McCain-Crist?

Is Charlie Crist on John McCain’s VP short list? In the past few weeks, the popular Florida governor has announced his change of heart on offshore oil drilling, thereby providing McCain cover in the Sunshine State to do the same; cut a deal widely hailed by environmentalists to buy up land from Big Sugar to help revive the Everglades; and announced that he’s getting married. Roger Stone thinks those are three more reasons why Crist should be McCain’s running mate. Jim Ash of the Tallahassee Democrat disagrees. Ash reasons that if McCain picks Crist to give him a boost in Florida it will mean he’s written off Ohio, Pennsylvania and Michigan (and therefore given up on winning the election). That’s sound analysis, but it doesn’t take into account McCain’s deep desire to pick as his running mate someone he actually likes and admires. Crist fits that description. Mitt Romney — currently being described as McCain’s likely pick — most definitely does not.