It's looking increasingly like the VP pick will be Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty. Romney seems to be despondently out. Ridge and Lieberman are not likely given their positions on abortion. Huckabee has never been a serious contender.
John McCain, a man held in suspicion by the religious right, feels he must pick an evangelical to keep the base happy. But the only option is a second-tier Governor named Tim Pawlenty.
I will leave the Pawlenty exposure to other more informed folks. I know enough, and have heard enough from GOP insiders to confirm, that Tim Pawlenty is a real lightweight.
Who does this remind you of? George H. W. Bush's VP pick in 1988, also meant to quell the anxieties of the religious right. Dan Quayle had about as much experience in 1988 as Pawlenty does today. And he was, rightly, deemed a real lightweight.
McCain, if he goes with Pawlenty, was forced to choose someone to soothe base, but one with virtually no profile. As Karl Rove even said himself on Fox News tonight (yes, I actually watched it), McCain's VP should be someone who gives the country confidence that he can step in in an emergency and take over the White House.
Undoubtedly Joe Biden passes the Presidential test.
Does John McCain really believe that Tim Pawlenty is ready to be President in a moment's notice? Does he expect the American people to believe that Tim Pawlenty is ready to step in and be President?
Is he kidding?