John McCain's veep list said to be topped by Mitt Romney

So Mike Huckabee told the world the other day that if John McCain calls, he'd be happy to be his running mate, but that he doesn't expect McCain to call. Good thing Huckabee's not waiting by the phone. The folks over at Politico have a piece this morning saying the call could well go to Mitt Romney. But, of course, at this stage no one knows, as our colleague Doyle McManus points out with his own list of bandied-about names.

McCain doesn't need to rush. He doesn't need a running mate until the Republican National Convention, scheduled for Sept. 1-4, which comes after the Democratic National Convention, set for Aug. 25-28. Advantage goes to McCain, since he gets to see what the Democratic slate will look like before he makes his call. And yes, he can pick a running mate earlier to make himself look decisive and unconcerned about political ramifications (which ties into his Straight Talk theme) but, chances are, he'll keep his cards hidden until he has to play.

So why Romney? As Politico points out, he's gone through the media vetting process, has access to cash fountains through his business connections and fellow Mormons, and plays well in his birth state of Michigan, which could be crucial in picking the winner.

The downside? The chemistry between McCain and Romney isn't exactly "Let's spend the next eight years together, shall we?" It's more like: "Does he have to come to this meeting? Can't we just send him to a state funeral somewhere?"

The other top names on McCain's list, per Politico, are former Ohio congressman and White House budget director Rob Portman -- not exactly a household name -- and John Thune of South Dakota, who knocked minority leader Tom Daschle out of the Senate in 2004.

Now it's your turn. Who do you figure? And no, not Dick Cheney -- he's not in charge of the search committee. The comment section is open below.

-- Scott Martelle

Photo credit: Mark Boster/Los Angeles Times

Comments

[Stephanie]

Media has been wrong about every prediction they have made and this one will be no different. Why? McCain couldn't possibly pick Romney now, even if he wanted to (which I'm certain he doesn't). Bush/Cheney/Rove have pushed Romney and it made all the papers, tv, etc. The last thing McCain can do is let the Bush admin. pick his choice. No, McCain has to buck Washington and pick a people's favorite if he wants to excite the base and get out the vote. It can't be safe and boring, nor harsh and abrasive . That won't cut it. Choosing someone that Washigton hates would be shear genius!!!! The people and the candidates have said how Washington is broken but Mike Huckabee is the pick that would stick it to Washington in a huge way and really rally this party to victory. Anyone else, look for defeat......

[Granny T]

Huckabee would be the best choice for McCain's VP. Huckabee has 3 years serving 2nd in command as Lt. Gov. and 10 1/2 years governmental chief executive experience. Despite the fact that Arkansas had a Democrat majority so strong that Huckabee's office door was literally nailed shut when he was first voted in as Lt. Gov.; he was still able to accomplish major improvements for the state fiscally responsibly. He proved he is good at managing money by the way he used our campaign contributions. He received the most votes per dollar spent of any of the candidates because of his tremendous grassroots support. Since McCain has signed up for government financing; McCain is going to need that type of volunteer support to combat the Obama money. McCain can count on my vote as long as he chooses a VP that has consistently supported the moral values important to me. If he chooses Huckabee; he will get my vote, money, and volunteer campaign help. If he chooses a moral liberal or flip flopper; he is on his own.

[Ann]

Why would McCain pick Romney? Because he was such a successful Governor of Mass? According to the Boston Globe and the people of Mass (who voted Romney 70% disapproval rating when he left office), Mitt Romney is a flip flopper who said he was pro-choice and pro-gays (even had one in his cabinet, no Christians), and then 2 yrs before Pres. primary, he is all of the sudden, pro-life and against gays. Romney also was behind one of the biggest spending programs in Mass. - mandated health care for all Mass citizens....you know the same program Hillary wants for the U.S. How would McCain ever criticize the health care program from Obama with Romney on his ticket?

BAD BAD CHOICE! iF YOU DON'T BELIEVE EVANGELICALS WILL STAY HOME IF ROMNEY IS ON THE TICKET, JUST WATCH!!!

[Transplanted Lawyer]

Huckabee and Romney both have the same problem -- they lost. I think McCain's choice is between Bobby Jindal or Charlie Crist.

Charlie Crist could put Florida solidly in the GOP's column and is relatively young despite the shock of silver hair and the suave George Hamilton-like tan. There are rumors that he is gay but I don't know if there is any substance to them (or why I should care if they are true).

Bobby Jindal is very religious, the kind of Catholic that evangelicals can reconcile themselves to, speaks with enough Southern lilt to appeal to that constituency, and is not a white face in a campaign where a non-white face is a big plus. The GOP may want to save him for 2012 or 2016 but he may want to bail out of the ungovernable state of Louisiana while he still looks good.

