VP nail-biter shows Obama's skill at political theater

Yet through a mix of marketing and campaign discipline, Sen. Barack Obama has turned the selection of his vice presidential running mate into a genuine drama. For weeks, the Obama campaign has kept silent about virtually every aspect of the choice, with the candidate coyly telling reporters the other day he had made up his mind--and "wouldn't you like to know" exactly when he would tell the world?

Even top campaign strategists and surrogates for Obama have professed to know nothing about his intentions, the better to keep the mystery alive.

Obama's rollout of his vice presidential pick is the latest example of his ability to craft big, attention-grabbing moments out of what are usually predictable steps along the campaign path. Every presumptive nominee needs a No. 2. But Obama has led the search in a way that has kept the public focus squarely on himself, while giving his campaign an organizational advantage.

In a clever bit of salesmanship, the campaign invited people to "be the first to know" Obama's choice for running mate, offering to send the news in a text message. In return, people gave up their e-mail addresses and cellphone numbers--data the campaign can use to mobilize turnout come election day.

For all the stagecraft, some Democratic Party veterans warn that Obama's efforts could backfire. Voters might face a letdown if the choice of a running mate turns out to be some of the well-known Washington insiders who have supposedly made it onto Obama's short list, such as Sens. Evan Bayh of Indiana and Joseph R. Biden Jr. of Delaware.

Then there is the risk that Obama will be seen as overly consumed with campaign theatrics. His Republican rival, Sen. John McCain, is already having some success in the polls portraying Obama as a shallow global celebrity. Obama's recent trip overseas -- another example of how his campaign crafted a big, attention-grabbing moment -- may have played into such perceptions.

There is nothing terribly unusual about a presidential candidate traveling abroad. McCain also went overseas after clinching the nomination.

But Obama turned the trip into a signature moment of his campaign, a test of his ability to hold his own with world leaders. Network anchors covered the journey with an intensity that left the McCain campaign angry and envious. The emotional apex was Obama's speech to a huge crowd in Berlin, some of whom waved flags handed out by Obama aides. But after returning home Obama has seen his lead over McCain evaporate in national polls.

Don Fowler, a former chairman of the Democratic National Committee, said the build-up for Obama's vice presidential announcement will end up subjecting the person to an uncomfortable degree of vetting.

"All this coaxing, this being coy and planning to the Nth degree is going to invite the most detailed critical scrutiny that you've ever seen," Fowler said. "In spite of the fact that [the potential running mates] are all wonderful people, none of them is Jesus and none of them is Moses. Even their friends can point out shortcomings."

peter.nicholas@latimes.com