Some speculation that Mitt Romney could name his running mate before the GOP convention, “Romney could pick VP early, and cash in often“:
“This year, there is at least a small chance that Republican Mitt Romney might break with tradition and name his vice presidential choice earlier in the summer … The tradition is to announce the No. 2 around the time of the convention to inspire grassroots activists and seek maximum publicity for the final two-month push to the November 6 election. But in this case, the Romney team has discussed whether to announce the pick a few weeks earlier to generate buzz for his campaign during August and help raise campaign funds …”
While those may be valid reasons for announcing his pick early, a much better reason is to shore up his lackluster support among traditional GOP constituencies, including gun owners. Being the anti-Obama candidate is probably not enough to motivate undecided and independent voters to turn out and vote on election day. People would much rather have someone they support on the ballot, as opposed to just a choice between the lesser of two evils.
A good VP pick, with solid pro-gun credentials (not Chris Christie), would go a long way in helping Romney win this November.