Sarah Palin is not pregnant; she gave birth a few month ago. She would be a great choice if she were the Governor of one of the Lower 48 states; the logistics of running a national campaign and governing a state like Alaska would be overwhelming for nearly anyone, but especially for a parent of a months-old infant.

[WA gal]

Romney is by far the best choice for many reasons; we need his business savvy and experience. He knows world economy and understands cause and effect of different markets. He is a man of personal integrity, and a family man. When actions speak louder than words, all you have to do is look at the children he's raised.........it doesn't get any better than that. I trust the man.

McCain/Romney 2008!

[interested party]

-Transplanted Lawyer-

While I think your on the money with your comments, I don't agree that because the one loses a primary they can't be a V.P. History has shown otherwise.

As to Romney or Huck, my perception is that both have the same problem - in different ways. Huck's strength is the Christian right vote, but he also can be seen as too closely aligned with that group, unable to make secular judgments outside a strict biblical context. Likewise Romney has his religious base, Mormons, but certain voters might feel uncomfortable having a Mormon one-shot from the Presidency.

My personal preference... Mike Hucklebee. He's made a few horrible blunders in the past, all things considered,l I like his style.

[McCain all the way]

Romney is the best and safest pick for McCain. Why? Do not forget. McCain has hinted that he would only run for one term. Just think, he would not be beholden to any special interest group. After his four years, Romney could take over as President and run a full two terms. The man is an economic genius. Just the sort of person McCain needs to help balance out his ticket. As far as what's wrong with Romney. Nothing. If JFK could get elected and Clinton so can Mitt. Mitt is the safest and best pick McCain can make for now and for the future of the Republican party's chances in 2012 and 2016.

[Girl with the bushy armpits]

I promise to shave my armpits if McCain picks Huckabee.
The man is of a rare breed of honourable and dedicated
public servants like McCain. He would make it impossible
for the arrogant elitist to win over the working class in
many swing states and assure victory in the south. Mike
Huckabee realy livens up a campaign with his communication skills and good sense of humour. His moral principles are reassuring and tolerant.The man
would also make a fine president should anything happen
to Sen. McCain. A fine man by any standard and a true
patriot.

[Clay]

Since the Primary election concluded with McCain on top, which of the former candidates was man enough to set aside disappointment and energetically support the choice of the party? Not Huckabee, Actions speak louder than words. Supporters of Huckabee astound me. Mike's a nice enough guy, unless he's running against Mitt. Anyone watching the process had to shake their heads over the tag team approach Huckabee took, taking no shots at McCain, firing all his salvos at Romney, and continuing to take shots even after Mitt withdrew. Huckabee might well consolidate the South, but you folks who love him grossly underestimate the disgust he generates from a very large segment of the party, and I don't see you trying to figure out how to pull it all together. Does anything outside the South even interest any of you people?

[Mrs. P]

I would be extremely displeased (to put it lightly) if Governor Romney was put on McCain's ticket.

Mitt Romney might look presidential but he is plastic. More than that, he is duplicitous. Because he didn't use his full gubernatorial power, Massachusetts became the first state to allow homosexual marriage (yes I know he says he did everything he possibly could to stop it, but other people say otherwise: http://www.wyll.com/blogs/srios/11561276/). He switched his stance on abortion twice (yes I know he says it was from a genuine change of mind. But who says he won't continue the pattern and switch again?).

If McCain gives Romney the VP slot, I will have trouble voting for him in November. I'll probably still do it, but it will only be because I consider him the lesser of two evils. But I won't be anywhere near enthusiastic about it and will definitely NOT do any campaigning for them. And quite a big chunk of this Grand Old Party feels the same.

Here's my prediction: if McCain picks Romney, we Republicans will lose by a landslide.

[alvinels]

There is no way that McCain picks Huckabee. No one takes him seriously except a radical segment of evangelicals. Please pick someone with some honor, intelligence and class.

[nclady]

I'm an independent, Romney is a fine and more than capable man, I'd vote for him.

[Todd Carnegie]

I don't care who is the VP as long as it is NOT Mike Huckabee. What has he accomplished besides being governor of the dumbest state in the US? All he talks about is being an Evangelical preacher. He may get the Evangelical votes, but he won't get the votes of anyone with any common sense. For a good laugh, check out the Huckabee Family Christmas Photo:
http://sammit.freedomblogging.com/2008/01/04/huckabee-family-christmas-card/
Speaking of dogs, one of the junior Huckabees reportedly got in trouble for hanging a dog, slitting its throat, and stoning it to death at a Boy Scout camp. See the following site for details:
http://www.utopiarescue.com/oldsite/stop_animal_torture.htm
This guy should not even be mentioned in the same sentence as other VP candidates.

[Rick Blackham]

It is so funny to see everyone pushing Huckabee here. Mike Huckabee is an inch deep everywhere you scratch.

