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This is something I've been pondering lately: who would be the leading contenders for John McCain's running mate had he won in 2000?

I've got a sort-of list going on, but I'm interested to hear what you all think.

Rick Santorum: I think Santorum is an underrated choice. He's got high marks with the people McCain offended in the primaries, he's a good campaigner (no, really, think about how on-message he was in 2012), and he's from a pivotal swing state. Unfortunately he's up for reelection that year.

Kay Bailey Hutchison: Like Santorum, she's up for reelection in 2000, but she does bring a lot to the table. She would be good in the debates against whomever the Democrats nominated. She has ties to the Bushes and could help mend fences there if need be. She's a woman, the first to be nominated for the vice-presidency by the Republicans. She's young (relatively) at 57 years old in 2000. Maybe a good choice?

George Pataki: Governor of New York, and still pretty popular in 2000. He might be able to bring a reliably Democratic state into McCain's column. However, there's a lot of bad blood between Pataki and McCain, as the former was totally committed to the Bush campaign.

Elizabeth Dole: Unfortunately there's not much to say about Liddy. She's a good resume candidate with a lot of executive experience, but she really doesn't add a whole lot to the ticket, and being part of a political family she would probably detract from the "maverick" selling point.

John Engler: Engler is essentially the Republican Evan Bayh. Everyone thinks that he would be a great running mate for so many reasons, but if you've ever seen him interact with voters you understand that he has serious drawbacks. Still the temptation to pick a Michigan veep might be strong enough to overcome those fears.

Condoleezza Rice: Okay, this one's really just for fun. If McCain felt like doubling down on his strength (foreign policy) while appealing to minorities and making a "mavericky" choice of a woman with no political experience, this would make some kind of sense. IOTL she gave a pretty memorable speech to the convention, so she might be able to do so again. I'd say she's a dark horse, but might actually show up on the list somewhere along the way.

Okay, that's me. What about everyone else?
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