Who's Gonna Be VP?

(Newser) - Will Joe Biden make it to November? The talky senator has so far managed to avoid major damage to Barack Obama’s campaign, despite a number of close brushes. But, notes Bill Nichols in Politico, there’s a week to go. While Biden’s favorable ratings are high and the Obama staff has been impressed with his ability to connect emotionally, the stream of minor gaffes is near-constant. More »

(Newser) - Last night’s vice presidential debate drew 69.9 million viewers, shattering the record for such an event, Broadcasting & Cable reports. The 1984 encounter between VP candidates Geraldine Ferraro and George H.W. Bush drew 56.9 million; the record for a campaign debate is 80.6 million for the 1980 showdown between Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan. More »

(Newser) - With the VP hopefuls girding for tonight's debate, it's natural to wonder what would become of their respective tickets should either presidential candidate die or otherwise become incapacitated before Nov. 4. Each party has its own protocol, explains Nina Shen Rastogi, writing for Slate, but in neither case does the running mate automatically get the nomination. More »

(Newser) - With the presidential candidates in a tight battle after a closely matched debate, the upcoming vice presidential showdown is bound to be “must-see TV,” said one GOP strategist. Both Sarah Palin and Joe Biden are busy preparing for this week's St. Louis spar, in which Biden will need to refrain from appearing too aloof or aggressive and Palin must cope with her significant lack of experience, reports the Washington Times . More »

(Newser) - He may be getting less press attention than Sarah Palin's pets but there's another vice-presidential candidate in this race and he's been blasting John McCain all across the Rust Belt, the New York Times reports. Joe Biden barely mentions Palin in his fiery speeches to crowds of varying size, but he is unsparing in his criticism of the "out-of-touch" McCain. More »

(Newser) - Alaska Governor Sarah Palin was a strong contender to be John McCain's running mate all along, his campaign has revealed. Looking to diffuse speculation that Palin was a hasty, last-minute choice, aides told the Washington Pos t that she was high on McCain’s list since their first meeting in February. Advisers also divulged that Cindy McCain played a major role in the veepstakes. More »

(Newser) - Mitt Romney won’t share a ticket with John McCain, but the former Massachusetts governor’s political future is still rosy, the Boston Herald reports. “He’s a very viable candidate,” one expert said, whether for a Cabinet post in a McCain administration—Treasury or Commerce, perhaps—or another run for president in 2012. But all agree he won’t be welcome in Massachusetts again. More »

(AP) - John McCain described Sarah Palin, his choice for vice presidential running mate, as "exactly who I need. She's exactly who this country needs to help us fight the same old Washington politics of me first and country second." McCain and Palin appeared together in Ohio on their way to the Republican National Convention. "I am honored," she said after being selected.