WASHINGTON (AFP) — The campaign of John McCain, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, has been sending contradictory signals about his imminent choice of his vice presidential running mate.
According to Charles Black, a close adviser of the Arizona senator, McCain is in a position to make the selection very quickly.
At the same time, two key McCain advisers told The Washington Post on condition of anonymity Friday that the Republican candidate was very close to making an announcement and it was likely to come before the opening of the Olympic Games in Beijing scheduled for August 8.
However, another high-level campaign official, who also insisted on anonymity, told CNN television that the senator had not made the selection yet, and no official announcement was in the offing.
The candidate himself refrains from offering any clues. When asked by CNN specifically about his future running mate, McCain said on Friday that he was not in a position of commenting on an ongoing process.
Traditionally, US presidential candidates announce the names of their vice presidential picks a few days in advance of their parties' nominating conventions.
But this year, the Beijing Olympic Games have upset the schedule. The games begin on August 8 and end on August 24, the eve of the Democratic National Convention that is due to open in Denver, Colorado, on August 25 and continue through August 28.
The Republican National Convention starts in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on September 1, only four days after Democrats wrap up their work in Denver.
Therefore, some prominent Republicans are concerned that an announcement of a Republican vice presidential pick made during the Olympic Games could fall flat.
They say it could be eclipsed by important sporting events -- or incidents if they were to disrupt the games.
However, several names are already being mentioned among the most likely candidates for the job.
US Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, who is a close friend of McCain, said this past week that a former McCain rival in the race for the Republican nomination, former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney was a very serious candidate.
"I think he's very much a contender for the job," Graham said.
McCain and Romney, who traded heavy blows during the Republican primaries, are now pointedly courteous to each other.
Asked during a town hall meeting in New Hampshire last week about his relationship with Romney, McCain was full of praise for his former rival.
"Mitt has been of tremendous help to my campaign," he said. "He does a better job for me than he did for himself."
Thomas Whalen, political historian and professor of social science at Boston University, said that given the current economic situation, Romney "would give McCain a layer of credibility on economic issues."
But he is far from being the only possible vice presidential pick with strong economic credentials.
The media often mention, among other Republican vice presidential prospects, former US trade representative Rob Portman.
Portman is also a former House of Representatives member for Ohio, a key battleground state that could be crucial during the November elections.
The list also includes Governors Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota and Charlie Crist of Florida, as well as former Pennsylvania governor Tom Ridge. Securing Pennsylvania in November could also be key to winning the White House.
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