Your Home for Wild, Baseless Veepstakes Speculation

I know everyone disagrees with me, but I think it’s going be Clinton.  All the “DC insiders” and “campaign aides” quoted anonymously in the press over the past weeks have claimed Biden, Bayh, and Kaine are the finalists, and that Clinton brings too many “problems.”  Every mainstream media piece is all “ZOMG WHAT WOULD HE DO WITH BILL” as if Bill is some rabid dog and not a smart, seasoned, on-message pol who would do whatever the fuck Obama told him to do.  As for the “personal anomosity” argument, well, no one remembers this but a lot people said the same thing about John Kerry and John Edwards in 2004.  Clinton is maybe the most battle-tested politician in the country, and Obama is currently the most successful politician from the Chicago scene.  If you think they don’t know how to put personal feelings aside when it’s time to bust some heads, you’re kidding yourself.

No, the only plausible reason Obama would have for not picking Clinton is that she’s not a “safe” choice.  He currently enjoys a small lead in the polls and the electoral college projections, so his campaign plan could be a simple prevent defense, a la Bush in 2004.  “Just Don’t Fuck Up.”  Picking someone like Biden or Kaine isn’t going to energize anyone, but it also isn’t going to really anger anyone other than a few diehard Clinton supporters, who would’ve been angry anyway.

But I’m not buying it.  If he were making the “safe” choice, I’d have to think he would’ve announced weeks ago.  He’d want to give America time to get to know Biden or Bayh or Kaine before the convention.  He certainly wouldn’t have this elaborate rollout plan scheduled for just before the convention if it was one of those three “Meh” picks that have already been telegraphed.

Plus, today’s addition of Gore to the convention’s big final rally at Invesco Field makes more sense if the VP is someone who’s already scheduled to speak earlier in the convention, as Clinton is.

I’m probably wrong.  I’m probably going to be disappointed when I pay my 25 cents to get a txt from Dave Axelrod telling me that’s Biden.  Mainly I’m putting this post up so that, on the off-chance I am right, I’ll look like a badass.

Update:  Yeah, I’m probably wrong. Damn it.