Veepstakes: Coming soon?
Posted: Friday, July 25, 2008 9:16 AM by Mark Murray
Filed Under:
Democrats, Republicans
The Washington Post: “Anxious to counter the blanket media coverage that has followed Sen. Barack Obama on his overseas journey, Sen. John McCain is weighing whether to announce his running mate in the coming weeks before the spotlight shifts to China and the opening of the Olympic Games next month. "He's in a position to make [the decision] on short notice if he wanted to," said Charles R. Black Jr., one of McCain's top political advisers.”
VIDEO: NBC Political Director Chuck Todd takes a look at today's political headlines including the focus on who John McCain and Barack Obama will pick as their running mates.
More: "Many Republicans say the traditional time frame for an announcement -- the days leading up to the GOP convention -- is not practical this year, because the Democratic convention ends so soon before the Republican gathering. It's unlikely, they said, that McCain would announce his pick the day after Obama gives his convention speech. And several McCain aides said they oppose the idea of making a vice presidential announcement during the Olympics. ‘It's not that it wouldn't get covered. But if you are looking for a calm sea and no waves . . . you don't do it during the Olympics,’ said one senior Republican adviser.”
"We don't know when some breakthrough performance will happen," the adviser said. "All sorts of news can come. . . . What if there's some sort of human rights protest?"
The Wall Street Journal looks at Bobby Jindal's conversion to Catholicism.
More compiled by NBC/NJ’s Mike Memoli…
Ken Khachigian thinks the veepstakes needs to be “put in perspective.” “In a presidential campaign, there are only a handful of occasions when a running mate has news value: the day of the announcement and the few days following; the nominee's convention speech debut; the joint kickoff rally; and the televised debate with the counterpart running mate.”
The LA Times has a long pros/cons list.
REPUBLICANS: Asked by Kelly O’Donnell yesterday if he knew where he wanted to go with the pick, he said: “Sure, sure.”
Is this another weekend at Sedona for some veep wannabes?
If Minnesota really is tightening, RealClear Politics notes, Tim Pawlenty's stock could be rising. "Polls have shown that Pawlenty doesn't have the kind of pull to close a 10-point gap. A two-point gap, however, is a different story." Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R-MN) was apparently in Michigan again Thursday, where he of course “sidestepped” VP questions. “I like my day job," Pawlenty said.
Rob Portman played a good surrogate with McCain yesterday. "Sen. McCain is talking about kitchen-table issues here, while Sen. Obama is having a political rally in Berlin," he said.
DEMOCRATS: Ken Bode thinks it’s gonna be Sen. Evan Bayh (D-IN). “In selecting Bayh, Obama will reach into the more conservative caucus of Democratic senators, adding the unifying effect of picking someone who supported his main opponent, Hillary Clinton. The pundits will undoubtedly say that Bayh is a white-bread choice, lacking in charisma. But charisma is hardly a problem for the Obama ticket, and during the Indiana primary Bayh demonstrated surprising political clout.”
Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-NE) said despite his harsh words for McCain, “I fully expect to be in the private sector next year. I don't expect to be in anybody's administration.”
