Below The Beltway

Now that John McCain has clinched the Republican nomination, speculation is turning to who he will or should pick as a running mate:

The choice of a running mate is always important, but it may be particularly so in Mr. McCain’s case, given that, at 71, he is seeking to become the oldest candidate ever elected to a first term as president.

Several governors have been mentioned as potential running mates; their executive experience and ability to cast themselves as Washington outsiders are perceived as strengths. They include Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota, an early supporter; Charlie Crist of Florida, whose last-minute endorsement helped Mr. McCain win that crucial swing state’s primary; Jon Huntsman Jr. of Utah, an early supporter despite Mitt Romney’s popularity in his state; and Mark Sanford of South Carolina, whose conservative reputation could help Mr. McCain with the base but who did not endorse him.

Former governors have been mentioned as well, including Tom Ridge of Pennsylvania, whose support of abortion rights could cause Mr. McCain trouble with conservatives who are already wary of him. Two of his primary opponents — Mr. Romney and Mike Huckabee — also fall into the ex-governor category.

Mr. Huckabee, a former governor of Arkansas, has a reputation as a good campaigner but is distrusted by some economic conservatives for raising taxes. Mr. Romney, a former Massachusetts governor with a business background, often sparred brutally with Mr. McCain, but endorsed him swiftly and would bring a financial background to the ticket.

Rob Portman, a former Ohio congressman and director of the Office of Management and Budget, is also mentioned as someone who could bring a financial background to the ticket.

Another names that have been mentioned in the past several weeks are Alaska Governor Sarah Palin who, incidentally would definitely be the most attractive person to hold the Office of Vice-President, Texas Senator Kay Bailey Hutchinson, South Dakota Senator John Thune, and, though I think this is long shot, former Congressman J.C. Watts.

McCain’s luxury, of course, is that he can spend the next six months vetting candidates. He doesn’t have to, and probably shouldn’t, announce his choice too far in advance of the Republican Convention but I wouldn’t be surprised to see him make some kind of announcement prior to the Democratic Convention, which occurs the week before the GOP’s does, as way of diverting attention to his campaign.

It’s an important choice both because of McCain’s age and his need to appeal to all wings of the party, but the Veep choice has been important more recently than in the past:

“I think that ever since the development of ICBMs,” [Professor Michael Nelson] said in a recent interview, “there’s been a concern among voters that the vice president be someone who could step into the presidency literally at a moment’s notice.”

I doubt that the public really cared who James K. Polk picked for his Vice-President.