It's only fair: John McCain became the presumptive Republican nominee long before Barack Obama wrested the Democratic nomination from Hillary Clinton's cold, dead hands. Or something like that. McCain's Pick-Six:
Charlie Crist
Current Florida Governor Charlie Crist's centrism would mesh well with McCain's. Crist has been called that state's first black governor, was the first Republican governor to attend the NAACP's state convention, and worked to limit disenfranchisement of black voters. As state AG, he refused to continue government intervention in the Terry Schiavo case. He has proposed limits on greenhouse-gas emissions. He is popular in Florida, his endorsement of McCain helped him win the Florida primary, and Crist would help McCain carry the state in the general. He is relatively youthful, but his inexperience would make it difficult for McCain to levy the same argument against Obama. Also, rumors and controversies that first appeared in the 2006 gubernatorial election would re-rear their ugly heads in a national contest. The bachelor governor has been accused of being homosexual and fathering an illegitimate child. He also drew fire for accepting the support of Rev. O'Neal Dozier who called Islam a "dangerous" "cult" and opposed the construction of a mosque because he didn't "want a breeding ground for terrorists" in Broward County. However, illegitimate-child rumors and guilt-by-association controversies have a definitively McCainian ring to them. (Probability: 32%) [Sources: Wikipedia, The Sarasota Herald-Tribune]
Bobby Jindal
As the son of Punjabi immigrants, Louisiana Governor Piyush "Bobby" Jindal is not your stereotypical Republican. At age 37, he is the country's youngest (can also be read most inexperienced) serving governor. As governor, he passed a rigorous ethics bill—a favorite McCain theme—in an historically corrupt state. When he became the state's Secretary of Health and Hospitals in 1996, he inherited a bankrupt Medicaid program that had a $400 million deficit; he balanced the budget and raked in $220 million in surpluses over three years. Although his background may help draw traditionally non-Republican voters to McCain, Jindal is a staunch conservative. He has an 100% pro-life voting record according to the National Right to Life Committee, an A rating from the Gun Owners of America, and some of the lowest ratings among conservation groups. As a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, Jindal voted to make the Patriot Act permanent, sponsored a bill that would end the moratorium on offshore drilling, and supported a constitutional amendment that would ban flag burning. In short, Jindal might help McCain with both moderate independents and the Republicans' conservative base. (Probability: 32%) [Sources: Wikipedia, The Telegraph, The American Prospect]
Lindsey Graham
The senior senator from South Carolina, Lindsey Graham, has been a longtime friend and associate of McCain and is currently his campaign co-chair. Like McCain, he has a reputation of not toeing the party line. His support for a 2007 bill that would have provided illegal immigrants a path to citizenship is providing fodder for Buddy Witherspoon, his challenger in South Carolina's Republican primary, and has been lampooned by Rush Limbaugh as "Grahamnesty." In 2005, he was part of the Gang of 14 that ended the standoff between Democrats and Republicans over judicial nominees and the use of the filibuster. Graham attended the Great Memorial Day Weekend Veep Meet, which Crist and Jindal also attended, although he was not mentioned as a potential running mate as much as a confidant whose opinion McCain seeks and trusts. Maybe Graham would prefer to keep his Senate seat, but that trust sounds like something McCain would want in his VP. (Probability: 16%) [Sources: Wikipedia, The Associated Press]
Mike Huckabee
Mike Huckabee's campaign for the Republican nomination showcased his talents and his weaknesses. He is an evangelical and a former pastor, and his policies as Arkansas governor exemplified what Christianity is supposed to be all about. He sought to give the children of illegal immigrants financial aid to in-state colleges, waived state restrictions to accommodate Katrina evacuees, and signed the ARKids First program into law, reducing the number of children without health insurance in the state. He is known for his charm and his wit; after moving into a mobile home while the Governor's Mansion was being renovated, he joked with Jay Leno that it wasn't a trailer, it was "a triple wide" and that it "was big enough for [Leno's] chin." He even plays bass guitar in the band Capital Offense. But he is unschooled in foreign policy and his ignorance gets him into trouble. During the campaign, he wondered if Mormons thought Jesus and Satan were brothers and claimed that there are more illegal immigrants from Pakistan than from any other country except Mexico. But Huckabee could help McCain with economic policy and with evangelicals, and his recent reminder in New Hampshire that he didn't attack McCain in the primaries shows that he's interested in the job. (Probability: 12%) [Sources: Wikipedia]
Tim Pawlenty
Tim Pawlenty has been an outspoken supporter of McCain and is currently his campaign co-chairman. He is currently the governor of Minnesota and chairman of the National Governors Association. Before being elected governor, Pawlenty pledged not to raise taxes, a pledge he kept save a 75-cent "health impact fee" imposed on cigarettes. Thus, to balance the state's budget he relied on cutting state services and increasing fees. He sparred frequently with Democrats in the state legislature and is said to be Minnesota's most conservative governor since the 1920s. However, he has proposed a program that would pay for the first two years' tuition of the top quarter of students. He has promoted ethanol and the importation of prescription drugs from Canada before it was banned by the federal government in 2006. His chances of being picked are slim, however, as he is not well-known outside of Minnesota and is not incredibly popular inside Minnesota. He won the 2006 gubernatorial election by only 1% of the vote. (Probability: 4%) [Sources: Wikipedia, WaPo's The Fix]
Joseph Lieberman
Right-Wing Leftie has proposed that a McCain-Lieberman ticket would go a long way for national unity. To some extent, that's true. Senator Lieberman (I-CT) agrees with the Democrats on several issues—global warming, stem cells, gun control, affirmative action. However, he sides with Bush and McCain on one of the most important issues of this election: Iraq. A hawk ticket would probably not be popular nor would Lieberman's age (64) serve as a good complement to McCain's. Nominating an independent and former Democrat would not help McCain solidify the Republican base, although it would probably win McCain some votes from the Jewish community. I think it's politically too risky, and Lieberman could better help McCain doing what he's doing now, serving as McCain's attack dog. (Probability: 2%) [Sources: Wikipedia, MSNBC]
Honorable Mention:
Rob Portman, as a congressman from Ohio, could help boost McCain in that swing state. As a specialist in international trade, Portman could also give McCain some economic cred. However, Portman worked as director of the Office of Management and Budget under the Bush administration, and McCain does not need any more connections to Bush.
Mitt Romney was also invited to the GMDWVM, but experience from the Republican primaries/cauci suggests that Romney won't happen. Romney was almost universally hated by the other contenders, (Exhibit A: McCain throws his weight behind Huckabee so Romney loses in WV.) and he seemed to base his campaign on stereotypes. Going beyond his Who Let the Dogs Out? moment, he also seemed to assume that Republican voters were all racist chickenhawks. ("We should double Guantánamo"?)
Condi Rice, as a minority and a woman and with approval ratings better than both George W. Bush and Republicans in general, Rice has the potential to draw voters to McCain. One problem: she has repeatedly said that she is not interested in the job. Those who speculate she is interested—"She met with Grover Norquist!"—seem to be grasping at straws.
Haley Barbour, the current governor of Mississippi, has bona fide Republican credentials—he campaigned for Nixon and Ford and served as Reagan's political director—that could fire up the conservative base. However, he founded his own lobbying firm, and McCain recently purged his campaign of most lobbyists.
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