Mike Goldfarb is right that Tom Ridge will be among those John McCain’s seriously considers as his runningmate. As Goldfarb notes, Ridge is from the electorally important state of Pennsylvania. McCain not only respects him, but he considers him a friend, and he was happy to have Ridge with him for a spell on the road during the primaries. But there are other reasons Ridge would be a surprising choice. The fact that both would be perceived to have strong national security credentials would argue against a McCain-Ridge ticket. In some ways, they’re too much alike, especially if one of McCain’s biggest assets is his biography. In an interview back in November 2006, McCain told me that he thought it important to pick someone who would bring expertise in areas where McCain’s knowledge might not be as strong. Maybe Ridge does this in some areas. But the fact that he served as George W. Bush’s first Homeland Security director will create a perception that he, too, brings national security credentials first. More important, perhaps, is McCain’s view that the Republican Party is a pro-life party. During a discussion about Michael Bloomberg on McCain’s campaign plane last month, a reporter casually suggested that Bloomberg might make a good runningmate. McCain, who otherwise had nice things to say about the New York City mayor, was skeptical and gave one reason: abortion. “I don’t know how you could nominate a pro-choice VP without a real backlash from the party,” he said. McCain explained that a pro-choice vice presidential nominee would be problematic because the candidate would be at odds with a “fundamental” principle of the Republican party. McCain didn’t rule out picking a pro-choice runningmate, but he came close. His comments suggest that the issue would be an important one.
