by Mark Silva
A couple of Pennsylvania governors grabbed some headlines today, raising a certain running-mate math question:
Republican Tom Ridge, the first-ever Homeland Security secretary, campaigned alongside Sen. John McCain and stirred speculation about a ticket, while Democratic Gov. Ed Rendell, held out that there's really only one running mate for Sen. Barack Obama who could make a big difference: Sen. Hillary Clinton.
The fact that Ridge, a former two-term governor of a state which either candidate for president would love to carry, is "pro-choice'' on abortion is said to rule him out as a Republican running mate. But Ridge's own appeal seems to rule him in for some sort of team, the way McCain was talking about him today.
McCain, who had dined with Ridge and his wife in Pennsylvania on Sunday - and picked up a tab just shy of $100 and left a 20 percent tip - kicked off a two-day tour today at a General Electric Co. plant in Erie. When a GE worker asked McCain about plans for his first 90 days in the White House, McCain replied: "Call Tom Ridge to Washington from whatever vacation he is taking and get him to work.''
McCain professed himself "proud to be in his company.'' Yet while Ridge as a running mate might boost McCain's chances of carrying the Keystone State in November, conservatives worry about his impact on the vote of the party's base in other states.
Gov. Rendell, who campaigned for Clinton in the state's Democratic primary election - which the senator from New York won in April - has suggested that Clinton could offer Obama more than merely Pennsylvania, if the senator from Illinois were to tap her.
""I don't know any other talked-about contender who would have an impact in anything more than one state,'' Rendell said. "Sen. Clinton would have an impact in 10 or 15 states and could make the difference in those states.''
The Clintons, for their part, seem to be still living in a certain state of denial.
While Hillary Clinton has returned to a limited trail to campaign for Obama, her husband, former President Bill Clinton, has offered little public encouragement for the party's candidate. And Howard Wolfson, the senator's former campaign communications director, was maintaining that Clinton could have won the party's nomination, if only former Sen. John Edwards, who recently confessed to an extramarital affair during 2006, had not been on the roster of candidates at the party's opening caucuses in Iowa.
Tribune wire services contributed to this report.
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Comments
HRC is in a state of denial. Do not want a person who doesn't know reality that close to power. Just a bad idea.
Besides, bringing up John Edwards' indiscretions would likely have had the effect of reminding everybody about Bill Clinton's indiscretions. Hardly inspiring.
Posted by: CC | August 11, 2008 5:16 PM
But there is so much baggage that goes with a Clinton VP that it cancels most of the benefit out.
http://www.political-buzz.com/
Posted by: matt | August 11, 2008 5:24 PM
Wolfson and the Clintons just can't get over themselves. To them, it's everybody's fault but their own that they lost. So now Wolfson is playing with the idea that if only the truth about Edwards had emerged earlier, Hillary would have won. Dream on, Howard! "Coulda, shoulda, woulda." In truth, HRC lost because her early lead was squandered by an incompetent campaign. Managed in large part by Howard Wolfson!
Posted by: Tom in California | August 11, 2008 5:40 PM
Tom Rige would be a joke, Obama hasn't much choice--
Posted by: George | August 11, 2008 5:47 PM
Hillary would be a wonderful choice.
The moment Obama was inaugurated, he would be a dead man walking and Hillary would be able to pay me back for all my help!
Go ahead, Barack, pick HIllary!
Posted by: EdwardGRendell | August 11, 2008 6:17 PM
Once we all take the duct tape off our windows, we'll see what a solid choice he is.
Posted by: Kenny Bunkport ☯ | August 11, 2008 7:08 PM
McCain must carefully select his VP. A strong conservative and popular woman would fit the bill. Several have been named. Don't blow the most important decision to date.
Posted by: v racer | August 11, 2008 7:33 PM
EdwardRendell wrote: "Hillary would be a wonderful choice." Yeah, right. For starters, her defunct campaign was marked by infighting, disorganization, poor management and multi-million dollar debt that she cannot even retire on her own. And I am talking about the (dis)organization of Hillary Clinton, instead of the administration of Dubya.
Posted by: Joe Hannes III | August 11, 2008 7:56 PM
I love reading the repuglican trolls (or are they the same Obama neophytes who tore our party apart to claw their way, Chicago Machine style, to being SELECTED as candidate) say that the 'incompetent' Hillary campaign (many of whom are now on Obama's team) should be drowned in the Potomac, etc...
Grow up.
You're supporting a Daley connected buppie who's PLAYING GOLF RIGHT NOW on our DIMES.
We need a green party alternative.
And the only safe way to keep repugs outta office while we build it is to get the instant runoff second choice ballots out there.
http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal
08082008/profile.html
Posted by: holding nose and voting Obama but Hillary would clean McCain's clock | August 11, 2008 9:45 PM
I think it's pretty evident that Obama is unable to pull out ahead of McCain as one might think he would with all the media support and money poored into the mix, and of course those lovely speeches.
It's pretty apparent that a win won't take place without Hillary next to him. I guess everyone might have to weight olosing vs McCain the Maverick taking over. How bad does the LEFT want to win? That is the ultimate question and as things go along some will finally come to a terrible realization that what seemed beyond horrible, might be they've got. Desperate measures for desperate times.
Posted by: money money money mo-ney, MO-NEY | August 12, 2008 6:11 AM
Posted by v racer> A strong conservative and popular woman would fit the bill.
I agree. I like Palin and Feorina. The problem they say with picking someone like Feorina is that very seldom are non-politicians able to handle what media scrutiny can do to a candidate, whereas someone like Palin might be better equiped to handle that.
I think it would make a GIANT SPLASH to announce a qualified female. It would be a hard ticket to beat, not that it isn't already been a cake walk for McCain to stay up with Obama in the polls.
Posted by: think it thru | August 12, 2008 8:14 AM
She's not in any denial. What is wrong with you? Are you deaf or just so full of hate that reality escapes you?
And her husband, btw, has not exactly ben asked to campaign, now has he? Not that it isn't a little early for that but you see the Clintons have this little problem- no matter what they do, they are always the story because of idiots like you who love trashing them so much.
Posted by: stephanie Lurz | August 12, 2008 8:08 PM
With all the Republican crossover votes Hillary got during the Demo primary season, it seems like she would make a more appropriate running mate for John McCain.
Sterling Greenwood
Aspen Free Press
Posted by: AspenFreePress | August 12, 2008 9:50 PM