Obama McCain Comic Cover
Vice Grip
by Vera H-C Chan and Jess BarronAugust 6, 2008 02:52:31 PM
- 2 Votes
Finding your one true mate takes a lot of heartfelt consideration. Despite the early guessing games, both Barack Obama and John McCain have refused to engage in any whirlwind political courtships.
As the Washington Post points out, the very timing of a running-mate announcement takes on huge political implications. McCain and Obama may also be waiting to see who the other guy comes up with, and will then try to pick a more attractive candidate. Yeah, it's prom politics.
But, as noted before in the Buzz Log, historically the tardiest debut for a running mate was August 16. Then again, with all the Olympics hoopla and the upcoming conventions (the Democratic on August 25-28 and the Republican on September 1-4), the two could make more history and drag out their announcements.
Ironically, of all the names floating around in pundit land, Obama's possibilities seem to be leaning toward older, experienced politicos with good military cred, while McCain appears to be on the prowl for a youthful, diverse candidate. John Kerry supposedly contemplated running on a cross-party ticket, but an Obama-McCain bumpersticker is an idea that the New Yorker has revived and still gets people thinkin'.
But back to reality, and the most-searched politicans who could be vice president...
Top Searched Veep Possibilities, Past 30 Days
| 1. | John Edwards (D). The man who tried for both slots leads the Search pack now, but he's more likely a shoo-in for a Cabinet position, if he's proven to be squeaky-clean. |
| 2. | Hillary Clinton (D). The woman who would be president but is willing to settle for VP has resurfaced to announce additional dates she'll be campaigning for Obama. So far, though, Obama won't be present at these campaign events. Not a good sign for VP speculators. |
| 3. | Mitt Romney (R). The former Massachusetts guv is one of the most consistently talked-about VP possibilities. He provides a strong economic background— something McCain lacks—plus some deep pockets. |
| 4. | Al Gore (D). Although a few pundits and a portion of the populace would love to see a repeat performance, Gore isn't likely to want to play second fiddle again. |
| 5. | Condoleezza Rice (R). She already nixed this possibility back in February, although observers claim she courted the possibility in spring. |
| 6. | Sarah Palin (R). The Alaska governor is not only popular among conservatives— she also has that oh-so-attractive XX chromosome. Negatives would be that Alaska is already considered GOP territory (Ted Stevens indictments aside), and she's not as well-known...although clearly her Search buzz has been growing. |
| 7. | Eric Cantor (R). The representative from Virginia is apparently on the short list. His age (45) and religious background (Jewish) would add diversity and youth to the ticket. |
| 8. | Tim Kaine (D). The Virginia governor has long been an Obama supporter and would bring executive-level experience to the partnership. |
| 9. | Bobby Jindal (R). Like Cantor, the Louisiana governor would bring youth (37) and diversity (Indian-American) to the ticket, and his willingness to be on late-night talk shows probably doesn't hurt. |
| 10. | Mike Huckabee (R). The former Arkansas governor and near McCain-spoiler just signed on to be a political commentator on Fox News for the rest of the 2008 election, so his chances look as slim as his waistline. |
| 11. | Tim Pawlenty (R). The Minnesota governor has executive-level experience, plus youth: His birthday is just nine months before Obama's. |
| 12. | Chuck Hagel (R). The Nebraska man is about to retire from his position as senator, but his moderate stance and opposition to the Iraqi war could be seen as liabilities. |
| 13. | Chet Edwards (D). Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi hearts this Texas congressman, and threw his name in the ring just to get one House guy in the running. Likely a long shot. |
| 14. | Sam Nunn (D). Another seasoned politician who would balance Obama's youth, the former Georgia senator once served as chairman of the all-powerful U.S. Senate Committee on Armed Services. |
| 15. | Jim Webb (D). Once considered a strong contender, he strongly declined to run, saying he could do a better job electing Obama if he remained the senator of Virginia. |