Every GOPer I've spoken with is truly scared shitless of McCain choosing Lieberman, because it would rally the Dems and potentially cause a floor fight at the convention.

Now with Mitt -- sure, you further solidify an already pretty solid Mormon vote.  (Utah can then, I think, be called a "solid McCain" state.  You go, girl.)  But you also run the risk of further depressing your base in the South and the more Evangelical areas of the West.  People like -- oh, I dunno -- McCain's mother (who clearly hates Mormons).

Finally, do you really want to send Mitt out to get slaughtered by Biden?  I know McCain hates Mittens because he thinks Mitt's a pussy (which, granted, he is), so maybe he'd enjoy that, but McCain does presumably want to win.  And when he doesn't have the questions handed to him ahead of time, McCain is a pretty lousy debater, even relative to Obama (who isn't exactly God's gift to debating).  Why risk getting beat in the presidential debate and then watching your veep compound the problem by being truly slaughtered?

Pawlenty is the safest choice, but I don't think he gets you anything.  He's not terribly popular in Minnesota anyway.  And why should he be?  This is the guy who vetoed the transportation bill before the bridge collapse.  He's also got all the charisma of a turnip, and is about as deep as Dan Quayle.

But he doesn't piss anybody off.

I'm still betting on Mittens.  But I'd go with Pawlenty if I were McCain.

For the record, Mitt's at about 51% on Intrade.  Pawlenty's at about 48%.  So it's almost even money.

Conservatives want live babies so they can raise them to be dead soldiers. - George Carlin