Paul Ryan VP Choice Reportedly Made On Aug. 1

Mitt Romney reportedly decided on Aug. 1 that Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) would be his pick for vice president. The two met on Aug. 5 and Paul accepted the nomination that same day. The decision did not leak until very early Saturday morning, Aug. 11, when NBC News and The Huffington Post confirmed it.

Romney called Ohio Sen. Rob Portman, former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio and Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell to tell them that they had not been chosen, according to the AP.

There were clues, on Friday night, however. The National Review noted on Friday evening that a private plane had flown earlier in the day from Boston to Chicago, and then to Janesville, Wis., Ryan's hometown. Beth Myers, who chaired Mitt Romney's vice-presidential selection process, flew with the Romney campaign to Norfolk on Friday afternoon.

Myers, a suburban Boston lawyer and Karl Rove protege, gave CNN an exclusive interview earlier this week that aired after Romney announced his pick.

"He's very methodical in making his decisions, and what he wants is a couple things. First of all, he wants all the information, and we went about a very thorough process in making sure we had a lot of information about a broad group. He also doesn't like to rule anything out until he has to," she told CNN.

"He solicits the advice of a small group of his advisers, but then he asks I think everybody he meets, 'What's your thought on this?'" she said. "He listens. He asks, you know, sort of people you wouldn't think that he'd ask about it. He talks to, you know, he calls friends from all walks of his life, all across the country, wanting to know what they think. He listens to that."

She added that she did not tell Romney whom she preferred as a vice presidential nominee.