"If I win tonight, we will sit down tomorrow or the next day, whatever it is, and say, OK, what's the process that you are recommending that we start into, and that will be the first step," McCain said Tuesday.

McCain said he was especially interested in learning "what other processes were used in previous selections of the vice president, and, frankly, the ones that seemed to come out with a good product and those that maybe did not."

The choice of a running mate is always important, but it may be more so in McCain's case, because at 71 he is seeking to become the oldest candidate ever elected to a first term as president.

Several governors have been mentioned as potential running mates; their executive experience and ability to cast themselves as Washington outsiders are perceived as strengths. They include Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota, an early supporter; Charlie Crist of Florida, whose last-minute endorsement helped McCain win that crucial swing state's primary; Jon Huntsman Jr. of Utah, an early supporter despite Mitt Romney's popularity in his state; and Mark Sanford of South Carolina, whose conservative reputation could help McCain with the base but who did not endorse him.

Huckabee, a former governor of Arkansas, has a reputation as a good campaigner but is distrusted by some economic conservatives for raising taxes. Romney, a former Massachusetts governor with a business background would bring a financial background to the ticket.

Rob Portman, a former Ohio congressman and director of the Office of Management and Budget, is also mentioned as someone who could bring a financial background to the ticket.

(Xinhua News Agency March 6, 2008)