Feverish speculation was mounting last night over who Republican presidential nominee John McCain might choose to be his running mate in his campaign to win the White House.
McCain was hosting a series of high-level guests over the weekend at his ranch in Sedona, Arizona, several of whom are potential vice-presidential choices. The leak of details of the guest list was enough to have America's political classes speculating as to whether McCain was running job interviews.
Campaign officials played down the importance of a weekend barbecue with some of the top movers and shakers of the party. 'It is a purely social weekend with friends,' said a McCain spokeswoman. But such comments did little to dampen down some frantic reading of the political tea leaves as to whom McCain might pick.
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Among the guests were some obvious choices. Former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, who was McCain's main opponent in the nomination contest, was attending. He performed well on the campaign trail and is seen by Republican operatives as a thoroughly vetted and safe pair of hands. Another former opponent, pastor and Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee, was also present. Huckabee is highly popular with the religious right, which has historically had a difficult relationship with McCain.
Other guests looked like they might be on the invite list for having backed McCain at crucial times in the past, or because they brought the promise of securing a battle ground state in November. Florida's governor Charlie Crist combined both qualities: he would be vital in securing Florida and his support for McCain in that state helped him win the nomination. The same could be said of Minnesota governor Tim Pawlenty.
However, perhaps the most intriguing guest at McCain's ranch is Louisiana governor Bobby Jindal. Jindal is Indian-American and picking a member of an ethnic minority in the same year that Democrats are almost certain to choose Senator Barack Obama as McCain's rival would be a clever political tactic.
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