DAYTON, Ohio (AP) - According to John McCain's campaign, the Republican settled on Sarah Palin as his V.P. pick after a single meeting and a phone call.
The Alaska governor's name was left off all the short lists circulating in the media in recent days, and McCain's decision was a well-kept secret until just a couple of hours before Friday's rally. McCain's campaign manager says part of the decision came down to "personal fit."
He says the Arizona senator sees Palin as a reformer and "the future of the party."
McCain and Palin have started a bus tour across Ohio to Pittsburgh, where they will hold a campaign rally Saturday.
Hillary Rodham Clinton, who came so close to being the first major party woman presidential candidate, said, "while their policies would take America in the wrong direction, Governor Palin will add an important new voice to the debate."
