Veepstakes: 8/15 (GOP)

Not to post four straight posts here, but I'm going to post four straight posts here. Yesterday we looked at the Democratic VP possibilities; today the Republicans!

10. Former Governor Mike Huckabee (R-AR) [Last: 9]
9. Congressman Eric Cantor (R-VA) [Last: N/A]
8. Governor Sarah Palin (R-AK) [Last: 5]
7. Former OMB Director Rob Portman (R-OH) [Last: 6]
6. Senator John Thune (R-SD) [Last: 8]

5. Governor Bobby Jindal (R-LA) [Last: 4]
Jindal's stock has dipped a bit over the last month, largely due to the McCain campaign's realization that Jindal is a) too conservative; b) too young; and c) too weird. Also, saying he is "staying as governor whether you like it or not" doesn't really leave much room for McCain to name him to the ticket. Still, nobody's stock was higher than his about a month ago, and the base does love him. But does McCain actually have base problems like we thought he would? For more on that, see picks 4 and 2.

4. Senator Joseph Lieberman (ID-CT) [Last: 10]
Ah, Senator Lieberman. Democrats hate him with a passion, Republicans love him. That in and of itself is surprising, considering Lieberman has a "Liberal rating" of 57.5, which puts him more to the left than six other members of his party. But Lieberman probably tilts even more right than that. Excepting the War in Iraq, Lieberman votes squarely with the Democrats on everything; yes, that includes the always popular issue of abortion. Lieberman is popular with the Republicans for the sole reason that he makes Democrats' heads explode. Would they like him on their ticket? Not likely. But everybody likes bipartisanship, and the story of McCain having Al Gore's VP nominee on his ticket would be a press coup. Lieberman's a masterful fighter dog, the running mate's primary occupation, but he seems more likely to assume a Zell Miller-esque role at the Republican Convention than be the VP nominee.

3. Former Governor Mitt Romney (R-MA) [Last: 1]
Romney's stock hasn't fallen, it's just faded. It's no secret that Romney and McCain don't like each other much, and the common wisdom at the beginning of the veepstakes was that it would take a miracle for Romney to be named to McCain's ticket. His negatives (flip-flopper, slick politician, Massachusetts roots) are glaring, while his positives (he's conservative?, he brings in money) are more questionable. Romney's main draw was always his fundraising prowess, something that the McCain ticket no longer needs so much of. And, while Huckabee might not be the VP, he and his base still have some say, so stories like this aren't so favorable to the Mittster's chances. But, as much as people may rant and bluster, Romney was good in the debates (especially when attacking the other candidates), and is able to effectively portray the role of a conservative, even if that's not really him. He, like Pawlenty, is a safe pick, but the safe qualities he embodies might not be needed anymore.

2. Former Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge (R-PA) [Last: N/A]
Ridge has it all. He was the popular governor of a swing state that the Democrats so desparately need to win; he was the first secretary of homeland security, which would beef up the McCain ticket's foreign policy credibility; and he has spent the past few years in business, which only highlight his already impressive economic knowledge. So why wasn't this guy named to the ticket months ago? The answer is very simple: he's pro-choice. When McCain floated the idea a few days ago that he would consider naming a pro-choice running mate, the religious right doesn't like (and see here) that concept much. There are plenty of adequate pro-life candidates, they say, so why name a pro-choice one? It is well known that, if McCain had his way, Ridge would be on his ticket. And he just might be, but he'd have to be prepared to deal with the fallout from the voters that elected (and re-elected) George W. Bush. Is it worth it?

1. Governor Tim Pawlenty (R-MN) [Last: 2]
Pawlenty's somewhat of a safe pick, which is why his name has kind of faded recently. While the Democratic buzz has been all about the boring guys (Bayh, Biden, Kaine), the GOP buzz has turned to the edgy picks of Ridge and Lieberman. But recent developments don't cancel out the fact that McCain and Pawlenty are good friends, and the recent statement by McCain that Republicans are "really going to like Pawlenty." The one problem with Pawlenty is that he doesn't really bring much geographically, although the GOP thinks he does. Contrary to their thinking, neither Minnesota, nor Iowa, nor Wisconsin are in play this November. Michigan might be, but it's hard to see how Pawlenty helps there (Romney's the guy if the aim is to win the Great Lakes State). Still, he's conservative, fairly popular, and wouldn't hurt the McCain ticket one bit. But one wonders if, in light of Obama's lead in the polls, it would help the McCain camp if they shook things up. Picking Pawlenty would certainly not do that.