In fact, he went so far as to say this:
Willard M. Romney wrote:In addition to the age of the president and the citizenship of the president and the birthplace of the president being set by the Constitution, I’d like it also to say that the president has to spend at least three years working in business before becoming president of the United States.
As it happens, he had the chance to single-handedly select a person who has a decent chance to actually be the president. The choice was his alone. Therefore, it seems reasonable that he would apply his stated criteria to the pick. He has said that his main criterion for selecting a VP would be someone fully qualified to be president.
Romney stated he is more inclined to pick a VP who is truly ready to lead in times of crisis, not someone without experience or someone who adds "game changing flair" or excitement.
So how did he do?
Paul Ryan has spent his entire career in Washington D.C. He started as an intern, then (after graduating in 1992 with a degree in political science) as a speech writer and aide for various Republicans. In 1998 he was elected to his current office, where he has been ever since.
So what was that insistence on extensive business experience all about? I wonder...