Choosing a Vice-President

I'm not surprised that it is taking so very long for Obama and McCain to choose their VP candidates. This is a monumental political race and therefore a monumental political choice. I couldn't imagine having to make this choice. To have so many qualified individuals to choose from it's easy to understand that this process takes time. My opinion is that they already have in mind who they want to pick, they're just waiting for the opportune moment.

However, it could also be that Obama and McCain are waiting to see what choice the other one will make so that they can ensure that they have the best "arsenal" against the other ticket. In any case, they should have their picks out before the national conventions (or at lest at the national convention - but that is too risky) which means that we should have a choice within a month. If they wait too much longer it might damage the campaign rather than help it.

Unfortunately, it seems that the choice is going to be a political one. The VP spot has almost always been given to someone who will "balance" the ticket and therefore, almost always has been a political choice (chosen because of political viability). This year will probably be no exception.

Unless...

Obama may be the one to choose someone for reasons other than political balance. McCain has been playing politics ever since he came back from near-campaign-suicide in summer of 2007. It is clear that he wants to win, and win at any cost. Obama may be the one to step out of the mold, as he has been claiming he will do, and choose a VP that will be helpful to him past the first Tuesday in November. We'll see.

Of course, the VP spot has always been one of campaign convenience rather than presidential performance. Besides, historically the VP hasn't done much besides stand beside the President as they make speeches and decisions. But with GWBush having delegated huge amounts of responsibility to Cheney (for good or bad is another discussion), the VP spot may be evolving into something more than showmanship. That may be more likely to continue with Obama rather than McCain. McCain has proven to be a power-hungry man who doesn't back down (this can be good and bad). Obama, on the other hand, seems to be more open to options rather than one-sided decision-making. But no one seeks the office of President of the United States without wanting more power to influence more people. Anyone that says otherwise is a fool.