Most conservatives and even some liberals acknowledge that Senator McCain is an effective legislator and possesses the gravitas and leadership skills necessary to be president.  As a bona fide American hero, he has valiantly defended American principles, and his resume contains sterling national security credentials.

McCain is quite capable of leading this great republic into a challenging future, but the burning question remains.  Who will he tap as a running mate at this summer's GOP National Convention and how will his decision impact the November election?  Also, how much will the Democrat's choice of a presidential candidate impact McCain's choice as a running mate?  Moreover, what other considerations must be factored in to the final selection given the complexities of this election cycle?  Playing the fictional role of McCain's personal V.P. selection advisor, let us take a closer look at the likely choices.

Controversial V.P. Choices
History has taught us that some Republican presidents have chosen running mates that were controversial.  McCain should avoid choosing a fusion candidate as Abraham Lincoln did by selecting Andrew Johnson for his second term.  Johnson was actually a War Democrat, who served out the balance of Lincoln's term (1865-69), as an ineffective president following Lincoln's assassination.  Johnson opposed civil rights for freed slaves, and barely escaped an impeachment conviction by one Senate vote.  

Eighty-eight years later, Dwight D. Eisenhower gave the nod to Richard Nixon, a man with whom he had a frosty relationship.  Eisenhower and Nixon were said to have been on ambivalent terms throughout their eight years together (1953-1961).  Nixon made the leap from vice president to president in 1968, and was generally effective until the Watergate scandal unraveled his administration and led to his resignation.   
 
George H.W. Bush tapped a young Dan Quayle to be his V.P., and Bush ended up as a one-term president.  Quayle was a lightweight with limited legislative experience.  If Bush had chosen a heftier candidate and kept his no new taxes pledge, he might have been able to defeat Clinton/Gore, but we'll never know for sure.

Stronger V.P. Choices
Some Republican presidents made strong VP selections.  William McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt made a good tandem. After McKinley's untimely death in late 1901, Teddy Roosevelt served out the remainder of the term, then was elected in his own right in 1904.  Roosevelt was a larger than life president who had a wealth of experience before he became vice president. 

Roosevelt was an effective, popular president who coined the phrase, "Speak softly, and carry a big stick; it will take you far."  He applied this bargaining practice to both domestic and foreign policies.  He also beefed up the armed forces, established our national park system, and won the Nobel Peace Prize.

In Campaign 2000, George W. Bush gave the nod to Dick Cheney, an older man with a substantial resume.  Usually, vice-presidents aren't highly visible, but Cheney has parlayed his experience into a formidable role as advisor to the president.  Their shared values have made for a solid and steady partnership.

So who should McCain choose and what should he consider?

Political Philosophy
McCain should choose an individual that shares similar conservative views on the role of government, as well as conservative cultural and social values.  A V.P. should also focus on the long-term interests of strong border security, natural liberty, and legal immigration. 

The candidate would realize that the civilized world must utilize all tools necessary to defeat radical Islamism.  The goal of the fanatic extremists is to demolish the foundations of democracy and liberty.  A potential running mate must also know that peace through strength is best in confronting nations such as China, Iran, Russia, and Venezuela. 

Moreover, a strong candidate can be a crucial tie-breaking vote in the Senate, and could endorse balanced budgets, streamlined government, and an overhaul of several unsustainable entitlement programs.  Structural reforms would allow individuals to have greater autonomy in choosing health care and retirement programs.  An excellent V.P. would favor fair taxes, tax cuts, and a greater use of the veto pen.  This is the type of genuine change envisioned by Newt Gingrich.

A strong candidate would remind McCain that this country must further develop its own energy resources to reduce reliance on OPEC.  That would include clean drilling in Alaska's ANWR, other U.S. land areas, offshore areas, and increasing energy trade with Canada.  Most Americans favor environmental protection, but they also want to balance it with economic prosperity.

McCain's V.P. ought to share his values regarding non-activist judges that refrain from enforcing, or writing laws.  The role of judges and justices is to abide by the Constitution as they interpret laws and render opinions on legal cases.  A wise running mate would advise McCain to be more assertive when exposing the socialist anti-liberty agenda of his Democratic opponent.

Demographics
First, the selection process should consider the issue of age. If he is elected 44th president in November, he will be 72 years old, which would make him the oldest president entering a first term.  Therefore, it will be important to select an energetic, younger V.P. that will add a sense of vitality to the ticket.  By selecting a mature V.P. (not too young and not too old) and one that the electorate could foresee taking the reigns as president, it would reinforce the notion that the office will be in capable hands should McCain leave office sooner than expected.

With regard to religion, McCain might want to consider selecting a Catholic to help carry important communities in swing states. However, as is the case with age, ethnicity, gender, region, and religion, no single demographic trait will offer a silver bullet solution. A strong partner will need to be well-rounded and be a viable presidential candidate in 2012.

