McCain says spending much time on VP choice

By Steve Holland

CLEVELAND (Reuters) - Republican presidential candidate John McCain said on Friday he was spending a lot of time working on his choice for a vice presidential running mate but was not close to making a decision.

Speaking to reporters on his Straight Talk Express bus, McCain said the search was "not very far" along and he would make an announcement about his running mate "at the appropriate time."

"I've spent a lot of time on it," McCain said in a rolling back-and-forth with reporters that began after he ate about half-a-dozen boiled shrimp from a Styrofoam bowl and described it as both breakfast and lunch.

He said his choice would be someone who shared his principles, values and goals and was qualified to take his place.

McCain gave no clue who was being considered. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, whom McCain defeated in the race for the Republican presidential nomination, and Florida Gov. Charlie Crist are among a host of possibilities.

McCain is expected to make up his mind some time before the Republican nominating convention in early September in St. Paul, Minnesota. He said he was not necessarily looking for someone who could help him win a state or a region.

"President (Bill) Clinton and Vice President (Al) Gore showed that that is not as important a factor as it once was," said McCain, referring to the two Southerners whose ticket twice won election to the White House in the 1990s.

McCain also said he felt no need to wait to see who Democrat Barack Obama picked as his running mate for the November presidential election before making his own choice. "I don't think that should drive us," he said.

The Arizona senator quipped he had been getting a lot of advice about potential running mates.

At a town-hall meeting on Thursday in Cincinnati, one member of the audience recommended Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, while another tossed out the name of Maine Republican Sen. Olympia Snowe.

OPINION POLLS

"I've had literally everybody recommended to me that I've ever heard of, and some I haven't," he said.

McCain said he was not worried about his position in opinion polls, which give Obama a lead of varying sizes.

"I prefer the underdog status, to be honest with you. It motivates me and it motivates our people," he said.

He said he did not think many Americans had yet reached a decision on who should succeed President George W. Bush and that they would start to focus on it during the autumn.