VP pick is shrouded in secrecy
Speculation swirls around Romney, others
DAYTON, Ohio - Senator John McCain finalized his choice for running mate yesterday and then arrived in the battleground state of Ohio, where he plans to appear with his pick today at a noon rally.
The campaign hopes the unveiling, coming about 14 hours after Barack Obama's acceptance speech, will deflate the "bounce" in support that Democrats are counting on from their convention.
McCain's decision followed months of suspense for Mitt Romney, the former Massachusetts governor, and other top vice presidential prospects. Romney is slated to appear with McCain at rallies this weekend in Pennsylvania and Missouri, but the McCain campaign said that does not necessarily mean Romney is the vice presidential candidate.
In addition to Romney, other top prospects include Governor Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota, a longtime friend of McCain's; Senator Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut, the self-described "independent Democrat"; and Tom Ridge, the former governor of Pennsylvania.
The McCain campaign, having watched how Obama's pick was leaked last week, went to great lengths to try to keep the selection secret. One possibility was that several of the prospects would come to Dayton, thus shrouding the selection, a Republican strategist said.
As McCain entered a Dayton hotel last night, police kept reporters away from the lobby and prevented questions from being asked. McCain waved as he entered an elevator, saying, "Good to see you," and then went to his suite.
Romney left his schedule open for today amid speculation that McCain could pick him. "My guess is Mitt Romney, if I had to bet the ranch," Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas said on Fox News Channel after confirming that she was not the selection.
A poll released last night found that Romney had the support of nearly 40 percent of Republican delegates heading to their convention next week in St. Paul, far more than any other contender.
The New York Times/CBS News poll found that 30 percent of delegates did not offer a preference, and no other candidate won more than 7 percent support. Former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee was named by 7 percent, Ridge and Pawlenty were the choice of 4 percent each, and Governor Bobby Jindal of Louisiana, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, and Governor Sarah Palin of Alaska were cited by 2 percent each.
Romney, who appeared at private events yesterday in California, is viewed as a top prospect because of the belief that he could shore up the Republican ticket's credentials on economic issues. He also may help win the tossup state of Michigan, where Romney was raised, and his father, George, served as governor. Romney might also help in Nevada, which has a large population of fellow Mormons.
However, Romney's chances could be hurt by his privileged upbringing and a personal fortune in the hundreds of millions of dollars. He spent $45 million of his own money during the primaries, including paying for ads that questioned whether McCain is "the right Republican" to occupy the Oval Office. Romney said this week in Denver that he and McCain have patched up their differences since the primaries and have become friends, and he has become one of McCain's most active surrogates.
Pawlenty, while little-known nationally, is one of McCain's favorite politicians and one of the earliest major supporters of his presidential bid. He came from working-class roots and worships at an evangelical church, and could counter the blue-collar appeal of the Democratic vice presidential selection, Senator Joe Biden.
Pawlenty appeared early yesterday in Denver as part of the Republican Party's response to the Democratic National Convention, attacking Obama, saying, "Senator Obama, what have you done and what have you run? When you look at those two questions, the answer is not much and nothing."
He then abruptly canceled several afternoon interviews, leading to speculation that it might be related to the vice presidential decision.
McCain has spoken highly of all of the prospects. In an interview with a Pittsburgh radio station that aired yesterday, McCain called Ridge "a great American and a great and dear friend and I rely on him and I have for many years." The two men are both Vietnam War veterans, but Ridge supports abortion rights so his selection would upset many Republicans.
Lieberman, who was the Democratic Party's vice presidential nominee in 2000, has endorsed McCain and plans to address the Republican convention. While some antiabortion delegates have said they would walk out of the convention if Lieberman is the vice presidential nominee, Lieberman could help McCain win over independents and Democrats.
McCain had hoped to make his choice by Tuesday, but he reportedly delayed the final decision because he wanted to discuss it with his wife, Cindy, who had returned to the McCains' home in Arizona on Wednesday night.
While the nation has focused on the Democratic convention, McCain has garnered extensive coverage in the swing state of Ohio as a result of his decision to make the announcement in Dayton. Newspapers have been filled with stories for days about the McCain announcement, and his arrival last evening at Dayton International Airport was covered live on a local news station.
By contrast, Obama made his vice presidential announcement in his home state of Illinois, which he is expected to carry easily, before traveling to swing states.
But the McCain campaign and local Republican officials were reportedly scrambling yesterday to give away the remainder of 10,000 tickets to the Dayton rally, which they hope will be McCain's largest and show enthusiasm for the Republican ticket, the morning after Obama accepted the nomination in a 75,000-seat stadium. 