VP Hot Sheets: Surrogate Rewards And Hazards

Gone are the days when the relationship between John McCain and Mitt Romney was testy enough for the former to use a pig metaphor to describe the latter.

It's safe to say that Romney's increasingly frequent public appearances on behalf of the McCain campaign have struck a chord with the Arizona senator.

At a fundraiser in Detroit on Friday, McCain had some particularly radiant words for his former arch-nemesis and Romney's wife Ann: "Mitt has been on the shows, not only defending, but standing up for the things that we believe in, are important to the future of the country. And I think you may know that Cindy and I and Mitt and Ann had the chance to spend some time together. And I knew Mitt, and I knew what an outstanding individual he is and what a wonderful family person, but I hadn't had the chance to get to know Ann, who we all know is battling a disease and she is a woman of courage and beauty and grace."

The presumptive Republican nominee may be spot-on in declaring that Romney has been doing a better job helping out the McCain campaign than he did for his own presidential run, but not every McCain surrogate has been doing so well on TV.

Appearing on CNN Sunday, South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford had one of those moments that every public speaker dreads, demonstrating the risks a VP prospect takes in becoming an active campaign surrogate.

The newest versions of the Republican and Democratic vice presidential hot sheets feature a good deal of shuffling in the rankings but no new additions to either list. With a firmly established Republican VP frontrunner and an increasingly clear Democratic short list, it's tempting to act like we know more than we really do. But remember, it will be Sens. McCain and Obama who make the final decisions. No one else's opinion matters in the end.