GOP Plays What-If Game With Lieberman, Romney, Ridge

'Maverick’ was always top pick: Mac camp

(NEWSER) - Alaska Governor Sarah Palin was a strong contender to be John McCain's running mate all along, his campaign has revealed. Looking to diffuse speculation that Palin was a hasty, last-minute choice, aides told the Washington Post that she was high on McCain’s list since their first meeting in February. Advisers also divulged that Cindy McCain played a major role in the veepstakes. More»

Rumor says Alaska gov. Palin is the one

(NEWSER) - Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty has been told he won’t be John McCain’s running mate, MSNBC reports. The governor told listeners to his radio show that “I'm not going to be” at the nominating rally planned for today in Ohio. “I plan to be at the state fair. You can draw your conclusion from that.” Meanwhile, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has moved to the top of the rumor list after a secretive charter plane landed near Dayton from her state. Mitt Romney, meanwhile, has no plans to be in Ohio, NBC notes. More»

Dem's strengths expose key gaps in armor of Republican's rumored short-listers

(NEWSER) - Joe Biden presents a problem for John McCain, Jeanne Cummings notes on Politico. “McCain knows Biden well," says one Republican insider. "He knows how good he is as a knife fighter." Stacked up against Biden, all of the rumored GOP short-listers reveal potentially fatal flaws:

• Mitt Romney: Considering Biden's middle-class roots, the multimillionaire former governor could undermine McCain's claims of Obama elitism.

GOP turns to popular VP candidate to help Chambliss, stave off Dem supermajority

(NEWSER) - Sarah Palin will lend her star power to Saxby Chambliss in his Senate runoff battle against Democrat Jim Martin, Politico reports. Palin will appear with Chambliss at rallies across Georgia the day before the Dec. 2 runoff, capping a GOP full-court press that has seen Rudy Giuliani, Mitt Romney and John McCain drop by to try to keep Chambliss’ seat in Republican hands. More»

Many pundits ruled out Obama victory early

(NEWSER) - With the election over, what's more fun than calling out all those whose predictions were off—way off. Der Spiegel lists some highlights:

• "He cannot win, Bill. He cannot win." Hillary Clinton, on Barack Obama
• "We'll win Florida." Rudy Giuliani
• "Virginians are really getting fired up for this ticket of McCain and Palin." George Allen
• "Romney for the Republicans, Hillary for the Democrats." Ann Coulter, on the nominees