Clinton because she offers Obama the best chance of winning the White House. Energy and excitement create votes. Strong ideas that compliment Obama's
Ready on Day 1 Team of rivals meme.

Romney because he has a business background. Photogenic and Vetted.

I win!

Bayh   -  Obama

Romney -  Mccain .

Bayh might be able to deliver Indiana , is in the clinton camp , brings some degree of sanity on national security to the ticket and doesn't really dilute the change message .

Plus I like where he is on the ideological scale so what the hell.

Mccain would go with Romney , he might push Mccain over the hump in CO , NV and MI , energizes the conservative base of the republican party like no one else , is vetted and has the uncanny ability of going after Obama without losing any of the grease in his hair . Furthermore he brings credibility on the economic front .

Wild Card for Obama : Joe Biden

Wild card for Mccain : Bobby Jindal

Obama/Clark

McCain/Giuliani

... Although I expect favorable odds on this, since I'm going against the conventional wisdom.

Barack Obama-Wesley Clark

John McCain-Tom Ridge

Thanks for all the Recommendations. Remember you can't win if don't recommend. It's not fair I know! Ha Ha

You already know who I'm gonna say....

H I L L A R Y....

She brings MILLIONS of votes (which no other candidate does).

She may even secure SOME states like NV, OH, PA (for sure), and even FL....possibly AR....

She IS change - NEVER BEEN A WOMAN VP BEFORE...THAT...is TRUE change....

Biden looks good as an old white male, but brings NO votes considering he garnered about 2-5% in the primary.

Bayh - maybe Indiana - why does everyone say "he's clinton" - just because he supported her - HE WILL NOT BRING HER VOTERS (like me)....

Clark - looks good (like Biden) as a white male with military - but again, NO STATE, NO VOTES....

I've heard John Kerry thrown around - one elitist after another....big mistake (imho)....

I've heard Richardson....he's a disaster at debates, sweats too much..will piss off the hillary people...

CAN-NOT pick another woman other than hillary....

Kaine for the "change" people and maybe VA....women will be pissed.

I predict that if Obama picks a typical white male..

McCain will be BOLD and go for Governor Sarah Palin of Alaska and/or Carly Fioroni (?) and pick up the ANGRY WOMEN HILLARY SUPPORTERS....

Again - the NUMBER of Hillary HOLD OUT's is anywhere from 3 - 5 million votes - that is bigger than the christian coalition!!!

Whoever secures these votes - WINS....

Who can GUARANTEE THESE VOTES? HILLARY.

If he picks her - he proves that he a.) wants to win and b.) wants party unity....

The MSM loves playing up that there's a BIG FIGHT between him and Bill....but I don't believe it..

I think if BO picks Hillary, then McCain will jump to his base and pick Romny....and BTW - the BEST debator that BO could have on his team as an attack dog (especially against Romney who is NASTY AS HELL) IS HILLARY.....

She will nail his ass to the wall when he goes after her on "Hillary Care"...she will go after him on the shitty job he's done in MA with their half ass healthcare....

Al. Gore.

Doesn't have a speaking spot scheduled, does he?

Obama/Bayh, and I think McCain will probably pick someone out of left field (what does he have to lose?) Either that or Romney, if he folds to the rest of the GOP.

Obama - I'm starting to believe it may be Clark.

Clark helps seal the deal for Obama by calming concerns about his inexperience, yet he doesn't undermine a change campaign the way someone like Bayh or Biden would.  I don't get the Kaine boomlet, at all - 3rd best choice from Viginia, no longer even popular there, doesn't bring any valuable experience.  The potential shocker: Schweitzer.

McCain - Kay Bailey Hutchinson

He needs a game changer, yet someone who won't piss off the conservatives.  He gets to claim history and gives himself a theoretical chance to mitigate the gender gap.  

I don't get Romney - it's too late for pre-convention money and the evangelicals won't like it.  Jindal is too young, and McCain needs racist votes.  The boring, safe choices would Graham, Sanford, or Pawlenty.

McCain will pick a darling of the social conservatives who is far more loved than Romney at this point. He will be thinking of jump starting the Republican Party while serving out just four years. Then his VP pick, Eric Cantor (R-Virginia),  who is 100% pro-life, Jewish, and very conservative runs in 2012. The problem is that Obama will be the incumbent in 2004, and he and his VP will win a second term. The right wing extremists are already calling the upcoming convention the Obama/Clinton convention to be spiteful. But that's the ticket that will come out of the convention. Look for Clinton to firmly denounce McCain, and Obama to appeal to Cantor's detractors, who won't like McCain either but be satisfied with Obama.  

