Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) on Sunday compared GOP hopeful Mitt Romney’s selection of Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) for vice president to his 2008 pick of former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R).

During an interview on Fox News, guest host John Roberts told McCain that there is “danger that the running mate may overshadow the actual candidate on some of the most important issues of the day.”

ADVERTISEMENT

“I had that problem,” McCain laughed. “I don’t think that’s the case. I think that this is a team that understands the challenges that we face. They obviously have very good chemistry between the two of them. And Americans recognize that running mates are very important, but obviously it’s the top of the ticket that makes what the voters decide on as they enter the ballot booth.”

Roberts noted that “there are some comparisons between Mitt Romney’s pick yesterday and your pick back in 2008, that you went with a bold choice — one that was very good in the short term for you, but one in the long term might not have been the best choice.”

“I’m still proud of my running mate,” McCain insisted. “I’m proud of Sarah and her family, and I’m proud of the work that we did.”

“I think that in this case, it is also a bold choice,” he added. “And I think it’s a good match up because of Paul Ryan’s ability to carry a Romney agenda though the Congress of the United States.”

Watch this video from Fox News’ Fox News Sunday, broadcast Aug. 12, 2012.

ADVERTISEMENT

(h/t: Talking Points Memo)