Mitt Romney was at a Virginia fundraiser on Monday and let slip with his shortlist of preferred VP candidates.

Virginia conservative website Bearing Drift says that Romney likes Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell, Florida Senator Marco Rubio and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie as possible running mates.

Romney said that McDonnell has been an “incredible governor” and will be on “any candidate’s short-list” for Vice President. Now, considering that the candidate was in Virginia Beach – effectively McDonnell’s hometurf, that statement should be taken with a grain of sand. But he reiterated that the short list is “McDonnell, Governor Christie of New Jersey and Marco Rubio of Florida.”

Romney is not blind. He realizes that Virginia is an important state, witnessed only by the number of trips the president has made here in 2011. The commonwealth voted Democrat for president for the first time since 1964 in 2008, so Romney considers Virginia “key” in 2012.