Republican vice presidential candidates

Tom Ridge

The pitch
Ridge, President Bush's first Homeland Security chief and the former governor of Pennsylvania, could help McCain in the vital swing state, which voted Democratic in both 2000 and 2004.

The downside
Ridge is pro-choice, and McCain doesn't need another moderate conservative on the ticket. Ridge hasn't served in Pennsylvania since 2001, so his influence in the state remains questionable.
(Getty Images)
Tom Ridge The pitch Ridge, President Bush's first Homeland Security chief and the former governor of Pennsylvania, could help McCain in the vital swing state, which voted Democratic in both 2000 and 2004. The downside Ridge is pro-choice, and McCain doesn't need another moderate conservative on the ticket. Ridge hasn't served in Pennsylvania since 2001, so his influence in the state remains questionable.