WASHINGTON -- Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry has the Democratic nomination for president nearly wrapped up with his victory in Wisconsin last Tuesday, giving him victories in 15 of the 17 primaries and caucuses contested to date. There will be some mopping up, and then a cakewalk to his hometown of Boston to be crowned the nominee on July 28 at the Democratic National Convention.
Speculation has begun on the No. 2 job. Who will be the Democratic vice presidential candidate this year? There is a simple rule: The vice presidential candidate is selected by the presidential nominee on the basis of the support that person can bring to the ticket. However, the choice is up to one person -- the presidential candidate -- though it must be ratified by the delegates at the national convention.
The selection process is not just a beauty pageant. It is a strategic planning session that dissects the electorate of the nation, state by state, electoral vote by electoral vote, and develops scenarios -- by combining various clusters of states -- on how the candidate can reach the magic 270-vote number needed to become president.