The essential problem for McCain in picking his veep has a dual nature:  on the one hand, because of a variety of factors, none necessarily a debit in itself-- McCain's age, his laconic manner, his perhaps rather stiff (understandably!) demeanor-- he really needs to find someone charismatic, high-energy:  the kind of person who could be an instantly plausible and palatable standard-bearer for the GOP in four years on the assumption that McCain elects to be a one-term president (or, to put it direly, on the assumption that Mac will lose).  All this is especially keen given the threat that Obama's charisma presents in the Presidential contest-- as well as the fact that, in four years, the Dems may have a strong hand, assuming either that Hillary takes a fallen Obama's place, or that Obama should prove a popular President.

 

     But then, there's the negative side of this proposition:  first, that a charismatic running-mate might accentuate McCain's vulnerabilties in terms of age and apparent energy; and second, that no matter WHO McCain chooses, the media is almost dead certain to find McCain-Blank underwhelming compared to the Obama ticket, unless both a) McCain can snag either Bono, a Roman demigod, or the revivified George Washington, Abe Lincoln, or Harry Truman; and b) Obama picks his grandmother.

 

     So what the devil's McCain to do?  In my view, there's an added factor here:  McCain has to pick someone he can be truly comfortable with, and that the media/public will believe he is comfortable with.  McCain is too obviously prickly and set-in-his-ways to make nice with somebody chosen for pure expediency, probably even if, all things being equal, that somebody hasn't already stood in the way of his ambitions before (i.e. Romney, Huckabee).   Win or lose, I believe McCain dearly wants to make this run his own, wants to do it his way.

 

     And while McCain's own ideological profile is sufficiently mixed  to allow him to plausibly pick someone who is not a perfect mesh with his own political views (and who coult that be?), he can't just pick someone who's an obvious opportunist or a patent ideologue.  Both his own profile and that of Obama with his dreary "change" mantra dictates the choice of someone who sells the idea of political adventure, of not doing things the "old way."

 

     Let me just break form and admit who seems best-suited to me:  I join David Frum in endorsing Rudy Giuliani.  Never mind the talking-points for a minute, just let me put it like this:  McCain-Giuliani = Rambo-Dirty Harry.  The Vietnam War Hero and the Crime-Fighting Crusader.  Two mad-as-hell I-did-it-my-way larger-than-life characters.

 

     I realize the hurdles here for the conservative base.  Some of them I agree with, some of them I do not.  However, if there are clearly two guys who are going to stand for national security, it is these two.  If any two Republicans can scream, 'We will do what it takes to keep this country alive, safe, and free' it's them.  The resumes are impeccable.  Their fundamental resolve under pressure is absolutely tested.  You can balk at their ideas, but to balk at their character is like demanded Coriolanus to show you his wounds.

 

     If McCain is to have a chance, he has to force an issue in the minds of American voters:  can you really trust an inexperienced academic like Obama to lead this country through war and recession?  Giuliani would redouble McCain's strengths on the war question, and  be an absolute plus on the economic side.  Rudy's  revitalizing New York City from a festering demilitarized zone on a permanent autopilot course from "The French Connection"s rot to "Escape from New York"s dystopia into something actually akin to the urban paradise of Woody Allen's films makes him the best political spokesperson for economic turnaround the GOP has got.  Romney may have business-smarts, but Giuliani is Adam Smith on steroids.

 

     Okay, Rudy ran a poor campaign, but what of that?  If Obama picks an also-ran like Biden, Edwards, or Hillary, what will be made of that?  Rudy's bad choices in the campaign were more strategic than tactical, which curiously carries less embarassment.  Faced with a run of early caucuses/primaries where one or another rival had something of a lock on the vote, he couldn't elbow his way in.  If he'd made some amazing gaffes it'd be different.  As it is, it's almost as if Giuliani is coming in fresh from retirement instead of back from the grave.

 

     I'm not saying I'll absolutely balk at another pick:  I hope to review a few potentials before McCain actually announces.  But for all the excitement a couple of "out of the box" contenders might bring, I think it's unreasonable to bank on any of them commanding the kind of respect Rudy could bring to the ticket.