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This article lists those who were potential candidates for the Republican nomination for Vice President of the United States in the 2008 election. On March 4, 2008, Senator John McCain of Arizona won a majority of pledged delegates for the Republican nomination for President of the United States, and became the presumptive nominee.

McCain held an event with Alaska governor Sarah Palin, revealing her as his vice-presidential running mate on his birthday, August 29, at the Ervin J. Nutter Center in Dayton, Ohio, the day after Barack Obama's acceptance speech.^[1]

Selection process

Sarah Palin was the GOP choice for Vice President. At a speech in Norfolk, Virginia, McCain told supporters that regional considerations would have less bearing on his decision than the candidate's perceived ability to take over the office of the presidency–and the candidate's "values, principles, philosophy, and priorities."^[2] One factor that McCain had to consider, more so than does his opponent, is age. Had McCain won in 2008, he would have (on January 20, 2009) been the oldest person to assume the Presidency in U.S. history at initial ascension to office, being 72 years old. His running-mate was scrutinized more heavily in general, and was considerably younger.^[3] Other factors that contributed to the decision were shoring up the conservative base, choosing someone with executive experience, expertise in domestic policy (to complement McCain's foreign policy focus), and electoral college calculations.^[3] Any closely-contested general election will inevitably draw attention, as it does in most general election years, to the swing states, with high-value prizes in Ohio, Florida, Pennsylvania, and Michigan.^[4]

McCain had been rumored to be down to the names of Mitt Romney of Massachusetts, Joe Lieberman of Connecticut, Charlie Crist of Florida, Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota, Sarah Palin of Alaska, and Tom Ridge of Pennsylvania. McCain initially wished to choose Lieberman, his close friend and the 2000 Democratic vice presidential nominee, as his running mate; however, Lieberman's liberal record (voting with Democrats 86.9% of the time in the 110th Congress^[5]) and pro-choice stance led McCain's aides to veto the choice.^[6] McCain, rejecting 'safer' choices such as Pawlenty or Romney, instead chose Governor Sarah Palin as his running mate.

Media speculation on John McCain's possible running-mates

After his selection as Presidential Candidate, news sources and political pundits began to speculate on whom McCain would or should choose, based on the candidates' ability to enhance the Republican ticket, personality (ability to work well with McCain), and preparedness for assuming the office of the presidency. The Associated Press reported that McCain had composed a list of 20 or so potential running mates.^[7] Over two dozen names had been offered as viable potential running mates by the Kansas City Star,^[8] the Salt Lake Tribune,^[9] the New York Sun,^[10] the Indianapolis Star,^[11] the Saint Louis Post Dispatch,^[12] the Times of India,^[13] and the Globe and Mail.^[14] This list includes both names that had been mentioned in several sources and some much less likely candidates:

U.S. Senators

• Sam Brownback - Senior U.S. Senator from Kansas, 2008 presidential candidate^[15]
• Richard Burr - Junior U.S. Senator from North Carolina^[16]
• Tom Coburn - Junior U.S. Senator from Oklahoma^[17]
• Jim DeMint - Junior U.S. Senator from South Carolina^[18]
• Elizabeth Hanford Dole - Senior U.S. Senator from North Carolina^[19]
• Lindsey Graham - Senior U.S. Senator from South Carolina and long time McCain friend^[20]
• Chuck Grassley - Senior U.S. Senator from Iowa^[21]
• Lisa Murkowski - Junior U.S. Senator from Alaska^[22]
• Olympia Snowe - Senior U.S. Senator from Maine^[23]
• John E. Sununu - Junior U.S. Senator from New Hampshire^[24]
• John Thune - Junior U.S. Senator from South Dakota, endorsed McCain^[16][20][25]
• Joe Lieberman - Junior U.S. Senator from Connecticut Lieberman is an independent who caucuses with the Democrats. He was the Democratic nominee for vice president in 2000.^[26]

U.S. Representatives

• Marsha Blackburn - U.S. Representative from Tennessee^[27]
• Eric Cantor - U.S. Representative from Virginia^[28]

Governors

• Haley Barbour - Governor of Mississippi^[20]
• Matt Blunt - Governor of Missouri^[12]
• Charlie Crist - Governor of Florida^[16][20][29]
• Jon Huntsman, Jr. - Governor of Utah^[29]
• Sarah Palin - Governor of Alaska.^[20][30] Sarah Palin became the GOP Vice-Presidential nominee in 2008.^[31]
• Tim Pawlenty - Governor of Minnesota and Co-Chair of McCain for President^[20][29][32]
• Sonny Perdue - Governor of Georgia^[33][34]
• Mark Sanford - Governor of South Carolina^[20][29][35]

