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Ridge On McCain's Short List For VP?

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Aug 18, 2008 10:35 pm US/Eastern

Ridge On McCain's Short List For VP?

Reporting
Jon Delano
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) ― If Sen. John McCain picks former Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge as his running mate, Pennsylvania could easily vote Republican this November, says local Republican Party Chair Jim Roddey.

There's no doubt Ridge is personally close with McCain. He told KDKA that he and McCain have been friends for 25 years. But friendship alone won't cut it - especially when there are differences over an issue like abortion where Ridge is pro-choice and McCain is pro-life.

"There are differences between myself and John -- clearly there are. I don't think any single issue will control his final decision, although his pro-life position -- he feels strongly about it and so does most of the party," Ridge told KDKA last month.

"The conservatives would not approve of that choice," Roddey said. "Nevertheless, there are a lot of conservatives in Pennsylvania who like Tom Ridge, so I think in Pennsylvania it helps."

Allegheny County Democratic Chair Jim Burn doesn't disagree, but he says Ridge, who is also a close friend of President George W. Bush, won't add enough votes to beat Barack Obama and will hurt McCain in other states.

"He may hold the margins close in Pennsylvania. No. 1 I don't think he wins Pennsylvania and No. 2 you're going to see the ultra-conservatives across this nation run for cover, stay home, disengage from this process because of Tom Ridge's beliefs," Burn said.

It's true that many conservative Republicans would not be happy with a McCain-Ridge ticket but would they really stay home and let Obama win?

That's part of the political calculation going on in the upper echelons of McCain's campaign.

Some think choosing Ridge would prove McCain is still a maverick and that's appealing to Independents and Democrats.

But others think it is just too big a risk within the Republican Party. The choice is solely McCain's and he's not likely to make it for another week or so.

(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

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