SAN JOSE, Calif. --
By John Boitnott, Web Producer

There is a buzz in Republican political circles that John McCain could pick former Hewlett-Packard Chairwoman Carly Fiorina, 53, to be his vice presidential nominee.

NBC11 political analyst Larry Gerston said a potential McCain-Fiorina ticket could inspire Republicans who think the country may be on the "precipice of change."

SLIDESHOW: Carly Fiorina: Silicon Valley Trailblazer

"A number of Republican leaders are looking for a way to take a rather stodgy candidacy and bring some life to it," said NBC11 political analyst Larry Gerston. "It comes at a time when Democrats have an African-American and a white woman battling each other -- while the Republicans have a 71-year-old white male as the presumptive nominee."

The Wall Street Journal reported earlier this week that former McCain campaign official and current Republican National Committee Deputy Chairman Frank Donatelli refused to rule her out. “I am so impressed with her,” Donatelli said. “We could do a lot worse than Carly.”

There are quite a few good things about a potential Fiorina candidacy, Gerston said.

"She's a former CEO of H.P. Given those ties, it's reasonable to believe that she would have possibly some success in bringing to McCain California's 55 electoral votes," Gerston said. "That's no small fish. It's 20 percent of the entire electoral vote. It could put California in play when most people consider it a Democratic state."

The fact that Fiorina is a woman is also a positive to some Republicans.

"As a female she could blunt some of the movement in the Democratic party which has reached out to females in recent years," Gerston said. "We've all heard of the gender gap (between the parties). Now you've got the opportunity to cut into it."

Fiorina's heavy business ties and fundraising ability are also positives. She got her BA at Stanford in 1976 and went to law school at UCLA. She joined AT&T in 1980 as a management trainee and rose to become senior vice president before she moved to H.P.

"This is key because the McCain campaign has found it rather difficult to attract the major support from CEOs that the Bush candidacy has gotten easily the last two elections," Gerston said.

Fiorina Choice Hardly A 'Slam-Dunk'

The idea of adding Fiorina to the ticket is hardly a sure thing, according to Gerston.

"Quite a few Republicans think California is a lost cause," Gerston said. "So if you're going to pick a V.P. -- pick someone from a place where it makes a difference -- perhaps a southern or border state where it could tilt the balance or change a close election."

There are significant negatives to a Fiorina candidacy that may make her to harmful to the McCain campaign, Gerston said.

"To some people, her gender is a positive, but to other Republicans -- the traditionalists -- view it as a negative," Gerston said. "They are quite frankly not on the forefront of change. Your vice presidential candidate must compliment the ticket. Few people vote for a presidential candidate because of the V.P. But it's more likely for someone to vote against the president because of their V.P. That's why McCain has to be very strategic with this."

Some in Republican circles have also discussed Kay Bailey Hutchinson, 64, the senior United States Senator from Texas, as a potential V.P., but her age could be a problem.

"McCain has the reputation, right or wrong, of being a maverick," Gerston said. "If you're going to shake things up, going to a woman would do it. Kay Bailey Hutchinson's name has been bandied about, but people have been less enthusiastic about her because she is in her 60s. Most observers of the McCain candidacy say he is likely to choose someone younger, given that for some, age is an important factor."