Ruy Teixeira and John Halpin think (pdf) that Obama needs strong support from white college-educated voters and minority voters. Ryan Lizza goes one step further:
If Romney were the G.O.P. nominee and maintained this strength among college-educated whites he would almost certainly look for a running mate who could help him eat into Obama’s other important demographic group: minority voters, especially Hispanics. And as most political observers know, there happens to be a young, telegenic Cuban-American from Florida named Marco Rubio who is currently serving in the United States Senate. It’s no surprise that a chorus of smart Republican operatives has been arguing that Romney-Rubio is the Party’s strongest ticket. Together the two men could attack the twin pillars of the Obama coalition.
The Dish 