Virtue or Vice (President)?

With only about a month remaining before the Republican and Democratic nominating conventions, the time has come for John McCain and Barack Obama to select running mates. The Olympics begin on August 8, so we're now looking at a brief window of opportunity for unfettered media attention. To this end, we are assured, the search for number two has heated up. Yes, a seasonal deluge of news stories is currently raining down upon the nation, meticulously examining the hypothetical chances of the prospective veeps.

From The New York Times we learn that Hillary Clinton may not be so high on Obama's list. Politico lets us know that Virginia Governor Tim Kaine may have risen to the top. And The Washington Post would have us believe that the herd had been culled to three prime specimens: Kaine, Indiana Senator Evan Bayh, and Delaware Senator Joe Biden. The Atlantic's Marc Ambinder would expand the list by one name, Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius.

Meanwhile, on McCain's side of the aisle, the choices have also narrowed somewhat in recent days. Having separated the chaff from the wheat, media speculators are still buying stock in four or five known quantities. The Des Moines Register believes Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty may (since cutting off his mullet) be the last man standing. Writing in The Chicago Tribune, Robert Novak thinks that Mitt Romney could deliver Michigan to McCain if added to the ticket. The LA Times wonders whether Florida Governor Charlie Crist's wedding plans will help his chances of joining the ticket. The Phoenix Business Journal sees the race as having narrowed to one between Romney, Pawlenty, and former Department of Homeland Security chief, Tom Ridge.

So step right up and spin the wheel. Who do you like in the race for number two? Explain your thoughts in the comment section. And, as an added bonus, have a gander at former Reagan adviser Ken Khachihian's Op-Ed in The Wall Street Journal on why the VP choice doesn't really matter one lick. Hey, just because VP-speculation is a parlor game, doesn't mean it isn't fun.