Vice Presidential Politics

The Democrats have their man in John Kerry but who will he pick as his running mate? A lot is on the line for John Kerry and he is taking his time making the decision.

Is John Edwards still a contender? Can Bob Graham deliver Florida? Does Florida's other senator, former astronaut Bill Nelson, have the right stuff? And then there's talk of New Mexico's Governor Bill Richardson.

Picking a running mate is part-science and part-gumption. And it can make a difference. Just ask George McGovern who had to take his VP pick, Thomas Eagleton, off the ticket when it was disclosed that he had undergone electroshock therapy. You could also ask the first President Bush. He was urged to dump Dan Quayle after the first term. He refused and then lost to Bill Clinton.

Click the "Listen" link to hear about the huge V.P. question in Kerry's court.

Guests:

Paul Light, presidential scholar at New York University, author of "Vice Presidential Power"

Jon Kamman, political reporter The Arizona Republic

S.V. Date, Capital Bureau Chief for The Palm Beach Post, author of the new book "Quiet Passion: A Biography of Senator Bob Graham"

Shea Andersen, state and political reporter The Albuquerque Tribune

Jack Beatty, On Point News Analyst, senior editor at The Atlantic Monthly magazine