OFFICIAL Vice President leaks, tips, and speculation thread

[Lunar]

This one is big, from Ambinder

Pool press shouts to Obama in Chicago: "how does Obama-Biden" sound? Obama gives half-smirtk.

All the press corps thinks it's Biden but won't pull the trigger. No need to get this one wrong.

And again repeats that the text will occur a few hours before noon Central Time, according to a campaign official.

[Historia Crux]

I'm watching CNN and they said that Bayh wouldn't be the VP for Obama, so Kaine and Bayh are out and Biden and the new face Chet Edwards are in the running.

[WalterMitty]

i cant believe i waited all day for joe f'ing biden.

by the way, fun fact about biden....according to pat caddell, who is certified nuts these days, biden seriously considered joining the *1984* race for president.  he was on vacation the week of the nh filing deadline but left a signed application with caddell to file if he (biden) was to call and tell him to do so.

in other words, this guy is sooooo yesterday.

[Lunar]

He ran for president in 88 too.

Chet certainly sounded very humble about the idea of not being picked.  What if Chet is just a decoy so that Kaine/Bayh can be eliminated but Biden will still possess some surprise?  Why would they eliminate Kaine and Bayh but not Biden?  Surely if it was going to be someone besides Biden, it'd be better to use Bayh as the decoy, right?  Biden is a lot less controlled!

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

i cant believe i waited all day for joe f'ing biden.

by the way, fun fact about biden....according to pat caddell, who is certified nuts these days, biden seriously considered joining the *1984* race for president.  he was on vacation the week of the nh filing deadline but left a signed application with caddell to file if he (biden) was to call and tell him to do so.

in other words, this guy is sooooo yesterday.

He's still 6 years younger than McCain.

[WalterMitty]

He ran for president in 88 too.

yes i know.  that was somewhat understandable.

but the fact that he seriously thought of running against reagan as a young nobody in 84.  the height of arrogance, if you ask me.

then again, he beat an incumbent senator as a 29 year old nobody.

[Nym90]

He ran for president in 88 too.

yes i know.  that was somewhat understandable.

but the fact that he seriously thought of running against reagan as a young nobody in 84.  the height of arrogance, if you ask me.

then again, he beat an incumbent senator as a 29 year old nobody.

Yeah, he only had 12 years in the Senate at the time....far too little experience to be elected President.

Heck, if he were Obama, he could've run in 1976 if it weren't for that pesky fact that he wasn't legally old enough yet.

But the fact that he got elected to the Senate technically before he was even eligible is pretty amazing (I'm assuming he turned 30 before January 3).

I turn 30 on December 30 this year; I should've mounted my primary challenge to Levin.

[ChrisFromNJ]

That explains pulling out of Va.

No it doesn't.

[WalterMitty]

He ran for president in 88 too.

yes i know.  that was somewhat understandable.

but the fact that he seriously thought of running against reagan as a young nobody in 84.  the height of arrogance, if you ask me.

then again, he beat an incumbent senator as a 29 year old nobody.

Yeah, he only had 12 years in the Senate at the time....far too little experience to be elected President.

Heck, if he were Obama, he could've run in 1976 if it weren't for that pesky fact that he wasn't legally old enough yet.

But the fact that he got elected to the Senate technically before he was even eligible is pretty amazing (I'm assuming he turned 30 before January 3).

I turn 30 on December 30 this year; I should've mounted my primary challenge to Levin.

im 31.  kerry better be glad i gave him a pass this year. 

as for biden, im reading through his political positions.  he really isnt too bad.  i like that he supports affirmative action and he received an 'f' from the nra.

[Nym90]

He ran for president in 88 too.

yes i know.  that was somewhat understandable.

but the fact that he seriously thought of running against reagan as a young nobody in 84.  the height of arrogance, if you ask me.

then again, he beat an incumbent senator as a 29 year old nobody.

Yeah, he only had 12 years in the Senate at the time....far too little experience to be elected President.

Heck, if he were Obama, he could've run in 1976 if it weren't for that pesky fact that he wasn't legally old enough yet.

But the fact that he got elected to the Senate technically before he was even eligible is pretty amazing (I'm assuming he turned 30 before January 3).

I turn 30 on December 30 this year; I should've mounted my primary challenge to Levin.

im 31.  kerry better be glad i gave him a pass this year. 

as for biden, im reading through his political positions.  he really isnt too bad.  i like that he supports affirmative action and he received an 'f' from the nra.

Yes, getting an F from any organization that is designed to protect the interests of one particular slice of the corporate community is generally a good thing.

I'm all for socioeconomic affirmative action (and annoyed that no one has the balls to propose this instead of race-based AA....I challenge anyone to honestly argue that a rich black deserves preference over a poor white....).

[Kevin]

I have a feeling whoever is selected it's going to be someone completely and totally out of the blue, just another trick Obama will be pulling out of his top hat.

[Nym90]

I have a feeling whoever is selected it's going to be someone completely and totally out of the blue, just another trick Obama will be pulling out of his top hat.

So you're thinking Chet Edwards?

He'd certainly be interesting. Be a bit of a poke in the eye to Bush to pick his Congressman as your VP, that's for sure.....and this fact might help keep Bush in the news, which is never a bad thing for Obama.

[Kevin]

I have a feeling whoever is selected it's going to be someone completely and totally out of the blue, just another trick Obama will be pulling out of his top hat.

So you're thinking Chet Edwards?

He'd certainly be interesting. Be a bit of a poke in the eye to Bush to pick his Congressman as your VP, that's for sure.....and this fact might help keep Bush in the news, which is never a bad thing for Obama.

