Does anyone know when Kerry is to make a choice for VP

[Ksec]

I havent heard anything on a date. Anyone ? Thanks in advance for any help.

[newsguyatl]

1. i'm hearing by the end of this month

[freetobegay]

2. Probably not till the convention.

eom

[Direckshun]

3. Not soon enough! (n/t)

[RoyGBiv]

4. Can't find the link, but...

There was a "leak" a day or two ago suggesting that we might, possibly, maybe, if the moon is in the right phase, expect an announcement around the end of May.

This is extremely early for such an announcement, but there are compelling reasons for doing so in this election. Still, historically, candidates do not make their official announcement until just before the convention.

[timdoodle]

5. I hope not until the convention

Then the jump in ratings will sustain till the election. If you announce too early, it gives the R's too much time to research and smear. This is why a VP announcement usually occurs within 3 months of the election...

[RoyGBiv]

6. Exactly

When I was looking into this, I didn't go back beyond Mondale in 1984, but from that time to 2000, no major candidate has chosen his VP more than three weeks before the convention. There are reasons for this, high among them the things you mention.

It's also worth considering the VP's true impact on election. There is no convincing evidence that any VP choice, by his mere existence on the ticket, has swayed an election in the candidate's favor. There is evidence that a VP choice turned voters off a candidate. So it becomes an equation of maximizing the candidate's positive potential and minimizing the negatives. The latter is largely achieved by not making the announcement too early.