What they are saying about the search for a VP

With the major party conventions only a couple of weeks away, attention has turned to the search for a running mate. While some reports say the candidates lists have narrowed, at this point, it's still a guessing game for political wonks.

Both Donald Trump's and Hillary Clinton's camps have been vetting  potential vice presidential choices, sometimes in public, but mostly in private.

Here's what they are saying  about the search for the Republican and Democratic vice presidential nominees.

It’s a guessing game

“The Fourth of July weekend marked not just a national holiday but the arrival of a quadrennial spectacle: Guess the vice presidential pick. This year, of course, we get the game times two. Because there is no incumbent president running for re-election, the two presumptive nominees, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, must choose. And the rest of us get to guess. Sadly, it’s a losing proposition.”

Trump’s list narrowed

The Washington Post

“Republican Donald Trump has narrowed down his vice presidential shortlist to a handful of contenders. While the presumptive GOP nominee is known for throwing curveballs, here's a look at some of the men and women he is said to be considering and has met with recently. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich: Trump has long said that he's looking for an experienced insider who knows the ropes of Congress to pass his agenda. If that's what he wants, there's arguably no one more qualified than the former House speaker who represented Georgia in Congress for 20 years.”

Announcement at the convention

The Hill

“Donald Trump is closing in on a vice presidential pick, with the vetting process in full swing. Trump will make the announcement sometime between now and the end of the Republican National Convention on July 21. It’s decision time for Donald Trump and for the potential vice presidential candidates considering whether to hitch their political futures to his renegade campaign. The presumptive Republican presidential nominee has said he plans to announce his running mate at the GOP convention in Cleveland later this month. It would be the first time in nearly 20 years that a vice president was unveiled in the middle of a convention.”

Ernst, Pence on the GOP list

The Guardian

“In a flurry of activity on Monday, Donald Trump named three Republican politicians seemingly in contention to be named as his vice-presidential pick at the party’s national convention in Cleveland later this month. Those named were the first-term Iowa senator Joni Ernst, the first-term Arkansas senator Tom Cotton – like Ernst a military veteran – and the governor of Indiana, Mike Pence. Trump spent time with Pence and his family on Sunday and was due to meet Ernst in New Jersey on Monday.”

Kaine is on the Dems list

“With the clock ticking on Hillary Clinton's selection of a running mate for the fall campaign, one name consistently appears at or near the top of her list of consideration: Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine. He's regularly depicted as "safe" or even "expected," and friends describe him as a "happy warrior" who "knows his inner core." But while he appears to be a more conventional choice -- a seasoned politician with policy expertise and governing experience -- the presumptive Democratic nominee must decide if Kaine is the right fit for what's expected to be a very unconventional election against the often explosive and unpredictable Donald Trump.”

Booker may be in now

CBS News

“As speculation over Hillary Clinton's running mate intensifies, New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker this weekend went from flatly denying he's under consideration to referring questions about vetting to the Clinton campaign. "I'm just referring questions about the vice presidency to the woman who is going to have to make this decision," he said on CNN Sunday. "You should talk to the Clinton campaign. What I do know is that on the Democratic side, there are many fabulous candidates--people that could be really strong vice presidential candidates." ”

Who is on the short list

The New Republic

“Nearly all reports from the Hillary Clinton brain trust suggest Senator Tim Kaine is the runaway favorite to be the Democrats’ vice presidential nominee in 2016. There are soft spots in this consensus. For instance, the Clinton campaign is apparently not 100 percent convinced that Donald Trump will walk away from next month’s convention in Cleveland as the Republican nominee. Clinton’s allies think there’s a small but real chance she’ll be running against a candidate who isn’t fatally flawed himself (or mortally wounded for having deposed Trump). If that did happen, a more electric candidate might rocket to the top of her short list.”

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