Radar examines potential Republican VP nominees

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The thought behind selecting Rice is that she would double-down on McCain's national security credentials and while providing unprecedented diversity on a Republican ticket. The downside: Rice's inexperience as a candidate and McCain's visceral hatred of all black people.

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During his years on Capitol Hill, Sanford had a reputation for being an arrogant prick who treated staff poorly. This is extremely rare among politicians and could very well torpedo his chances of getting the VP nod once word spreads. If not, maybe his involvement in this scandal will.

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The McCain campaign co-chair and rising GOP star is well-known for his love of hockey. Putting Pawlenty on the ticket could give McCain a decisive edge with the hundreds of Americans who like hockey.

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Portman personifies the milquetoast Midwestern establishmentarian competence so many of us want in a vice president. If only it weren't for that drifter buried in his basement....

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If McCain picks his old pal Fred, GOP higher-ups say they'll insist that Cindy McCain and Jeri Thompson wear buckskin fringe bikinis on the campaign trail to distract voters from the Grumpy Grampa ticket of 2008.

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Like McCain, Ridge is a Vietnam vet, is distrusted by conservatives, and has a massive jaw that can be easily unhinged to facilitate the consumption of large prey.

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The people who created this website really want McCain to pick longtime Republican insider Barbour as his running mate. But sources in Mississippi say Barbour actually hopes to become McCain's Secretary of Pig Calls, Barbecue, and Moon Pies.

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The conservative Oklahoman is a rare creature in Washington who actually says what he thinks and seems to truly dislike just about everyone in town. Which sadly means he has no chance of being picked for vice president.

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When controversial evangelist (and McCain endorser) John Hagee said non-Christians were "going straight to hell with a non-stop ticket," Perry quickly agreed. The Jews have yet to recover from this devastating double-whammy.

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Republicans have fallen for barely-closeted Florida pols in the past and gotten burned. Can Charlie Crist's gentle, no, really gentle touch help us learn how to trust again? Bonus: He could totally pardon Lou Pearlman if elected.

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Some might choose to describe Graham as the Truman Capote of the Republican Party. Not because he's a Southern dandy who some suspect to be gay. No, not at all. It's because he's, uh, really popular and smart and stuff.

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According to a Chicago Tribune profile, the conservative Indiana Congressman "begins every day by reading the Bible" and then "works with a bronze bust of Ronald Reagan watching over him from across his office." His "vision of heaven" involves "studying the free-market economist Adam Smith in the morning and riding horseback in the afternoon." And at night, of course, he enjoys nothing more than plowing through an 8-ball of coke with his "friend" Pablo while blissing out to the C&C Music Factory's Gonna Make You Sweat album.

After George Romney's presidential campaign cratered in 1968, he took a shitty administration job serving his rival Richard Nixon, who subsequently treated him like crap. This sounds delightful to son Mitt, who is now sucking up to former adversary "Big Dog" McCain and saying he'd be "honored" to accept the VP nomination.

"America's Hottest Governor" is pregnant and will probably be sitting this year out. But just in case, hopeful editors at political joke blog Wonkette have developed a sophisticated algorithm that will automatically generate five hilarious, tongue-wagging posts on Palin each day. Cross your fingers.

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Gingrich wussed out when it came time to pull the trigger on his own presidential run last year. But he might be up for VP—Radar hears that advisors have been feeding Gingrich a new formula high in fatty acids so as to give his hair helmet that thick, lustrous look voters find so attractive.

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Bill Kristol says Thomas should be considered. And when Bill Kristol says to do something, you do it.

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In the olden days, the fact that Jindal's real name is Piyush and was a Hindu until college might be used against him by his adversaries. But we can't imagine something like that happening in these enlightened times.

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Huckabee is willing take the job, provided that MSNBC's Morning Joe program is permitted to move their studio into the Vice President's office. But Robert Novak says a Huckabee Vice Presidency ain't happenin'.

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Huntsman is a McCain pal, but Utah's five electoral votes are already a Republican lock, and nobody outside the state has heard of him. On the plus side, he's a wealthy, over-privileged Mormon whose career was largely paved by his high-rolling father. This is something Republican voters simply can't get enough of.