BEAVERTON, Ore. – When Senator Barack Obama arrived at a software and technology plant here today, holding a town meeting with a few dozen Oregon voters, he came armed with a prepared speech about Senator John McCain.

In a span of less than 10 minutes, Mr. Obama mentioned his prospective Republican rival no fewer than 10 times. (“Senator McCain is running for president to double-down on George Bush’s failed policies,” Mr. Obama said, a statement that drew essentially no reaction from his small audience.)

But these voters had issues on their minds, from health care to the rising costs of college to the burgeoning federal deficit. One man, though, raised a question that suddenly is weighing on the minds of many Democrats. He put the question in basketball terms.

“Since having good teammates that can play ball is advantageous to you,” the man said, “what’s your thought of having Senator Clinton as your running mate?’



“Were you put up to that by one of those reporters back there?” Mr. Obama said, shaking his head and smiling. “I have not won this nomination yet. I think it would be presumptuous of me to suggest that she’s going to be my running mate when we’re still actively running.”

Mr. Obama could have stopped there and called on his next questioner, but he didn’t.

“We do not have this nomination locked up, so we’re still competing. She’s going to do very well in West Virginia and Kentucky – she will win those states in all likelihood by significant margins. We feel like we’ve got a pretty good shot here in Oregon. We’re going to be campaigning in Montana and South Dakota and Puerto Rico. Until I’m the nominee, I don’t want to speculate on running mates.”

Before he concluded, he outlined three qualifications for hiring – or appointing – people: Competence, integrity, independence.

“I will say that she has shown herself to be an extraordinary candidate and an extraordinary public servant. She is hard working, she is tough, she is very smart,” Mr. Obama said. “So I think she’d be on anybody’s shortlist of the vice presidential candidates, but beyond that, I don’t want to offer an opinion.”

O.K., no opinion offered.