The Occasional Observer

According to the Weekly Standard, former Secretary (former Governor and former Representative) Tom Ridge is "at or near the top of the list to be V.P."

Pros:

1. Experience matches the primary role of the veep: to step into the role of POTUS and be ready to protect the nation in crisis. His years as Sec. of Homeland Security makes him more qualified than most for the Vice Presidency, and his years as Governor of a large state show him to be a competent executive.

2. Popular figure in Pennsylvania, Ridge's home state and a crucial swing state. According to recent polls, PA is in play, and carrying it would offset the loss of OH, which I consider to be very possible this fall, despite the current polling which shows it as competitive/lean GOP.

3. Strengthens the GOP's advantage on Defense/Nat'l Security

4. Ridge is a social moderate who will not turn off coastal voters, and McCain is signaling the desire to compete in states like NJ, CT, NH, ME, OR and WA.

5. Ridge looks Presidential, FWIW.

Cons:

1. Another Bush insider.

2. There will be plenty of heckling McCain-Ridge for the color-coded terror risk scale if Ridge is selected.

3. Ridge is pro-choice, and social conservatives are already distrustful of McCain on judges thanks to the Gang of 14 (not me, mind you, but some). Picking Ridge will send some SoCons over the edge: "See! I told you we couldn't trust him!" The question is, how many?

4. Ridge is about a bland as bland gets, from a rhetoric/speechification standpoint.