Presumptive Republican presidential nominee John McCain lauded Florida Gov. Charlie Crist as a potential running mate yesterday as they campaigned together in the Sunshine State.
Crist helped deliver the crucial state to the Arizona senator in the Jan. 29 primary.
“You know, obviously, we have just begun that process, and we, in fact, have not even outlined how we’re going to go about this,” McCain said in West Palm Beach.
“We’re looking at how the process was conducted by other candidates and nominees of their party.
“But I know one thing about Gov. Crist,” he added. “And that is that he is a great governor. He does a great job. There are many ways for him to serve the country.”
Crist, 51, is a popular first-term governor with broad appeal. Like McCain, his inclination is to reach toward the center to find bipartisan solutions to problems.
McCain has made it clear he’s a big fan of Crist.
The Florida governor was even at his side during campaign stops in New York, New Jersey and other states before and during the Super Tuesday primaries on Feb. 5.
“The process is really open,” McCain said of his search. “But I know that Gov. Crist will continue to serve this country in many respects in the future. He’s still a very young man.”
Other veep possibilities mentioned include McCain’s former presidential rivals Mike Huckabee and Mitt Romney, and Govs. Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota, Haley Barbour of Mississippi, Mark Sanford of South Carolina, John Huntsman of Utah and Sarah Palin of Alaska.