SHELBY, Ohio—As a prospective vice presidential short-lister, Ohio Sen. Rob Portman is in the running for one of the most highly visible speaking slots at the Republican National Convention.
Based on his response to a question about what he would discuss if granted one of those prime-time positions, it appears he's been thinking about it.
Speaking to reporters while visiting a family-owned farm in Ohio on Wednesday, Portman offered a sneak peek at what his convention speech might look like:
"I haven't been outlining one, but I can speak from the heart about what I'm seeing in Ohio. That is, a lot of small businesses, like this one, they're really concerned and worried. They're worried about their future, for their family, but also the future for their country. We've got a fundamental decision to make, and as you know, I come from a small business background and when I hear the president say, 'You didn't build that, somebody else did,' you know, I think about my dad or my grandfather. ... There's a different philosophy that Mitt Romney would bring to government, and that would be that Washington doesn't create jobs, Washington has to create the environment to allow the entrepreneurship, the innovation, the hard work to be rewarded and that's how we're going to get this economy back on track."
"I'm hopeful for the future," he added, "but only if we can have new leadership and new policies in place, and that's what I'm going to be talking about not just at the convention but between now and the election coming up in November."
Earlier this week, Republican Party officials announced speaking slots for Florida Gov. Rick Scott, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, Ohio Gov. John Kasich, Arizona Sen. John McCain and former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.