Politics / Charlie Crist Rating McCain's Potential VPs Er, barbecue guests By Kevin Spak, Newser Staff Posted May 22, 2008 10:44 AM CDT Copied In this April 24, 2008 file photo, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal takes a tour of New Orleans Lower Ninth Ward with Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.,not pictured. (AP Photo/Bill Haber, File) John McCain may claim he’s just having Bobby Jindal, Charlie Crist, and Mitt Romney over for a barbecue this weekend, but it’s pretty clear the GOP’s presumptive nominee is really scouting VP candidates. So Politico ran down the merits of each potential ticket filler: Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal is young, ethnic, and extremely accomplished, especially in domestic policy, a McCain weak spot. But would the 36-year-old make McCain look too old? Florida Gov. Charlie Crist is a ferocious campaigner, who would be dynamite as a campaign trail surrogate. More importantly, he’d all but gift-wrap Florida for McCain. But far-right conservatives distrust the social moderate. Mitt Romney needs no introduction. The nation got to know him in the primary season, but not everyone liked what they saw. Picking him, however, would mend fences with conservatives and help McCain in Michigan. (More Charlie Crist stories.) Report an error