OFFICIAL Vice President leaks, tips, and speculation thread

[Lunar]

Oo oo.  Here's a big clue:

http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/08/21/1280082.aspx

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WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?

That's just weird.  I guess he saw that the door wasn't closed all the way but did not realize the bag was there?  It'd just be awk if he intentionally left his bag on the street, right?

[Lunar]

BIDEN'S STOCK JUST TOOK A HUGE HIT  and humble Bayh gets a boost!

    One of the biggest moments in the campaign is going to be your announcement of a vice president. What is that decision going to tell voters about you?
http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,1834309,00.html

    Hopefully, the same thing that my campaign has told the American people about me. That I think through big decisions. I get a lot of input from a lot of people, and that ultimately, I try to surround myself with people who are about getting the job done, and who are not about ego, self-aggrandizement, getting their names in the press, but our focus on what's best for the American people.

    I think people will see that I'm not afraid to have folks around me who complement my strengths and who are independent. I'm not a believer in a government of yes-men. I think one of the failures of the early Bush Administration was being surrounded by people who were unwilling to deliver bad news, or who were prone to simply feed the president information that confirmed his own preconceptions.

[YRABNNRM]

On the other hand, I see Bayh being much more of a "yes man" than Biden. Bayh also probably has his own future ambitions while Biden would probably be too old at the end of Obama's term, should he be elected.

[Lunar]

No Indianapolis?  New schedule up:
from Marc Ambinder

Per the campaign: Obama's in Eau Claire, Wisconsin on Sunday, the Quad Cities area in Iowa on Monday,  Kansas City, Missouri on Tuesday, Billings, Montana next Wednesday.

No Indianapolis....

[skoods]

Obama Meets Kaine's Staff

http://news.yahoo.com/s/politico/20080821/pl_politico/12688

Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) met privately for 15 minutes Thursday morning at the Omni Richmond hotel with the staff of one of his top two or three prospects for running mate, Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine.

Margaret Talev of McClatchy Newspapers, the pool reporter from the Obama press corps, reports that she asked the governor whether Obama has asked him to be his running mate.

Awkward!

Kaine replied: "I'm going to let the campaign speak for the campaign." Talev reports that he also declined to comment when she asked if he would rule it out.

Talev asked him what he and Obama talked about. Kaine answered: "He visited with my staff just to basically say hi to them and thank them for all their hard work."

Obama also took a photo with Kaine's staff. A thank-you, or a getting-to-know-you?

Obama isn’t expected to make his announcement today. But Friday or early Saturday, the eagerly awaited text messages and e-mails will go to supporters ahead of the ticket’s dramatic appearance at the Old State Capitol in Springfield, Ill. on Saturday.

[Lunar]

Obama makes his decision!  - but we don't know who it is yet
Politico frontpage

UPDATE: From Chester, Va., Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) tells USA Today he's settled on a running mate. Obama's not saying who that person is yet and may not even have informed the running mate of his decision.

[Mr. Morden]

Oo oo.  Here's a big clue:

http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/08/21/1280082.aspx

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WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?

IF HE FORGETS HIS GYMBAG MAYBE HE WILL FORGET NUCELAR LAUNCH CODEZ

EVAN BAYH, UNFIT 4 SERVICE

Oh my God, you're correct.  Also, here's another tantalizing clue from the veep paparazzi:

http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/08/21/1281749.aspx

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BIDEN FAILS TO FEED THE PRESS, WHICH MEANS HE DOESN'T CARE IF YOU AND YOUR FAMILY STARVE

[YRABNNRM]

From the AP article...

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http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080821/ap_on_el_pr/veepstakes

[Lunar]

To me, that doesn't strike me as a Clinton answer.  That seems like it could be a preemptive justification for a Bayh pick - he intentionally chose someone that doesn't always agree with him (is a centrist, supported the war) so that he can have lively debates in the Oval Office!  Haha, comedy.

[Lunar]

Sam Nunn's stock falling
Ben Smith on Politico


The former Georgia senator said recently that he hadn't been vetted, and now his spokeswoman says he's going to be out of the country through Monday.

[skoods]

Some things sound good for Kaine (meeting with his staff). Some things sound bad (the whole "independent" and "challenging" schtick). I don't know where to go with this.

[Eraserhead]

Sam Nunn's stock falling
Ben Smith on Politico


The former Georgia senator said recently that he hadn't been vetted, and now his spokeswoman says he's going to be out of the country through Monday.

He had "stock"?

[Lunar]

a bit.


