After months of speculation, Democratic presidential nominee-in-waiting Barack Obama is set to name his running mate via text message to millions of supporters, possibly today.

Obama not ready to name running mate just yet
The Associated Press
By Liz Sidoti

WASHINGTON — Presidential candidate Barack Obama said Friday the running mate he has chosen — but has not yet announced — had to meet three standards to join the Democratic ticket: Prepared to be president, able to help him govern and willing to challenge his thinking.

Those criteria did little to narrow the guessing game as Obama prepared for a massive rally in Illinois on Saturday to present his No. 2 to the nation and undertake a pre-convention tour of battleground states. He planned to disclose his choice through text messages to supporters, perhaps as early as Friday.

“Obviously, the most important question is: Is this person ready to be president?” Obama said in an interview aired Friday on “The Early Show” on CBS. Second, he said, was: “Can this person help me govern? Are they going to be an effective partner in creating the kind of economic opportunity here at home and guiding us through some dangerous waters internationally?”

And, he added: “I want somebody who is going to be able to challenge my thinking and not simply be a ‘yes person’ when it comes to policymaking.

I half expected to receive my text message Wednesday, while I was surrounded by other journalism graduate students undergoing orientation at Mizzou. If you can imagine the ideological makeup of our incoming class (and I’m sure you can), you can imagine my cell phone would have joined a chorus of other ringtones and beeps. It’s a shame I didn’t get the message then, perhaps I should find the closest hacky sack ring to replicate the same effect.

Just about anyone has an interest in Obama’s decision as the Democratic nominating contests this year became one of the most drawn out primary processes in recent history, making the choice for VP very crucial. Does Obama give the nod to Clinton, the Democrat’s silver medalist, or does he pick someone like Delaware Senator Joe Biden, Indiana Senator Evan Bayh or Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius?

In a joking exchange with reporters yesterday, Obama responded to repeated questions as to when he will be announcing his running mate by saying, “Wouldn’t you like to know?” Frankly, I think Obama is coming from in a position of arrogance given the nature of his handling of his VP nomination. Voters have a right to know who Obama has picked for the job and interested parties might find themselves a bit annoyed by the Obama camp and their juvenile press games.

Yeah, I signed up for the text message, but after a few moments of thought, a gasp or perhaps a raised eyebrow, I’ll delete the text message and direct the same interest and analysis to John McCain.

My advice: Get it over with, Obama is putting too much emphasis on a Saturday headline.

Extra credit: If you want to take advantage of your Obamasochistic friends with vicious headgames, play Wonkette’s “Freak Out Your Friends With Fake Obama VP TXT” game. It’s sure to have someone screaming. Does anyone have Hillary’s cell phone number?