Barack Obama has made the most important decision of his presidential campaign, his choice for Vice President. A press conference comes on Wednesday morning. And the VEEP is?

obama vp



Obama’s VP




Obama announced that he made the decision, sort of a meta-announcement about an announcement to come. Normally this would not be newsworthy, but to the crowd of enthusiastic young Obama supporters any news is exciting.

So who knows the best kept secret in politics. Reporter Jeff Zeleny of the New York Times broke the story about the upcoming story to be told. He does not know. We will all know for sure on Tuesday or most likely Wednesday.

Who did Barack Obama select for a VP running-mate? We have our expert guesses, in order of probability:

1. Joe Biden VP? 40 years of Washington public service allows Joe Biden to help Obama with the inexperience and naive label. His foreign policy credentials are excellent as Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations committee. His only knocks are that he talks way too much and has not accomplished anything notable in 40 years. [Jill Biden is Joe Biden's Wife]

2. Tim Kaine VP? Governor of Virginia, Tim Kaine puts this state in play. The race is only slightly tilting toward McCain in the land of Thomas Jefferson. The drawback for Obama is that it will be perceived as a purely political ploy. Kaine does nothing to alleviate concerns about Obama’s lack of experience and as governor he knows even less about the world we live in than the nominee. [Anne Horton is Tim Kaine's wife]

3. Kathleen Sebelius VP? Governor of Kansas, Kathleen Sebelius is a woman. Her consideration as Obama’s VP mostly begins and ends there. What she would bring to the ticket is the forgiveness of Hillary Clinton’s faithful. Despite what some pundits believe, Hillary’s diehard supporters remain glued mostly because she is a woman rather than any of her beliefs. [Kathleen Sebelius biography - photos]

4. Evan Bayh VP? Indiana Senator Evan Bayh might theoretically put the state of Indiana in play. He has more experience than Kaine, but he also has drawbacks. Focus groups tell us that Bayh is viscerally perceived as untrustworthy by people who do not already know him. [Evan Bayh biography] [Susan Bayh is Evan Bayh's Wife]

5. Hillary Clinton VP? Understand that Obama puts winning in front of all considerations including what is good for him later and what is good for the country collectively. In a year when the GOP base is demoralized, Obama can win with a strong turnout of the Democratic base and little more. This factor alone keeps Hillary Clinton in the running.

6. Bill Richardson VP? The governor of New Mexico, Bill Richardson, has his name in the hat mostly because of identification politics. He is partly Hispanic. Richardson also has a wealth of experience in the Clinton administration, including Energy Secretary. His knocks are about work ethic and a rumored reputation for a loose weenie. We are not sure either of those criticisms are fair. More fair is that he presided over lazy policies at our nation’s nuclear labs which resulted in some of the most damaging security breaches in five decades. [Barbara Richardson is Bill Richardson's Wife]

7. John Kerry VP? Hard to imagine a ghost from the past, but John Kerry is intriguing as a choice. The Massachusetts Senator was the party’s nominee in 2004 but lost to George Bush. What Kerry brings to the ticket is a chance for George Bush swing-voters to express buyer’s remorse and finally pull the lever for Kerry. Still what else does Kerry bring that Joe Biden cannot bring except for a reputation as a bristly loser who could not take a punch.

So who will Obama pick? We have given you the best guesses in order so use the comments to tell us what you think. Bill Richardson, Hillary Clinton, Evan Bayh, Kathleen Sebelius, Tim Kaine, and Joe Biden are clearly in the running. Tell us your preferences, insights, and any dark-horse candidate.


Obama VP (Video)