I was actually thinking someone more like Ed Rendell or Gen. Anthony Zinni actually. 

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

I think that we won't be getting a Wow factor out of Obama's choice. All the spin was with Bayh and Kaine and Biden was never in the running till two weeks ago. How anti-climatic, thats as mich of a wow as we are going to get. He still could pick Chet Edwards or Jack Reed but I doubt it. 

[Nym90]

I have a feeling whoever is selected it's going to be someone completely and totally out of the blue, just another trick Obama will be pulling out of his top hat.

So you're thinking Chet Edwards?

He'd certainly be interesting. Be a bit of a poke in the eye to Bush to pick his Congressman as your VP, that's for sure.....and this fact might help keep Bush in the news, which is never a bad thing for Obama.

I was actually thinking someone more like Ed Rendell or Gen. Anthony Zinni actually. 

Rendell actually wouldn't be bad either. Attack dog, executive experience, strong Clinton supporter so helps unify the party. Probably takes Pennsylvania off the table (unless McCain picks Ridge).

Lack of foreign policy experience is his largest negative.

[Flying Dog]

I have a feeling whoever is selected it's going to be someone completely and totally out of the blue, just another trick Obama will be pulling out of his top hat.

So you're thinking Chet Edwards?

He'd certainly be interesting. Be a bit of a poke in the eye to Bush to pick his Congressman as your VP, that's for sure.....and this fact might help keep Bush in the news, which is never a bad thing for Obama.

I was actually thinking someone more like Ed Rendell or Gen. Anthony Zinni actually. 

Rendell actually wouldn't be bad either. Attack dog, executive experience, strong Clinton supporter so helps unify the party. Probably takes Pennsylvania off the table (unless McCain picks Ridge).

Lack of foreign policy experience is his largest negative.

'Cept he kind of oozes slime when you look at him. He and Obama don't mesh well.

[Historia Crux]

I would like to see Chet Edwards get picked for at least that WOW factor instead of that "Kaine is not Obama's VP, Bayh is not Obama's VP so it's Biden for VP by default, wow!" that's very anti - climatic, maybe there's a reason Chet Edward's name got raised right now?

Also Ed Rendell would make a good choice for VP as well but wouldn't bring in the Foreign Policy on the ticket but it would at least a try to coalesce the party.

[WalterMitty]

i like rendell.  i just dont particularly like him serving in a government office.

[NOVA Green]

That explains pulling out of Va.

No it doesn't.

I don't think that he's totally pulling out of all of these states, but rather suspending his advertising while he takes advantage of free media coverage during the convention, and then resuming coverage in some of these states depending on what his internals tell him.

How much would Kaine have really helped his numbers in Virginia anyways, unlike Bayh who would have definitely thrown Indiana closer to a toss-up.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

That explains pulling out of Va.

No it doesn't.

I don't think that he's totally pulling out of all of these states, but rather suspending his advertising while he takes advantage of free media coverage during the convention, and then resuming coverage in some of these states depending on what his internals tell him.

How much would Kaine have really helped his numbers in Virginia anyways, unlike Bayh who would have definitely thrown Indiana closer to a toss-up.

Not that much. He has been a bit partisan and his approvals, while above 50%, are only just above 50 so he wouldn't be much help. If this was Mark Warner we were talking about then yes Virginia would be a sure win for Obama.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

I still don't get the point (if the plane is for him) of going to ALL this trouble to avoid letting it slip - then do something SO conspicuous

[Lunar]

Clinton has been told she's not the VP
CNN ticker

 (CNN) – Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Senator Barack Obama has ruled out Senator Hillary Clinton as his vice presidential running mate, a senior Democratic official told CNN on Friday night.

Clinton — Obama's main rival during the primary season — has been informed by Obama's campaign that she is not his choice to be his vice presidential candidate, the source said.

[Nym90]

I have a feeling whoever is selected it's going to be someone completely and totally out of the blue, just another trick Obama will be pulling out of his top hat.

So you're thinking Chet Edwards?

He'd certainly be interesting. Be a bit of a poke in the eye to Bush to pick his Congressman as your VP, that's for sure.....and this fact might help keep Bush in the news, which is never a bad thing for Obama.

I was actually thinking someone more like Ed Rendell or Gen. Anthony Zinni actually. 

Rendell actually wouldn't be bad either. Attack dog, executive experience, strong Clinton supporter so helps unify the party. Probably takes Pennsylvania off the table (unless McCain picks Ridge).

Lack of foreign policy experience is his largest negative.

'Cept he kind of oozes slime when you look at him. He and Obama don't mesh well.

Well, those types of people tend to be the most successful politicians....

[Nym90]

That explains pulling out of Va.

No it doesn't.

I don't think that he's totally pulling out of all of these states, but rather suspending his advertising while he takes advantage of free media coverage during the convention, and then resuming coverage in some of these states depending on what his internals tell him.

How much would Kaine have really helped his numbers in Virginia anyways, unlike Bayh who would have definitely thrown Indiana closer to a toss-up.

I would think Mark Warner's keynote address will get plenty of free media attention in Virginia. Anything more in the form of advertising may be overload at this point and a waste of money.

If he's dropped out of Virginia for the duration, that'd indeed be dumb.

[J. J.]

That explains pulling out of Va.

No it doesn't.

Yes, it does.  There will be de-emphasis south of the Potomac.  The race will be in these states:  MI, OH, PA, NM, NH, CO.  Depending on the GOP Veep choice, PA might be de-emphasized.