Former governors

• Jeb Bush - former Governor of Florida, son of George H. W. Bush, and brother of George W. Bush^[20]
• Mike Huckabee - former Governor of Arkansas, 2008 presidential candidate^{[16][20][25][29]}
• Mitt Romney - former Governor of Massachusetts, 2008 presidential candidate^{[16][20][25][36]}
• Tom Ridge - former Governor of Pennsylvania and former Homeland Security Secretary^[29]
• Tommy Thompson - former Governor of Wisconsin and former Secretary of Health and Human services
• Christine Todd Whitman - former Governor of New Jersey ^[37]

Others

• Carly Fiorina - former Hewlett Packard CEO^[16]
• Tommy Franks - former U.S. Army General and former Commander of United States Central Command
• Rudy Giuliani - former Mayor of New York City and friend of McCain's, 2008 presidential candidate^[38]
• James L. Jones- former Supreme Commander of NATO and Commandant of U.S. Marine Corps
• David Petraeus - former Commanding General, Multi-National Force - Iraq; Commander of the United States Central Command^[39]
• Meg Whitman - former eBay CEO^[16][25]
• Mike Bloomberg - Mayor of New York City^[40]

Denied interest

• Kay Bailey Hutchison - Senior U.S. Senator from Texas^[41]
• Bobby Jindal - Governor of Louisiana for only a year, who said he wants to complete two terms^[42]
• Joseph Lieberman - Junior U.S. Senator from Connecticut, McCain colleague, and 2000 Democratic vice-presidential nominee^[43]
• Condoleezza Rice - U.S. Secretary of State^[44]
• Colin Powell - former United States Secretary of State and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff^[45] Powell later endorsed Democratic Nominee Barack Obama^[46]

Candidates gallery

Governor Haley Barbour of Mississippi	Representative Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee	Mayor Michael Bloomberg of New York	Governor Matt Blunt of Missouri
House Minority Whip Roy Blunt of Missouri	House Minority Leader John Boehner of Ohio	Senator Sam Brownback of Kansas	Senator Richard Burr of North Carolina
Former Governor Jeb Bush of Florida	Representative Eric Cantor of Virginia	Senator Tom Coburn of Oklahoma	Governor Charlie Crist of Florida
Senator Jim DeMint of South Carolina	Former Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist of Tennessee	Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani of New York	Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina
Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa	Former Governor Mike Huckabee of Arkansas	Representative Duncan Hunter of California	Governor Jon Huntsman, Jr. of Utah
Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas	Senator Joe Lieberman of Connecticut	Governor Linda Lingle of Hawaii	Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska
Governor Sarah Palin of Alaska	Governor Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota	Governor Sonny Perdue of Georgia	General David Petraeus of New York
Former Secretary of State Colin Powell of New York	Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice of California	Former Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge of Pennsylvania	Former Governor Mitt Romney of Massachusetts
Senator Olympia Snowe of Maine	Senator John E. Sununu of New Hampshire	Former Senator Fred Thompson of Tennessee	Former Governor Tommy Thompson of Wisconsin
Senator John Thune of South Dakota	Former Governor Christine Todd Whitman of New Jersey	Businesswoman Meg Whitman of New York

See also

• Democratic Party (United States) vice presidential candidates, 2008

References

John McCain Life Early life and military career · Cultural and political image · Hanoi Hilton · The Nightingale's Song Books authored Faith of My Fathers · Worth the Fighting For · Character Is Destiny · Hard Call Political activities House and Senate career, until 2000 · The Keating Five Scandal · International Republican Institute · Presidential campaign, 2000 · Senate career, 2001-present · Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act · Climate Stewardship Acts · McCain Detainee Amendment · 2008 opposition to limiting interrogation techniques · List of bills sponsored · Political positions · Presidential campaign, 2008 · Presidential campaign endorsements, 2008 Elections Electoral history · House of Representatives elections, 1982 · House of Representatives elections, 1984 · Senate elections, 1986 · Senate elections, 1992 · Senate elections, 1998 · Senate elections, 2004 Family Cindy Hensley McCain (wife) · Carol McCain (first wife) · Meghan McCain (daughter) · John S. McCain, Jr. (father) · Roberta McCain (mother) · Joe McCain (brother) · Sandy McCain Morgan (sister) · John S. McCain, Sr. (grandfather)

Sarah Palin Political office Early political career · Governor of Alaska · Resignation as Governor  · Political positions Campaigns Electoral history · Alaska gubernatorial election, 2006 · McCain-Palin 2008 Media coverage Public image and reception · Katie Couric interviews Family Todd Palin (husband) · Bristol Palin (daughter) · Levi Johnston (father of grandson) Books and other media Sarah: How a Hockey Mom Turned Alaska's Political Establishment Upside Down · Going Rogue: An American Life · Going Rouge: Sarah Palin An American Nightmare · Game Change: Obama and the Clintons, McCain and Palin, and the Race of a Lifetime · Saturday Night Live parodies of Sarah Palin · Who's Nailin' Paylin? Related articles Alaska Public Safety Commissioner dismissal · Gravina Island Bridge · Sarah Palin email hack · The Masked Avengers' prank on Sarah Palin