All Blog Posts from Horserace

There has been some movement at the top of the CBSNews.com Republican VP Rankings with Tim Pawlenty taking over the top spot on the Hot Sheet from Mitt Romney. The move comes not because Romney has done anything to hurt his chances but is instead a reflection of the fact that the hype surrounding Pawlenty has never been higher.

Florida Governor Charlie Crist is also generating new buzz, while Tom Ridge slips a bit in the new rankings.

Click here to check out the updated Republican VP Hot Sheet.

Charlie Crist, the popular governor of Florida and among those being talked about as a vice presidential running mate for John McCain, has joined the presumptive GOP nominee and President Bush in support of removing the nation’s ban on offshore oil drilling.

Crist, who like most all of the state’s politicians, has long opposed any offshore drilling but said yesterday he’s reversing course in part because of high gas prices. “I mean, let's face it, the price of gas has gone through the roof, and Florida families are suffering," Crist said. "And my heart bleeds for them." Crist endorsed McCain just before his state’s primary in February and is a logical person of interest for the ticket as the governor of a must-have Republican state in November. Democrats were quick to hit Crist for his reversal. Florida Democratic Party spokesman Mark Bubriski asked "if John McCain jumps off a cliff, will Charlie Crist jump, too?"

Read full post…

The vice presidential guessing game has, of course, been well underway for quite some time now. But it’s about to move into a new phase has summer approaches and the vetting process for both candidates begins.

To help negotiate the rumor mill, the unending speculation and the volume of names already circulating for “the lists,” CBSNews.com today launches the Republican version of a new Vice Presidential Hot Sheet. We’ve compiled a lengthy list of potential candidates and ranked the top ten based on media speculation, buzz, reporting and not a little bit of guesswork. It’s not an authoritative or exhaustive list but it will be a dynamic one, changing based on events and developments.

To kick things off, it’s helpful to look at the kinds of qualities John McCain is likely looking for in a running mate. Because age will certainly be an issue in the campaign, perhaps one of the most important considerations is competence. Making a “Quayle” pick, someone unknown and untested, may not be the best way to go. The first rule of thumb in these decisions is “do no harm,” after all.

Then other tangibles come into play. McCain has admitted that the economy, the issue voters cite as their top concern, is not his strong suit, so someone with that on their resume could add heft to the ticket. Although he’s already proven the ability to transcend the Republican brand and distance himself from an unpopular president, McCain may want to pick someone who doesn’t carry the baggage of years in Washington. And, of course, there are those electoral considerations – can any choice bring him a key state or regional appeal?

Obviously there are many other parts of the equation, including ideology, loyalty and chemistry. And there is a vetting process that will go a long way toward whittling the list that could boost or eliminate individual candidates. That leaves us with a great, big guessing game as the process goes forward, so without further ado, here are the five candidates topping the inaugural edition of our Republican Vice Presidential Hot Sheet:

1). Mitt Romney: Wounds from the primaries have healed thanks to Romney's efforts to raise money and campaign for McCain. He's got the economic chops to fill a hole and could help in Michigan. But is the chemistry there?

2). Tim Pawlenty: Young, fresh face of the GOP, a Washington outsider and the governor from the battleground state which hosts McCain's convention. Is he ready for to be a heartbeat away?

Read full post…

Picking a running mate is serious business in spite of the often carnival-like atmospherics that can accompany it. Clandestine meeting with prospective candidates, endless speculation and jockeying among various boosters aside, it's generally the first major decision made by two individuals auditioning for the job of running the country.

"The first consideration is to find a candidate who won't do you any harm," former Senator George Mitchell tells Katie Couric on tonight's "Evening News." After that, the specifications of what makes a good running mate are as different as the presumptive nominees themselves (watch tonight's Evening News show for the full report).

Who are some of those potential candidates now surfacing? Let's take a look at some of them and what they potentially bring to the table for the candidates. Let us know what you think about the list and who else should be considered and why either in the comments section or Email us here. And remember, this process is just beginning and these names will change over time.

The decision facing presumptive GOP nominee John McCain thus far has spurred the most speculation for obvious reasons. Conventional wisdom suggests that McCain needs to balance the ticket in several key areas – he needs a conservative to soothe his relations with a key part of the GOP base, someone from outside of Washington to counter his years spent in the U.S. Senate and someone younger who can be seen as a future standard-bearer for the party.

A tall order and few candidates fulfill all those perceived needs. Some don't fill any of them yet still bring a certain rationale. Here's who's getting the most attention thus far:

Mitt Romney: While the two had bitter exchanges during the GOP primary, Romney and McCain have quickly come together and the former Massachusetts governor has all but publicly announced his availability. On the plus side, Romney became popular among conservatives during the primary, fills a policy hole in McCain's resume on economic issues and could help put Michigan into play this fall. Downsides include Romney's failure to take advantages of his huge financial advantages in the primary and lingering questions about authenticity and his the impact of his religion.

Tim Pawlenty: The Governor of Minnesota was one of McCain's earliest and most dedicated supporters and one of the party's rising stars. Having been elected where Democrats have held in recent elections, he would certainly put his home state into play and it doesn't hurt that the GOP convention will take place in Minneapolis. The downside may be that Pawlenty is young, maybe too young and too unknown to thrust onto the national stage.

Read full post…