I would think McCain & Powell would be too much military. McCain already will get the military supporters vote, and knows a sufficient amount about it for the White House (granted, he'll also have advisors and cabinet people), Powell would be overload & get killed for lack of economic agenda. Just IMHO at least. Ridge I don't like, not a bad guy, just attached to Bush & the war on terror, but he is a candidate. Giuliani killed his future political career when he answered every question with "Well when 911 happened...". I don't think Gore will take the VP nod. Other than that, pretty good for the likely Top 3.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama will beat Republican John McCain in the November U.S. presidential election, prediction market traders were betting on Wednesday.

Traders on the Dublin-based Intrade prediction market gave Obama a 61 percent chance of winning the November 4 election, versus a 35 percent chance for McCain. Traders on the Iowa Electronic Markets gave the Democrat an almost 62 percent chance of winning, versus a 39 percent chance for the Republican.

Prediction exchanges let traders buy and sell contracts on the likelihood of future events. Contracts are usually structured so prices can be read as a percentage chance of an event occurring. Studies of prediction markets have shown they have an accuracy comparable to that of public opinion polls.

Traders were less certain about the vice presidential running mate for either candidate. Around midday on Wednesday, Obama's chief Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton, was seen as having a 22 percent chance of being his pick.

Sen. Jim Webb of Virginia, a former Navy secretary, was given an 19 percent chance of being Obama's choice, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson had a 6 percent chance and former Virginia Gov. Mark Warner a 5.5 percent chance.

On the Republican side, traders gave former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney a 20 percent chance of being McCain's running mate. Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty had a 16 percent chance and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee a 12 percent chance.

(Editing by Alan Elsner)

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Stick a fork in him, at a 35% chance McCains toast & the GOP is done because Bush, Cheney & Karl don't give a flying fuck about you, me or what happens to the Republican party. They made the $$ for the people who asked them to make it, now can walk away because their "mission accomplish" leaving nothing but fools behind. I saw this morning Bush's approval rating is 25%. This is worse than Jimmy Carter at his alltime low which was during the hostage crisis!!

You make a good point, but is McCain really going to "fix it"?? or continue it.

Anyway it's midnight here, I gotta go to bed. Goodnight everyone, thanks for the debates.

It'll be the same old horseshit with him. People are sick of the war people running this country. I'[m not talking about Bush or Cheney, I'm talking about the guys who fueled this war, the guys Clinton had the balls to say no to. There's cronies out there who were bugging Clinton in 97 to goto war with Iraq. He said no, because there was absolutely no reason. 9/11 gave Bush an opportunity to twist the logic and fool the American public and take advantage of such a national tragedy. Fortunately for him the 2004 election wasn't far away from when the war began. Now, 5+ years after the war started, it's a disgrace.

Don't get me wrong, I do like McCain, moreso that many Republicans, and especially the two dipshits in office now, but 2000 was McCains year. Not 2008, I'm sorry, too much has changed, and he's too old. He's an old 72. Frank Lautenberg just won another election in NJ, AND HE'S 84!!! But he doesn't even come across as it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zE9XDrp1yaU

Bush & Cheney made deals with this group, and went to the war they wanted to go to, it's time to end it, and try to get this country on a different and better track. McCain won't do that, hence, he is a 3rd term.