An alternate possibility: Rob Portman. A former congressman from Ohio - a must-win state for Republicans - he's got expertise where McCain is weak, on economics. He's been the nation's budget director and top trade negotiator. He's well-liked by members of both parties in Congress, where he once worked as a White House lobbyist, and could help smooth over relations between a President McCain and his former colleagues on Capitol Hill.
His biggest liabilities are his long and deep Bush connections (he served both the current president and his father). Portman bailed out of the White House last summer, with an eye toward re-entering politics. At 52, he'd inject some youthful energy into the Republican ticket.
If Portman's Bush ties are too much to overcome, McCain could turn to a long shot who has escaped national attention: Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. of Utah, 48, a popular politician with business and foreign-policy experience and a good personal relationship with McCain. He went against Romney and the Mormon Church to endorse McCain early, then stuck with him during the darkest hours of the primary fight.
