McCain's reliable recipe no longer rises. Obama repudiates public financing of campaigns and rooters for spending limits avert their gaze. The Illinois Democrat sneers at the joint town hall appearances he once praised and silence seizes the chattering class.

McCain loved opposing Republicans on tax cuts and campaign finance after 2000. Now that he needs (expects) GOP support, the Republicans he battled love reminding McCain that he was a party heretic. But those same stands, opposing fellow Republicans, once made McCain the media's favorite brave Republican.

Despite it all, McCain endures without thriving. His fundraising has improved, but he'll never come close to matching Obama. McCain may find himself relying on the kindness of rich strangers — the sort who donate millions to independent committees that produce stinging, infuriating ads. The kind of ads the paragon of new politics, Obama, is running against McCain. Although McCain disdains attack ads by independent groups that support him, they may help him keep pace with Obama.

McCain must soon select a partner to join him on the ticket to a race against the odds. He's having trouble commanding events, but the selection of a running mate will give him a moment of his own to rally Republican spirits in this dire year.

His list of prospects hasn't changed much since he secured a clear path to the nomination in February. Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, former White House budget director Rob Portman and Florida Gov. Charlie Crist occupy four permanent berths in the pool of possibilities.

Romney and Pawlenty offer a safe pair of hands. They're pros, as unlikely to detonate any hideous surprises as they are to alter the race much.

McCain owes a big debt to Crist, who heaved him across the finish line in Florida's February primary. Fifty years ago, that might have been enough. McCain probably even likes Crist, who's exceeding expectations as a popular governor.

Crist's bid-bolstering, sudden decision to get married this fall won't erase hise colorful social life during the three decades before his engagement. Only candidates must murmur the mantra that a campaign is about the future. Others will be busy delving into details from the past.

McCain may yearn for Crist and Barack Obama may want former Virginia Gov. Mark Warner. There are some things even a presidential candidate can't have.

McCain should throw a Kay Bailey pass and pick Texas Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison. She possesses the fundamentals and will add some lively options to the ticket.

Hutchison is savvy and experienced. She won her seat in the Senate by seeing off 22 other candidates. And then she smote a Democratic state prosecutor who tried to take her down as she climbed to the summit. She can take a punch and land one, while remaining coiffed, composed and stylish.

She's a reliable conservative who's a better shot than Dick Cheney. It may be dangerous to say in the 21st century, but she's articulate and can defend any brief.

And the lady's got a way with an inspiring anecdote, honed in her two books about notable women. Many of those Democratic primary voters who turned out in record numbers wanted to elect a woman president. Hutchison would give McCain a chance to win their support. Leery suburban women in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Ohio might stop fleeing from Republicans. Better, Hutchison's won historic numbers of Hispanic votes in Texas, and not just because she's fluent in Spanish.

Republicans eschew identity politics, but they dislike losing more. The wilderness beckons, so McCain needs to do something unexpected and interesting. Pick a woman who broke barriers without the advantage of a political marriage or family lineage. It could alter the assumptions of a race where one side thinks it holds the copyright on change.

Kevin Rennie is a lawyer and a former Republican state legislator. His column appears Sundays. He can be reached at kfrennie@yahoo.com.