Biden and Ridge Top V.P. Prospects

There has been a lot of speculation in the past few weeks as to who will be the vice presidential nominees for each party.

Delaware Senator Joe Biden, Indiana Senator Evan Bayh, and Governor Tim Kaine are the top contenders for the Democratic vice presidential nomination. Evan Bayh and Joe Biden are both scheduled to speak on the same night that the vice presidential candidate will speak during the Democratic convention.

Biden and Bayh being scheduled to speak the night of the vice presidential nominee has raised questions about whether it maybe one of them that will get the nod.

Tim Kaine is a Democratic governor of a Republican state which is attractive to the Obama campaign, however Kaine lacks experience. Kaine has now served 3 years as governor and does not have the foreign policy experience the Obama campaign is looking for.

Kaine and Bayh both appeared on Sunday talk shows on August 17, showing that they are all likely in the running at the moment.

Evan Bayh is a strong contender because he is consistent and rarely makes mistakes. Bayh would be a safe choice if the Obama campaign wants a candidate that will not distract from Obama on the campaign trail.

Bayh may also be out of the running simply because he is a Democratic senator and Indiana currently has a Republican governor. Republican Mitch Daniels would be in charge of selecting Bayh’s replacement in the Senate, turning a blue seat red.

Biden made an unscheduled trip to Georgia this weekend at the request of Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili. Saakashvili spoke with Biden on Monday and later this week requested that Biden come to Georgia as soon as possible.

Biden chairs the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the Georgian president requested he come to Tbilisi to help in their effort to reach a cease fire with Russia.

Biden’s trip escalates his chances at becoming Obama’s V.P. pick because of his knowledge of foreign affairs and his established respect with other foreign leaders.

Chances are still good that Bayh, Kaine or another candidate not on the short list will be named; however I am predicting that Biden is Obama’s top choice.

McCain’s short list includes former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, former Pennsylvanian Governor Tom Ridge, and Connecticut Senator Joseph Lieberman.

Mitt Romney would help McCain carry Michigan, a swing state he will likely need in order to win in November. Mitt’s father George Romney was a popular governor in Michigan and his son is still loved there.

Lieberman is a close and dear friend of McCain. The McCain campaign has confirmed that Lieberman is on the short list but picking Lieberman would further upset his base. Conservatives who already have doubts about McCain will certainly not be happy with an Independent “Democrat” as a vice presidential nominee.

Tom Ridge also appeared on the Sunday talk shows this week which shows he is certainly still in the running. Ridge’s views on abortion raised questions this week among conservatives when John McCain said he would not rule out Ridge based on his pro-choice stance.

Ridge explained his views on abortion Sunday and explained that McCain’s views as president would obviously supercede his own in regards to abortion. Ridge is a strong candidate because he is still popular in Pennsylvania, a state with 21 electoral votes.

McCain has the advantage when it comes to making his V.P. pick. McCain can wait and see who Obama will pick before he makes his choice. McCain might try to pick a candidate to counter Obama’s gain in a certain state or on an important election year issue.

At this point I am predicting that McCain will pick Tom Ridge to help turn a large Obama state into a red state in November. Ridge’s pro-choice views will also help McCain pull in more votes among women and independents.