NYT: Obama Veep selection is still weeks away

[BeyondGeography]

Obama’s Quest to Find a Running Mate Sends His Researchers on the Road

Mr. Obama, who devoted several hours here on Monday and Tuesday to meeting with his vice-presidential vetting team, is increasingly turning his focus to selection of a running mate. The detailed vetting of possible choices like Mr. Kaine suggests that the effort is well along.

Yet Mr. Obama has not conducted formal sit-down interviews with candidates, aides say, and a decision is believed to be weeks away, not days. His aides say there is no particular rush: the campaign seems to be going well for him at the moment, and so he does not need the burst of attention and energy that typically accompanies the announcement of a vice-presidential choice.

For all the calculations about who would make a better running mate — a governor or a senator, someone with a military background or business experience, a native of a battleground state or a national name — the list of candidates for Mr. Obama is believed to be fairly small. Several aides placed it at fewer than five, though they acknowledged that they were not sure, given the secrecy ordered by Mr. Obama.

...Until this week, Mr. Obama and his campaign had been focusing considerable attention on the overseas trip he just completed, aides said, and so a short list has not been formally compiled. But while he was away, the vetting moved forward, focusing not only on the current positions of the candidates but also on their earlier careers.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/30/us/politics/30veep.html?ref=us

[writes3000]

1. YAY!!! Good move, Obama-team. Smart politics. n/t

[Kittycat]

2. I bet it comes after the olympics.

I just don't see why he'd do it before, when the news cycles will be more difficult to control.

[UrbScotty]

9. But the convention begins the day after the Olympics end

They are literally back-to-back.

[Bullet1987]

3. Obama won't be forced by the MSM to choose when they want him to

[Cha]

4. Keep 'em guessing Obama!

:evilgrin:

[David Zephyr]

8. Drag it out, Obama! Make McCain show his hand first.

I agree.

[Barack_America]

5. I still say it will be before the Olympics...

Introducing the ticket is a great way to use that $5 million ad-buy.

[Cha]

15. There's that and that why a lot of

us were thinking that it's days away and not weeks.

I got to think though that their strategists know what they're doing and they have a definet strategy for when they announce Obama's running mate.

[Barack_America]

16. Oh sure. All this speculation is just a bit of fun.

I have faith that the campaign will make the right choice and announce it at the right time.

[elkston]

6. Yes! There is still hope for either Biden, Hillary, or Clark n/t

[tishaLA]

7. I think waiting until right before the convention would be smart

[Muttocracy]

10. if he waited until the convention itself, would that send TV ratings through the roof? nt

[kingpin8399]

11. announce before the olympics, and run ads of Obama/VP during the olympics

i would announce before the olympics, and run ads with Obama and his VP together during the olympics. i think they would reach the most people that way to begin the familiarity process.

[jillan]

12. That's what I was thinking.

Welcome to DU :)

[Virginia Dare]

19. That's what I'm thinking..

and Obama has purchased a whole bunch of airtime for the Olympics.

[MercutioATC]

13. It's a game of chicken.

Ideally, he'll announce less than 24 hours after McCain does...but he obviously has to announce by Convention time...before McCain's deadline.

It'll be interesting to see how it plays out.

[thewiseguy]

14. We only have 4 weeks left until the convention

I dont think the announcement is "weeks" away.

[book_worm]

17. What I've been saying all along, wait until after the Olympics and just before the convention which

creates excitement. Don't name a VP just to please the media or some people who just can't wait.

[DevonRex]

18. I want a superstar and I want the announcement to be at the

convention. I want someone that the crowd would go absolutely nuts over, in a good way. And for me, that person would be someone who might not even be on "the list." There are about 4 people who fit that bill, maybe 5.

[highplainsdem]

20. The closer it gets to the convention, the more important it is that he choose Clinton.

Otherwise there will be a lot of images from that convention of unhappy-looking Clinton supporters who can't hide their disappointment at someone else being chosen as Obama's running mate.

If it is going to be Clinton, he can wait to announce it during the convention, and all her delegates and supporters will be overjoyed, and the country will see a unified Democratic Party...and the Republicans had better run.