Right now the Democratic party is pretending to discuss possible running mates for the winner of their party's primary election. The reality is that its too soon for Democrats to make a decision about the perfect pairing for November success.

The Republicans, on the other hand, are busy digging into the records and criminal histories of several possible running mates for John McCain. Romney threw his hat into the ring by disclosing to Hannity & Colmes that, "Any Republican leader in this country would be
honored to be asked to serve as the vice presidential nominee,
myself included."

The good news for Democrats is that Republicans will likely announce their 2008 ticket before the Democrat primary has played itself out, allowing the winner time to consider what ticket would be strongest against McCain and his VP.

The question right now is, which Republican running mate would be the most difficult for Democrats to defeat in November? Ignoring the obvious problem of not knowing who will be nominated on the Dem side, what types of strengths is John McCain looking for in a VP?

The first qualification for McCain's running mate will obviously be youth. McCain's biggest liability is that he would be the oldest man elected to the Presidency. Hypothetically speaking, a young VP would attract younger voters. If Obama is on the Dem ticket, his appeal to youth would make it especially difficult for McCain to attract young people.

The second necessary qualification would be conservative credentials. McCain has the false reputation of being a "maverick." The truth is, he is more of a flip-flopper. He has disagreed with Republicans on several occasions and even discussed leaving the party, but he has also voted party-line to assuage the conservative base. It seems like he votes against Republican priorities by opposing things like Bush's tax cuts or interrogation torture, only to later support the same tax cuts and to allow torture. To create the impression that McCain is a consistent conservative, he will be looking for someone with glowing credentials on taxes, spending and security. Of course, McCain also wants to retain his supposed support among independents and will be looking for someone with a strong environmental record who isn't necessarily a Bible-thumper.

The third qualification McCain will be seeking is executive experience. Its no coincidence that very few members of the Senate have gone on to serve as President. Americans have a general distrust for anyone who spends most of their time voting rather than managing. If the Democratic "dream ticket" becomes a reality, McCain would try to highlight Clinton and Obama's lack of executive experience by choosing a Governor as a running mate.

So who does this leave as potential running mates? You could say Romney. However, Romney and McCain did not get along well during the GOP primary. Romney also carries the baggage of being a terrible flip-flopper. His newly discovered hatred of gays and abortions will only feed the perception that McCain is a part-time conservative. Plus, it would take a lot more than Romney to turn Massachusetts into a red state in November.

Another option is Tim Pawlenty, Governor of Minnesota. Pawlenty is a small government, low taxes kind of conservative from a moderate state. He could help deliver the upper mid-west. Pawlenty helped fix Minnesota's deficit when he was elected Governor in 2002, which would add economic know-how to McCain. He has run on a platform of environmental conservation and has a decent record on the issue. He is young too.

The final option I know of is Charlie Crist, Governor of Florida. Crist has only been Governor for a short time but he has very high approval ratings in the state among both Democrats and Republicans. He has been a crusader for lower property taxes and home insurance costs. He put his reputation on the line against the teachers', police officers' and fire fighters' unions with a ballot initiative on property tax reform that passed by huge margins. He is also an enviro who organized a global warming conference in Florida with special guest Arnold Schwarzenegger. Crist signed a moratorium on new coal plants in Florida and has pushed for renewable energy tax credits. He supports civil unions for gay couples too.

Obviously McCain can only do so much to make-up for his shortfalls. Even with the right running mate he cannot avoid questions of his foreign and economic policy. Plus, many conservatives say they just can't vote for him. But as Democrats, we need to be prepared for his attempt to shift people's perceptions and the media's scrutiny by choosing a good VP.

Do you think there is a female or racial minority member of the GOP who McCain might choose? Do you know of any other VP candidates that are currently being considered? What Democrats would be good running mates if there isn't a "Dream Ticket?" I want to know your thoughts.

I explore Pawlenty and Crist's environmental record a little further HERE. You can see a video of Bush & McCain's love for eachother HERE

Finally, you can sign the petition urging the leading Dem and GOP candidates to make their campaigns carbon neutral HERE.

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