will or should win the 2012 election.

In any event, how important is Romney’s running mate in this year’s election? It has on occasion made a difference in the past. John F. Kennedy wouldn’t have won the 1960 presidential election without the votes Lyndon Johnson brought with him in Texas. Perhaps it could make a difference this time if Gov. Romney chose Ohio Gov. John Kasich. Mitt Romney needs Ohio like John Kennedy needed Texas.

Gov. Romney can’t win the election unless he win’s Florida either. That’s why Sen. Marco Rubio is a top contender. Moreover, he will attract Hispanic voters nationwide. Rubio, if he can withstand the intense vetting the Romney campaign is putting him through, has a much better chance of winning the veepstakes than Sec. Rice. Sen. Rubio may not sway large numbers of Hispanic voters, but he likely could sway enough of them to make the difference.

Hispanics, unlike Blacks, aren’t monolithic supporters of the Democratic Party. For all the stereotyping of Hispanics, they are a very diverse group with a growing middle class and a growing conservative element. Having watched and voted for the first African American president, many would be only too pleased to see a Hispanic as vice president. These are facts that Gov. Romney, if he wants to be the next President of the United States, can’t ignore.

This doesn’t mean that it’s a foregone conclusion that Sen. Rubio will be Gov. Romney’s choice. Sen. Rubio also has his disadvantages. He’s young and inexperienced at the national level; he’s served less than two years in the Senate. He’s not all that well known; and we don’t know what skeletons he may have in his closet. Mitt Romney is only likely to choose Sen. Rubio if he passes the vetting test with an A+.

Making predictions like this is always risky. Unforeseen factors and events have a way of intervening. Nevertheless, I am on record as predicting that this won’t be a close election and that Gov. Romney will win a comfortable victory. This election is a referendum on President Obama. It’s not even marginally about who Romney selects as a running mate. I’m assuming that whoever he selects, that person will do no harm.

While we await the announcement of Romney’s vice presidential choice, I recommend we not look so much at who brings what to the ticket, that’s all been thoroughly hashed out. To make veepstakes watching more fun, I recommend we pay close attention to which potential VP Gov. Romney likes the most.

My instincts tell me he wants to spend four or eight years in office with someone he enjoys having around. That’s one trait businessmen usually have that professional politicians are often are short on. Next time you watch Gov. Romney with a potential VP choice, pay more attention to the body language between them than the pundits.