Romney Endorses McCain

Mitt Romney endorsed Arizona Sen. John McCain, his former rival for the Republican presidential nomination, today.

"This is a man capable of leading our country in this dangerous hour," Romney said.

The endorsement apparently includes Romney's urging to his delegates that they give their support to McCain at the Republican convention this summer. Romney doesn't command a huge bloc of delegates. At a glance, it wouldn't appear to be a meaningful number.

But, according to CNN, McCain has 827 delegates he's won in the primaries and caucuses. Romney has 286 delegates and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee has 217.

And if you combine Romney's delegates with the ones McCain already has, that would give McCain 1,113 -- only 78 delegates away from the number (1,191) needed to win the Republican nomination.

I don't mean to suggest that Romney isn't sincere in his support for McCain. I think Romney probably did look at McCain and Huckabee and decided that he believes McCain is the better choice.

But I also think there's more to it than that.

I think Romney is angling for the No. 2 spot on the ticket.

Romney isn't stupid. He has an M.B.A. from Harvard. I think he looked at the numbers and the lukewarm response that McCain has been receiving from conservatives -- and possibly the actuarial tables.

I'm not suggesting that Romney would be hoping that McCain would die in office. But anyone who votes for McCain has to be aware of the possibility that a 72-year-old man might not survive a four-year term as president. His running mate has to be viewed as a potential president.

In the American Spectator today, Quin Hillyer writes about the qualifications for McCain's running mate.

Hillyer doesn't go through a list of prospects and narrow them down to a perfect choice. But we do get a summary of what McCain needs -- "a solidly 'full-spectrum' conservative, reformist, youngish, cool, well-rounded, brainy, all-media-respected, articulate, telegenic, border-state/constituency-challenging, non-party-weakening, executive-experienced, running mate who can handle the presidency at a moment's notice."

Does Romney fit the bill? My feeling is that he delivers on some points, he doesn't on others.

On some of Hillyer's points, Romney seems made to order. "It is preferable ... for the running mate to have some executive experience ... Why? Because voters usually like executive leadership. McCain, despite his heroism, doesn't have that."

And while some people dismiss the importance of geographical balance, Hillyer does not. "McCain ought to choose somebody who can plausibly make him at least competitive in a state or region or constituency where he otherwise would not be," Hillyer writes.

As a native of Michigan and a former governor of Massachusetts (both states he won in the primaries), Romney could conceivably put two states in play that haven't voted Republican since the 1980s.

And Romney's presence on the ticket would give the GOP its own opportunity to make history while the Democrats are making history by nominating the first woman or the first black. Romney would be the first Mormon on a national ticket.

Romney does have his drawbacks, and there are other prospects who might meet more of Hillyer's requirements. But, frankly, I don't know if there's anyone who can meet all of them.

So, in Hillyer's words, "Good luck to McCain in finding such a candidate."

By the way, a little presidential trivia.

They were pointing out on CNN last night that this will be the first presidential campaign between two sitting U.S. senators. And Hillyer's article makes a reference to that, too.

But did you know that only two senators have been elected president? Warren Harding and John F. Kennedy.

They were both elected in years ending in a zero, and they both died in office in years ending in a 3.

Neither lived to seek re-election. Of course, Kennedy was assassinated. Harding died of a heart attack.