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Who says the Republican race is over?

While John McCain has long since wrapped up the GOP nomination and one-time arch-rival Mitt Romney has gone from foe to friend, there’s still some drama to be had on the GOP side of the fence.

McCain’s next big move is choosing his running mate, and political odds-makers are having a field day weighing the chances of the nearly 20 candidates in the running.

“This would be his first major decision as the nominee, so it’s an opportunity for him to signal how he would govern,” said political analyst Ron Faucheux, who has built a reputation on ranking the odds for campaigns.

Faucheux sees Romney, former Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge, Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice as having the best odds of winning McCain’s affection.

Click here to read more about the McCain campaign’s strategy.

But other rankings are all over the board, and Faucheux acknowledges the selection isn’t as simple as just determining who looks best on paper or whom McCain likes most.

“If he could pick anybody he’d want, Joe Lieberman would probably be his first choice, but I would have a serious question as to whether he could get Lieberman through a Republican convention,” he said.

Pollster Scott Rasmussen sees some of Faucheux’s picks as too damaging or polarizing for McCain.

“The three names that McCain should absolutely not pick are (Mike) Huckabee, Romney and Condoleezza Rice,” he said.
His Rasmussen Markets invites political enthusiasts to play the “market” by using toy money to invest in the odds of McCain’s VP possibilities.

The Markets have Romney and Pawlenty doing the best, but Rice trailing. Ridge isn’t even on the list.

But betting junkies across the country are weighing in on the race for GOP VP. Here’s a sampling, which FOXNews.com will be updating regularly, of the political odds some groups and speculators are giving those running mate hopefuls.

From Ron Faucheux

5:1 odds

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice

Former Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge

Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty

15:1 odds

Florida Gov. Charlie Crist

South Dakota Sen. John Thune

Former White House budget director Rob Portman

40:1 odds

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee

Former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson

South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford

Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman

Former Secretary of State Colin Powell

Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour

SEC Chairman Christopher Cox

From Rasmussen Markets (value reflects percentage chance)

Romney: 16.9%

Pawlenty: 16%

Rice: 7.9%

Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison: 5.9%

Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani: 5%

Huckabee: 5%

Former Maryland Lt. Gov. Michael Steele: 1.7%

Sen. Lindsey Graham: 1.3%

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich: .8%

Rep. Ron Paul: .6%

Rep. Duncan Hunter: .6%

Former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson: .5%

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush: .4%

Intrade Prediction Markets (value reflects percentage chance)

Romney: 16.3%

Pawlenty: 15.6%

Rice: 8%

Huckabee: 7%

Hutchison: 5.9%

Giuliani: 5%

Steele: 1.5%

Gingrich: .8%

Graham: .7%

Thompson: .4%

Bush: .1%

Paul: .1%

Hunter: .1%

This entry was posted on Saturday, April 19th, 2008 at 11:08 am and is filed under John McCain. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.