What if I told there is a young, photogenic Hispanic Republican leader who would make a compelling vice-president?  What if I told you that, unlike Marco Rubio, he is a governor who has closed a budget gap, significantly cut government, and revitalized an economy?  Is that something you might be interested in?

He is Puerto Rico Governor Luis Fortuño.  And yes, Puerto Ricans are American citizens. The Governor is constitutionally eligible for the office.

Fortuño is uniquely positioned as an outsider not only to Washington, but many of the traditional battle lines in our cultural and political life as well. He is a Latino who is not ethnically rooted in either the Mexican or Cuban traditions. Sidestepping traditional divisions, he would be positioned to forge a new consensus within demographics, essential to the GOP’s longer term health. He is a conservative who has achieved libertarian ends. He is a pragmatist who is credible when making principled arguments.

The Puerto Rican economic story is a perfect counter-narrative to the Obama message. It is a real world object lesson in why we should be doing the opposite of the failed policies of the last three years. Fortuño came to power in 2008 facing massive structural budget deficits, a stagnant economy, and stubborn unemployment. Over the protests of unions and government workers, he took to the Island’s public system with garden shears. Fortuño cut the budget by 90%, froze salaries and fired 39,000 public employees. Today private investment is flooding in. According to Barclay’s, Puerto Rican bonds are outperforming every state in the country. Unemployment is falling and those laid-off government workers have been absorbed into the private economy.

Such a selection would be about more than just political positioning and campaign narratives, it is an aspirational choice. It will be seen by millions of Hispanics and broader minority communities as a positive indication of the evolution transpiring within the GOP.

The election of a black president was historic. It has moved people and fundamentally changed our society for the better however one may feel about his presidency. Mitt Romney is competent, but he is not inspirational. There is a need for inspiration in this race and in our politics more broadly. The stunning betrayal of ObamaHope™ has left a hole that needs to be filled. The Rob Portmans of the world look great on paper, but such a choice would be calculating and cynical at a time when we need our politics to be about more than cold efficacy.

Elections are ultimately about distinctions. Unlike almost any other candidate under consideration, Fortuño brings something positive and affirmative to the ticket. The best most presidential nominees can hope for is a running mate that won’t hurt them; Mitt Romney is in the unique position to choose one that may well help his candidacy and the next generation of Republicans

Blog del Washington Post menciona a Fortuño como posible pareja de papeleta de Romney

Aunque el gobernador Luis Fortuño aspira a la reelección por el Partido Nuevo Progresista (PNP) en Puerto Rico, su nombre sigue sonando como posible candidato a la vicepresidencia de Estados Unidos por el Partido Republicano.

La búsqueda de un candidato que acompañe a Mitt Romney en la carrera hacia la Casa Blanca ha puesto en el foco al Primer Ejecutivo puertorriqueño en varias ocasiones ya que está muy bien parado en las filas republicanas, según la ‘bloguera’ del diario The Washington Post, Jennifer Rubin.

Ayer, Fortuño acaparó la discusión en la bitácora Right Turn del Washington Post luego que Rubin preguntará a sus seguidores quién pudiera complementar la papeleta del Grand Old Party (GOP).

Además de Fortuño, los lectores señalaron a los senadores Jon Kyl (R-Arizona), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), and Bob Corker (R-Tennesse) Al mismo tiempo, salió a relucir la exsecretaria de Estado, Condoleezza Rice, el gobernador de Louisiana, Bobby Jindal y el exgobernador de Arkansas, Mike Huckabee.

“Pero, interesantemente, la persona que los lectores más frecuentemente mencionaron fue el gobernador de Puerto Rico Luis Fortuño”, destacó Rubin en su entrada.

La ‘bloguera’ destacó en su entrada el comentario de uno de sus lectores que describe a Fortuño como “un ganador que nadie se espera”.

“(Fortuño tiene) más experiencia que (el senador Marco) Rubio. Los independientes amarán la audacia de la movida y a la base (del Partido Republicano) le encantará el conservadurismo de Fortuño. (Además), los demócratas se quedarán perplejos ya que no podrán ‘Palin-zar’ a un latino, sin alienar a una parte significativa de su base. Fortuño podría ser una bomba, como (Sarah) Palin, pero con poder de permanencia política más allá de noviembre”, opinó Statist Quo, uno de los seguidores de la bitácora.

Las reacciones a la propuesta de que un puertorriqueño sea vicepresidente de Estados Unidos no se hicieron esperar.

“No sé mucho sobre el gobernador Luis Fortuño, pero sí sé que Puerto Rico no es un estado. ¿Importa eso?”, cuestionó una lectora.
Otros lectores apoyaron la propuesta de que un latino acompañe a Romney en la papeleta.

Rubin mantiene desde 2010 la bitácora en la versión digital del periódico estadounidense y cuenta con más de 17 mil seguidores por las redes sociales.