[Hank]

If McCain picks Romney, I will absolutely NOT vote Republican, as McCain's flip-flops are bad enough without that hypocritical phoney Mormon loon Romney on the ticket with him. The very best that McCain will get out of it all is Michigan, POSSIBLY- not anywhere else though - and he will then lose Virginia (who can't stand Romney), New Mexico, Ohio, and probably even Iowa too. Not only will Democrats NOT switch to vote Romney, but McCain will completely force a lot of his base into not voting at all. Mark my words, Romney is a LOSER - too liberal for Republicans and too conservative for Democrats. He will drag McCain down entirely.

[Shelby]

To Girl with the bushy armpits (Gross!):

Being on the Pres ticket requires more than being a loose-cannon-clown with that “good sense of humour” you mention.

And Huckabeen having “reassuring moral principles”?! That’s laughable! Surely you jest!!!!!!!

[Bob]

To Clay (and others)

1. To suggest that Romney could have stopped gay marriage in MA is either disingenuous or stupid - take your pick. Gay marriage occured in MA just as it did in CA, by judicial fiat based on a supposed interpretation of the State Constitution. The Governor has no veto power and no executive authority over Judicial decisions and, as a conservative Republican, Romney had little or no personal influence with the liberal court or the media on social issues.

2. Romney did not change his abortion position twice, only once, from that held very publicly by his mother, Lenore Romney (personally morally opposed, but the government should stay out of it and not dictate to women) to avidly pro-life, based on personal experience leading to a conviction that "choice" cheapens the whole value of life and leads to atrocity.

For the rest of you who accuse Romney of flipflopping, please note that over the course of his political career, he changed exactly TWO positions - abortion and his position on the role of the Department of Education (used to believe it should be abolished, now sees a limited role for it - I liked the first position better, personally). ALL of the other stuff he is accused of changing on is FALSE. He was NEVER in favor of gay marriage. He was and is still opposed to hatecrimes and discrimination against gays in the workplace. He was never in favor of gun control as some have accused, regardless of whether he did or did not hunt as a kid. Yes, he made a conscious choice not to emphasize some of his positions on social issues when he ran for Governor, and promised to leave those issues alone, because he ran at the behest of those who wished to avert an economic disaster for the State and he could not have been elected without saying "I'll concentrate on these fiscal issues and not a heavy social agenda." That does not mean he changed his positions or that he pandered. He ran to solve a huge fiscal problem (a multibillion dollar deficit) and he solved it. (Unlike Schwarzenegger in CA, unfortunately)

The reason he had a high disapproval rating at the end of his term was because his opinions and positions on those social issues became relevant to any reelection bid, BECAUSE THE CRISIS THAT LED TO HIS ELECTION HAD BEEN SOLVED AND THE STATE IS 85% DEMOCRAT. DUH!! He was not going to get relected. He had solved the problem the liberals trusted him with, and now they had to deal with his conservative moral values. END OF GAME in MA. Far from being a negative, this shows that he is able to set priorities and achieve them, even in extremely hostile environments.

[Shelby]

Kay & Linda,

“……Huckabee dared to run for president without asking thier permission……..”

To the paid Huckabeen bloggers, you need to better coordinate your blah, blah, blah cut and paste posts. Kay and Linda, it looks really dumb when both of you cut and paste the same thing under different names.

[Utah Patent Lawyer]

The best governor California ever had was Mormon, Goodwin Knight. If McCain's straight talk expres tells us somebody besides Romney is a better choice, I'm outta the republican party.

[Steven Rinehart]

Huckabee fails every measure of man compared to Romney. Romney is smarter, more educated, more accomplished, better looking, better family, and even more committed to God as Romney understands him (he just doesn't brag about it like Hic-is-me). What's wrong with us all for hating Romney? Are we the hatemongers liberals say we are?

[Cheryll]

With all respect Mr McCain, Mitt Romney will bury you. Sarah Palin should be your VP. She is brilliant, level-headed and inspiring. Sir, if you choose Mitt you are destined to lose and big....I hope you will not make that mistake.

[nh hiker]

McCain and Romney? They might injure each other while they're busy flip-flopping

[mathman]

as a democrat voting obama, i'm salivating over the pick of romney as the vp. He is horrible with women; seems to be very far to the right, just the type of guy that will send hordes of hillary supporters and independents into obama arms

[Ericmiami]

Romney brings all those polygamists to the voting booth!!!

[Edward]

Romney's only weakness is that evangelicals don't look upon Mormons as true Christians...a case of religious bigotry. He is the only VP choice who has the intelligence and presidential persona to offset McCain's age. Crist looks as old as McCain and Louisiana's governor has, like Obama, slim experience. Would anyone trust a college-student-appearing candidate to lead this country in these perilous times? Abortion is our nation's biggest problem and both Romney and McCain are pro-life. How any Democrat can be proud of their party in its lack of value of life within a mother's womb is beyond comprehension.