Obama’s VP? New Clues Point to BidenRandy Shawbyline‚ Aug. 15‚ 2008Barack Obama has been careful to avoid obvious hints as to his choice of running mate, forcing pundits to assemble the smallest of clues. This week, one-time frontrunner Virginia Governor Tim Kaine saw his chances fall dramatically when his predecessor, Mark Warner, was assigned to give the keynote Convention speech; Obama is not likely to want two prime-time speeches from Virginia political leaders. Indiana Senator Evan Bayh also saw his chances decline, as a strong progressive backlash emerged against his zealous support for the Iraq War. The fact that both Clinton’s have been given prime-time convention speeches also decreases the likelihood that Obama will choose Bayh, a Hillary Clinton backer. Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius is scheduled to speak Tuesday night, which would be unnecessary if she were to speak on Wednesday as the VP choice. This leaves Delaware Senator Joe Biden as the most likely choice, and – at this point – the most acceptable for progressives. |