If, by any chance, McCain gets even more erratic and drops out of the race (which seems like a low probability, but not out of the range of possibility) and the GOP needs a replacement in a hurry, they already have an experienced, reasonable, respected steady hand who is totally on top of current national security issues, and would probably do about as well with economic issues as anybody else they've got: Defense Secretary Robert Gates.

I'm just tossing that name out there to go along with the Romneys and Powells.