With political experts around the world attempting to predict whom John McCain will choose for the Vice President, our handicapping panel at TheSpread.com checked out the current favorites at online sports book Bodog.
With Barack Obama still leading in the polls, Vice President McCain choices can make the difference in helping those 15% of undecided voters pick a Republican candidate.
Here is the list of front runners according to the betting world:
Tim Pawlenty: You will keep hearing on political shows how much John McCain honors personal relationships. This could be the reason the Governor of Minnesota is currently listed at 3-1. Pawlenty has a long history with McCain and could help the Republicans win this important swing state. The only down side we see in this choice (if in fact the reason is to win the swing state), is that he won his election at home by less than 50% of the vote.
Mitt Romney: A few months back Romney was in the running for the Republican Presidential nomination. Despite losing to McCain, Mitt picked up a lot of fans and is currently at 1-1. Being a successful businessman can help with the bad rap the Republicans are taking on the economy. Outside of being very charismatic, he could not only help the Republicans win Massachusetts but the Democratic leaning towards Michigan.
Rob Portman: Our political betting experts feel Portman has great value at 8-1. Besides being a fiscal conservative, Portman could help McCain capture Ohio. If the Republicans can’t win Ohio, it will be difficult to win the Presidency. The other important credentials that help pad his resume is that he’s very respected when it comes to trade and tax policies. Sitting at an 80% American Conservative rating could help bring some of the more extreme right-wingers back into the mix.
Even though Bodog has Charlie Crist at 7-1, his recent issues with the more conservative side of the Republican Party could hurt McCain’s chances at bringing those voters back into his camp. When it comes down to it, Mitt Romney seems like he would be the perfect choice for the Republican Vice President nomination. Despite all the experts and reasons on why it seems obvious to pick Romney, the Ohio factor has us thinking the 8-1 on Rob Portman is too good to pass up.
You would think he has to go with the cat from Ohio. If he could snatch Ohio by that decision, it is a no brainer IMO.
I just hope it isn't Romney, that guy is a world class douche