Why did John McCain settle for fluff when he really wanted Ridge?

Question

...

Here's Palin's resume as it happened:

--Governor, state of Alaska: Dec 2006-Present.

--Mayor, Wasilla, Alaska (population: 9,780): 1996-2002.

--City Council, Wasilla, Alaska: 1992-1996.

--University of Idaho; television sports and family fishing business.

--Miss Wasilla: 1984

Here's her resume as McCain and his fellow Republicans have been casting and constructing it this week.

...AP

Answer 1

A bit more on the candidates respective pre-state wide government experience:

(Chicago Tribune) "Now, the truth is that, starting at age 23, Obama ran a faith-based charity called the Developing Communities Project.

It was made up of eight Catholic parishes when he got there and had one staff member. He was its director, meaning he was in charge. He made decisions about it, including staffing, budgets, etc. And when he left in 1988 to go to law school, he had grown its budget from $70,000 to $400,000, its staff from 1 to 13 people. More important, he created a job training program for this community and a college prep tutoring program.

As mayor, she built a hockey rink/rec center using eminent domain (because apparently there just isn't enough land in Alaska).

And keep in mind the timeline here: Obama did this as a young man BEFORE going to law school, becoming a successful lawyer and a law professor.

I don't think it's right to attack someone for working in a faith-based charity out of college. I think we all have some embarrassing first-jobs in our past. I would not make fun of Palin for being a beauty queen and sports reporter out of college during these same years. Although, I do think Obama's experience shaped his political future a bit better ?"...

Answer 2

John McCain didn't want Ridge, he wanted Joe Lieberman but his top adviser made him change his mind, so to pacify the die-hard Conservatives

Answer 3

Tom Ridge is pro-choice. That would have doomed his already shaky standing with the religious right, a group he needs to win over if he's going to get elected.