Okay, here goes:

Obama/Sebelius
McCain/Pawlenty

Pawlenty is an easier sell: he shores up McCain with the far-right (guns and abortion), and more importantly, he's someone who will be around for decades, giving McCain a chance to create a lasting legacy through him and ensure his supporters remain prominent, if not dominant, in Republican politics.

Sebelius is someone who can campaign well with Obama (won't overshadow, gets along well with him, plays to different audiences, reinforces Midwestern roots, has Michigan AND Ohio connections), and as she's unlikely to ever run herself if the ticket wins in Nov., she's someone whom Obama won't have to worry about protecting when it comes to tough policy decisions.  And, of course, there's the historic aspect of having a woman as Vice-President, but I really see that as a secondary concern.

Does anyone think Lieberman has a chance as McCain's VP. He is starting to be mentioned more
and more as a possibility.

I've noticed as well Clinton is not even being considered by some media experts.

Obama/Biden

vs.

McCain/Romney

Obama / Clark

McCain / Ridge

No reasons, just gut feelings.

Maybe I should lay off the beans.

Both will pick "surprises".

Obama will choose Governor Schweitzer of Montana, a guy who is considered a maverick in his own sense. He's a regular guy, one who can connect with Middle America. He definitely could not be deemed as "elitist". He's an outsider and that fits well with Obama's "change" message.

McCain will choose Governor Palin of Alaska. She shores up his conservative base, being pro-life and pro NRA. She's a female who's athletic and that will appeal to the white male base of the party. She has high approval ratings and is also considered an outsider. She instantly brings the issue of energy to the table, being that she was Ethics Commissioner of the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission. Then, there's the obvious. She's female and that will help McCain win over the female holdouts who are thinking of sitting out this election in November. If she can just move a slight percentage to his column, he wins. He already is dominating the white male vote; the white females are still up in the air and Gov. Palin can help move them to his side.

Obama will pick Wesley Clark since he has been vetted, is a Clinton supporter, hasn't been in Washington too long, and has way more real foreign policy experience than little John McBush can ever dream of having.  

McCain will pick Tim Pawlenty from MN.  He is young, very conservative, a governor, actually has decent environmental policy, and might be able to deliver Minnesota and some surrounding states to Old John.  

I have never had less of an idea about running mates than this year. The list of possible Obama running mates seems to be in double figures, which is amazing to me, and McCain's list of possibles is not much smaller.

I think too much of a shocker is unlikely and not a good idea, as it seems impulsive and too far out of the box.  A good number of candidates have been publicly vetted via trial balloons and that's just as important as the more private vetting by selection teams.  In some ways it is disrespectful to the party faithful and general public to just pick someone out of nowhere at the last minute.

Wesley Clark at this point would constitute an excessive amount of red herrings and double inversions.  Selecting a VP isn't a game.  Kaine, Bayh and Biden have been floated the most and I think the response has been less than enthusiastic for very different reasons.  I think the Obama team became more serious about a second set of names and a repechage list: Sebelius, Schweitzer,
Clinton, Kerry.

Clinton makes the most sense in terms of victory but I believe the discomfort is genuine.  I think anytime the primary race is that close that it makes sense to make the runner-up the VP and I think Obama should do that.

I don't think he will (or has).  Kerry has been a good surrogate and would have to be a better campaigner this time around.  Kerry also made Obama's campaign possible in many ways.  He has the military experience, foreign policy cred.  And I don't think he's be uncomfortable as #2--he'd probably be more comfortable.

Sebelius for obvious gender reasons--and that's huge.  I don't buy the "no woman but Hillary argument."  She is a successful governor, has shown guts in decision-making, is West of the river, and bring s the excitement of possible big change.

Schweitzer because of change, personality, excitement, West, governor, and international experience on the ground.  Breath of fresh air redux.

Clinton is too risky because of threat of overshadowing (and Bubba).  Schweitzer too unknown and doesn't bring gender.

Down to Sebelius or Kerry.  Still a bit too weird
to have a former nominee as running-mate just four years later.  

Sebelius.

McCain-Lieberman.  Why not?  Is the Christian right likely to vote for Obama?  No.  Stay home?  Maybe, but that's only 1/2 vote lost.  The election is about those who will almost certainly vote, one way or another.  McCain-Lieberman is the ultimate "maverick/bipartisan" reinforcing move and will appeal to independents and the millions of voters who need a good reason not to vote for Obama.

Hillary.

The roll call on Wednesday will lead into her VP nomination that night.

- Matt

Hillary Clinton

I think you are right on Pollbuster. Cheers