Well, maybe the question should be who wants to run for Vice President with the potential to become Vice President under John McCain. The list could be long but, really, who wants to be Vice President besides Hillary Clinton?
Mitt Romney has tried to cozy up to McCain. I'm not sure being governor of Massachusetts is a huge plus but he's known thanks to the Olympics and his unsuccessful bid for the Republican nomination. Another unsuccessful candidate could be Mike Huckabee. If McCain really wants to alienate the conservative base of the Republican party, he'll pick Huckabee. Very unlikely.
Maybe another Bush? How about Jeb Bush from Florida? Talk about dividing a nation. Bush would definitely chase a bunch of people away. The Independent Joe Lieberman is out there. I doubt Joe would want to run for Vice President again and, as before, this would definitely alienate conservatives who think of Lieberman as the Vice Presidential candidate with Al Gore.
What about Condoleeza Rice or Colin Powell? Rice is a pretty strong candidate but Powell lost favor in the party when he kinda split with the Bush Administration. A Rice pick would probably be looked at as an attempt to gain a black vote...which it most certainly wouldn't.
Most likely candidates are Mark Sanford, Governor of South Carolina; John Thune, Senator from South Dakota; or Tim Pawlenty, Governor of Minnesota. All are relatively young (compared to McCain) and are rising stars in the Republican party. The question is whether any of them are willing to leave their current posts to run on a questionable ticket with McCain.
My money is on Sanford at the moment. He didn't rush to endorse McCain but he's a strong Southern Republican and his economic conservatism could win big points with the Republican base. Of course, I'm putting my guess that McCain wants to win over conservatives. With McCain's track record, he may try to get Bill or Hillary to run with him. I'm just not sure anymore...
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Here's an important piece of advice: If it looks like it's going to be McCain/Palin anyway (and that should be a "no brainer" for Team McCain), McCain should announce NOW or VERY SOON, rather than later towards the convention. There's currently a growing chorus for Obama/Hillary (as VP) ticket (in fact the Dems are likely aware of the Palin phenomenon). If the GOP waits while movement for Hillary as VP grows -- even worse until after it is solidified that Hillary will/could be VP pick -- selecting Palin will be portrayed by Dems/liberal media more as a reaction by GOP selecting its own female (overshawdoing Palin's own remarkable assets), rather than McCain taking the lead on this. Selecting Palin now or early (contrary to the punditocracy) will mean McCain will be seen as driving the course of this campaign overwhelmingly, and the DEMS will be seen as merely reacting. And, there's absoultely no down-side to this because even if Hillary is a no-go as VP for Obama, the GOP gains by acting early. McCain the maverick. Palin the maverick. Do it now!
There's no reason, and actually substantial negative, in McCain waiting to see what the Dems do first insofar as his picking Palin as VP, because, no matter who Obama picks, Palin is by far (and I mean far) the best pick for McCain and the GOP, especially in this time of GOP woes. The GOP can be seen as the party of real 'change' (albeit I hate that mantra, change, change, bla bla), while not really having to change from GOP core conservative values, which Palin more than represents.
In light of the current oil/energy situation, as well as the disaffected female Hillary voters situation, and growing focus on McCain's age and health, Palin is more than perfect -- now.
(Perhaps Team McCain is already on to this.)
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