CNN confirms that Biden is Obama's choice for running mate

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The best running mate to combat Biden is Ridge... on many levels.

IMO, if Ridge is the VP Nominee, this election is over.  Obama can never get the electoral vote combination needed to win.  Romney on the ticket would be close to that as well, but Obama's odds would go up.

Is Ridge really that popular in Pennsylvania?

Ridge is very well liked amongst the people that were turned off by Barack in the primary.  Also, Ridge guarantees McCain at least 75% in the Northwest... which, while the Northwest is the least populace of the four corners of the state, that would, none-the-less be very significant.

As I pointed out, also, Ridge is regionally connected.  People across the border is Ohio, who might normally throw their support, volunteers and money behind a Democrat would reconsider with Ridge on the ticket.

Except that Ridge is pro abortion, which matters to a great deal of people, and not just Republicans, outside the Northeast.

[Storebought]

The best running mate to combat Biden is Ridge... on many levels.

IMO, if Ridge is the VP Nominee, this election is over.  Obama can never get the electoral vote combination needed to win.  Romney on the ticket would be close to that as well, but Obama's odds would go up.

Is Ridge really that popular in Pennsylvania?

Ridge is very well liked amongst the people that were turned off by Barack in the primary.  Also, Ridge guarantees McCain at least 75% in the Northwest... which, while the Northwest is the least populace of the four corners of the state, that would, none-the-less be very significant.

As I pointed out, also, Ridge is regionally connected.  People across the border is Ohio, who might normally throw their support, volunteers and money behind a Democrat would reconsider with Ridge on the ticket.

Except that Ridge is pro abortion, which matters to a great deal of people, and not just Republicans, outside the Northeast.

Again, Ridge is not "pro abortion"... Ridge is actually pro-life, but his abortion position is very complex.  As I have said, one of Ridges biggest problems is that he is an awful soundbiter.  It takes him 30 minutes to explain his position on chocolate cake.  And Ridge does support limitations on abortion, outright, and he supports near total ban if a certain number of stipulations are met.  Ridge could, quite credibly, say that he opposes Roe, which is something in our corner.

All of which sounds like McCain's position, except (1) McCain has long been more forthright against it and (2) in any event, he can explain his position better -- or, rather, that he can explain it in a way that doesn't let the Democrats do it for him.

Nuance, and all of the eye-blinking and forehead-sweating associated with it, is deadly before a camera. But I have no need to remind you of it.

Remember: the people who care about abortion, who vote GOP and man phones and give money and such, don't want any compromise nuance-type candidate at the top of the ticket. They have enough problems with McCain. I say, pick a pro-lifer who doesn't scare people. Or a woman. From Alaska.

Not to mention, PA -- the whole of the Northeast, really -- was long gone even before today.

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And there is no math that gives Obama a win without PA and Ohio.

Ridge probably brings in the most EV's of any person on either shortlist.

I will say that I still have misgivings about Ridge, in spite of your passionate defense of him. They extend even beyond his abortion moderation (which must be kept in mind at all times in GOP politics).

Does he still have real electoral cache in PA or, better still, Midwestern politics? Do endorsements from him matter? Most importantly, could he even win "reelection", so to speak, if he ran in PA today? Not only do I get the strong impression that Ridge's time, like Giuliani's in NY, is up, the state itself (along with NH) seems to have turned in a tidal wave to the Democrats these few years.

I dismiss, though, concerns about his stint in the DHS. No one remembers that anyhow.

Not to overstate the importance of VP picks -- I just think that Ridge would be a electoral dud outside of (and perhaps even in) the old industrial Northwest, and will just drag down a ticket already burdened with a still-distrusted McCain with so much ballast.

In the end, I think Romney would be the pick -- he has all of the faults of Ridge (not being able to be elected in a home state not named "Utah"), but has the benefit of being trusted by social conservatives.