Anyway: OMFG
http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=news/bizarre&id=6342672

 On Friday, August 22nd, at 11:00 A.M., the Zoo's polar bears will "paws" and "choose" Senator Obama's VP running mate by "selecting" the box with the name of the polar bears' "choice" of Democratic running mate. This special polar bear VP selection event will lead into the weekend-long Philadelphia Zoo Bear Awareness Days, happening 11:00 a.m.- 3:00 p.m. both Saturday and Sunday, August 23rd and 24th.

From the polar cap to our own backyards, bears have fascinated people for decades. During Bear Awareness Days at the Zoo, guests will learn un-BEAR-ably interesting tidbits about bears' lives and also learn about the Zoo's different bear species, why polar bears are endangered and how people can help polar bears from their own home. Bear Awareness Days include interactive activities, craft making stations for kids of all ages, education stations, keeper talks and more

[YRABNNRM]

wtf

[Mr. Morden]

There has to be some connection between the polar bears and Evan Bayh's gym bag.  If we can figure out what it is, we'll know who Obama has chosen as his running mate.

[YRABNNRM]

There has to be some connection between the polar bears and Evan Bayh's gym bag.  If we can figure out what it is, we'll know who Obama has chosen as his running mate.

It's clearly Mike Gravel, judging from those two pieces of elements.

[Lunar]

There has to be some connection between the polar bears and Evan Bayh's gym bag.  If we can figure out what it is, we'll know who Obama has chosen as his running mate.

It's clearly Mike Gravel, judging from those two pieces of elements.

Funniest post in days.  Thank you.

[Mr. Morden]

There has to be some connection between the polar bears and Evan Bayh's gym bag.  If we can figure out what it is, we'll know who Obama has chosen as his running mate.

It's clearly Mike Gravel, judging from those two pieces of elements.

I'm not sure.  If, instead of a polar bear, it was a rock, then maybe you'd be on to something.

[YRABNNRM]

There has to be some connection between the polar bears and Evan Bayh's gym bag.  If we can figure out what it is, we'll know who Obama has chosen as his running mate.

It's clearly Mike Gravel, judging from those two pieces of elements.

I'm not sure.  If, instead of a polar bear, it was a rock, then maybe you'd be on to something.

hmmm maybe.

[Mr. Morden]

I'm wondering if they're going to announce the name just before the national broadcast news shows at 6:30pm Eastern.  If they haven't done it by then, then I'm guessing they'll wait until tomorrow.  Though I guess they could also do it late tonight, and then have it be the lead story in every newspaper tomorrow morning.

[Lunar]

I'm wondering if they're going to announce the name just before the national broadcast news shows at 6:30pm Eastern.  If they haven't done it by then, then I'm guessing they'll wait until tomorrow.  Though I guess they could also do it late tonight, and then have it be the lead story in every newspaper tomorrow morning.

Indeed.  Also, they could release the text message late tonight (not TOO late, obviously, but let's say 10 pm EST) and have no statement out fromt he Obama campaign about it until the next morning.  Thus everyone who signed up for their little text-message thingy feel more special than if the text comes 2 minutes before the official announcement.  And yeah, it would make the media dance around the next day.

However, if it's Bayh as I suspect, I'm not sure if it'd be good to let the bloggers break the story and write about it for 24 hours before the primetime news covers it the next day.  Then they will be able to talk about disgruntled activists and whatnot.

We STILL don't know where Obama will be tomorrow, right?

[Meeker]

I will laugh so very hard if it isn't Bayh, Biden or Kaine.

That being said, I think it will be Bayh.

[Mr. Morden]

Indeed.  Also, they could release the text message late tonight (not TOO late, obviously, but let's say 10 pm EST) and have no statement out fromt he Obama campaign about it until the next morning.

I'm not sure that would work.  The second the text message goes out, the journalists embedded with the Obama campaign will ask the campaign for comment.  What are they supposed to say then?  "We have no comment on this.  Ask us about something else"?  If they're too evasive, people will question whether the text was just a hoax or something, and the whole thing could backfire.  I think they have to start taking questions on the veep selection as soon as the text goes out.

[Eraserhead]

There has to be some connection between the polar bears and Evan Bayh's gym bag.  If we can figure out what it is, we'll know who Obama has chosen as his running mate.

It's clearly Mike Gravel, judging from those two pieces of elements.

Don't get my hopes up like that!

[Meeker]

http://www.236.com/news/2008/08/20/if_they_imd_obamas_vp_prospect_1_8389.php

Funniest sh**t ever