Yesterday, Sarah Palin emphasized in her interview with Matt Lauer that whoever becomes the GOP nominee should not play it safe in his selection of a vice presidential running mate. She declined to answer outright whether she thinks this year’s VP nominee should have more experience on the national stage than she did in 2008, but she did say she thinks the presidential nominee should “go rogue” with his pick.

Former GOP presidential nominee John McCain backed up those statements today with this:

On CBS’s This Morning, McCain, the 2008 GOP nominee, was asked whether he agreed with his former running mate that Romney should ‘go rogue’ in picking a vice president.

“I think it should be Sarah Palin,” McCain answered, laughing. And while he did not backtrack from that statement, he did say that there was a “wealth of talent” in the GOP field, including Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal.

It’s an interesting proposition. She’s far more seasoned than she was in 2008, with a loyal fan base that would be incredibly energized by her presence on the ticket. But would she accept? She declined to run for the presidency herself, maintaining that she can have more influence as a media presence than as an actual candidate. If she worried she wouldn’t have enough influence as the presidential nominee or the president, then she surely wouldn’t be satisfied with the level of influence the vice presidential nomination offers, even if it was her launching pad to the fame she now enjoys.

The willingness of any Republican to accept a slot on the 2012 GOP ticket will be in part determined by the probability of victory. At this stage in the game, as Obama leads Romney nationally and stoops to the lowest possible attacks on Paul Ryan, the vice presidential nomination might not appear so much a reward as a challenge. If not Sarah Palin herself, the vice presidential nominee will have to at least possess her pluck and fighting spirit. The eventual GOP nominee better not play it safe, indeed.