John McCain: See Who's on Top of His Shortlist for Vice President

Electoral Dynamics

John McCain is in a position to do one of two things. He can either step out of the way while Barack Obama makes history, or he can he can bring the fight to Obama’s doorstep, and keep this race close and tight, right up to the end.

Don’t let Obama’s talk of a “50 State Strategy” fool you. I remember how well this worked in NBC’s The West Wing. Truth be told, Florida is out of reach for the Democrats this year, along with every Southern state aside from Virginia.

There are two fronts in the battle, first and most important is the Midwest, which contains the most pivotal battleground states this election will see. These traditionally democratic trending states are in McCain’s sights, and his “maverick” perception helps him sway moderate democrats and independents. Ohio, Michigan, Iowa, Missouri, Indiana, and Wisconsin are all up for grabs. That’s 69 electoral votes, and McCain is polling strong in all six.

The second front is the Southwest, where the Arizona Senator has the hometown advantage. Neighboring New Mexico, Colorado, and Nevada only offer a combined 14 votes in the Electoral College, but in this race, the margin of victory may be as low as just two.

A Shortlist With Teeth

The following are the top three most effective running mates for John McCain. They are who can get the most votes in the most important states, and perhaps put a firewall in-between Barack Obama and the 270 electoral votes he needs to claim victory in November.

Charlie Crist – #3

The popular Governor of Florida is someone who many call handsome. He has a definite air of youth around him, after all, why not? The 50’s are the new 30’s in politics. Plus, he has a good tan.

I mention his youthfulness because John McCain is widely perceived, even by members of his own party, as a one-term president, that is if he gets elected. There is also opinion held by some that he could die any day.

Charlie Crist is the perfect man for McCain to point to and say, “This man is the future of this party; he’s next.” There’s nothing revolutionary about him, but he’s the average Republican who can connect to the beer drinkers and draw in votes from men, especially the kind of men who have wives who will follow in line.

Senator McCain has met with Crist on several occasions, but neither man is willing to show his hand. The odds are, that this particular discussion has come up between them.

Joe Lieberman - #2

In 2006 when facing off in a debate against primary challenger Ned Lamont, Lieberman proudly proclaimed that he is committed to electing a Democrat as President in 2008. Barack Obama even campaigned on his behalf.  Today he is one of John McCain’s most vocal, most visual, and most intimate supporters, having personally inspected McCain’s bearings and finding nothing wrong with them. That just goes to show that you really can’t spell “Lieberman” without “lie.”

Can a Democrat really help a Republican win a presidential election by being the Vice Presidential candidate? You betcha. And Lieberman may not remain a member of the Senate Democratic Caucus for much longer with the way things are trending.

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