McCain, Obama VP Talk Heats Up

Sen. John McCain (R., Ariz.) has had a difficult week. He suffered controversy over a comment on the "surge" in Iraq, while his opponent in the presidential election, Sen. Barack Obama (D., Ill.) traveled abroad and received good reviews and positive press coverage.

In the meantime, rumors have surfaced suggesting that McCain plans to announce his vice-presidential pick imminently.

The buzz has swirled around three Republican governors: Florida's Charlie Crist, Minnesota's Tim Pawlenty and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney.

Romney has emerged as the favorite. Following a divisive primary campaign, Romney reversed roles and become a loyal soldier. He has used his fundraising prowess to get McCain and the GOP back in the money race. He has a personal fortune that's estimated at more than $250 million, which he earned working for Bain Capital Management, a private-equity firm.

Moreover, Romney ran a campaign centered on uniting the Republican base. He worked hard to appeal to fiscal conservatives and has the strongest background on economics. He spoke strongly on military matters, calling for increased defense spending.

Finally, he talked about his faith. Although he isn't an evangelical Christian, he received good reviews for his comments about religion, which helped downplay fears about his Mormon faith.

Pawlenty's prospects could be improving. He has performed steadily as a McCain surrogate on television and could be an excellent balance to the so-called maverick. Pawlenty is plain-spoken, noncontroversial and 24 years younger than McCain.

Furthermore, his state, Minnesota, could play an important role as a swing state. A poll conducted by Quinnipiac University on Thursday measuring Minnesota voters' sentiment showed McCain trailing Obama 44 to 46, up from 37 to 54.

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