Geography
It is crucial McCain choose a running mate that represents a geographic balance to McCain's Southwest.  Physical distances can be moderate, as evidenced by the successes of the Bush/Cheney and Clinton/Gore tickets, but balance is important. By selecting a governor or a popular legislator from an important swing state, McCain could leverage that individual's name ID and their extensive grassroots political organizations.

Bottom Line
A VP selection on the Republican ticket must appeal to a broad range of voters with diverse backgrounds. A successful partnership will resonate with middle class workers, the conservative base, some libertarians, moderate democrats, independents, and swing voters.


THE SHORT LIST

Mitt Romney
Mitt Romney is a seasoned leader and executive from the Northeast. He was the governor of Massachusetts and a wildly successful business executive. As a former presidential campaign rival of McCain, Mitt Romney has an existing political organization and national name ID. Romney appeals to the fiscal and social conservative base, and he offers a strategic balance to the ticket.  Importantly, he is energetic and understands how the real world operates.  Romney lacks national security experience (which would be offset by McCain's extensive national security resume). While Romney's faith as a Mormon has been endlessly scrutinized during the primary, it still represents a wildcard factor in a general election.   

Tim Pawlenty
Minnesota governor, Tim Pawlenty would be an excellent complement to McCain. Pawlenty is a self-made success story and is currently serving his second term.  He has exercised fiscal and social conservative leadership wisely, and has led trade delegations to several countries.  He firmly endorses free markets and free trade.  At age 47 his youth could be a factor, but he appears to be mature beyond his years.

Jeb Bush
His last name is "Bush" and his brother is the relatively unpopular two term president. That aside, Jeb Bush is a Catholic reform minded former two-term governor of Florida.  He has loads of private sector and civic experience that has appealed to a broad spectrum of voters.  Unlike the federal government after Hurricane Katrina, he went on offense when Florida was hit by hurricane disasters. With the help of current Florida governor, Charlie Crist and Senator Mel Martinez, a very important swing state could end up in the McCain column come November.

Mark Sanford
On the Eastern seaboard, Governor Mark Sanford of South Carolina would make an excellent V.P. selection.  He is a young (nearly 48), experienced legislator who is currently serving a second term as governor.  At 92%, his conservative rating from the American Conservative Union is higher than McCain's.  Both have similar beliefs regarding social issues, and both favor a leaner, more responsive government that encourages freedom.  Sanford is a relative unknown and still has two years left in his gubernatorial term.

George Pataki
Pataki has served the public as a mayor (Peekskill), state legislator, and three term governor of New York.  He handled the 9/11 atrocity and its aftermath in a professional manner. Pataki is a Catholic He is a fiscal conservative who promoted government reforms, as well as free market capitalism for the region.  His age (nearly 63) could be an adverse factor, and his liberal social tendencies could be problematic with the base.  However, Pataki could be an asset in the campaign to generate new voter registrations and voter turnout in key areas of the Northeast.


LONGSHOTS

Mike Huckabee / Rick Perry
Former Arkansas governor and ex-presidential candidate Mike Huckabee, and Texas governor Rick Perry could also be on the short list.  Both have deep roots in the South, both are youthful, and both men have successfully coped with the burdens of bipartisan leadership. Additionally, they both endorse sound fiscal policies and socially conservative values. It is unknown how either of these two would resonate in a general election outside the South. 

Jon Huntsman / Dirk Kempthorne / Ed Schafer
Jon Huntsman, Jr. is only 48 years old, comes from a business background, and speaks fluent Mandarin Chinese. He could assist with any future negotiations with China and Taiwan.  Some of his policies have facilitated economic growth in Utah.  He could be ready to serve and is wrapping up his term this year. Like Romney, the impact of his Mormon faith is an unknown in a general election.

Dirk Kempthorne of Idaho is a former Senator and governor. He is currently the Interior Secretary in the Bush Cabinet.  Ed Schafer is a former two-term North Dakota governor and is currently serving as the Agriculture Secretary. These leaders offer McCain a strategic balance of age, geography, and political philosophy. Both men would enhance McCain's standing in the Northwest.

Conclusion
Throughout the campaign, the Bush team will likely offer support as McCain and his running mate take their case to the American electorate.  Thousands of citizen leaders and GOP leaders will inspire new voter registration, and get out the vote initiatives.  Rising GOP stars such as Governor Bobby Jindal (see feature article), and Governor Sarah Palin from Alaska, could pump up voters during the campaign, and inspire them with speeches at the GOP National Convention.
 
If these leaders convey a persuasive message of individual empowerment, genuine change, and robust national security, John McCain and his running mate can emerge from this marathon election cycle as the victors in November.  Likewise, McCain and his running mate could accelerate the aspirations of GOP political figures that seek office at the local, state, and national levels.  

In the final analysis, national elections aren't won due to endorsements, media pundits, or highly flawed polls.  Some would argue they are not even decided by the choice of a running mate. They are in fact decided by voter turnout at polling booths on the first Tuesday in November. 

Christian P. Milord is an educator, a USCG veteran, and a writer