Special Report: U.S. presidential election 2008

    WASHINGTON, June 25 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama on Wednesday gave out some clues about the qualities he would seek in his running mate for the upcoming elections.

    "I want somebody who can be a good president if anything happened to me," Obama told a news conference in Chicago, Illinois.

Democratic presidential candidate Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) speaks at the U.S. Conference of Mayors in Miami, Florida June 21, 2008.  (Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    "I want somebody who can be a good adviser and counsel to me and tell me where he or she thinks I'm wrong, not just on national security policy but on domestic policy as well."

    Speculation has been on for a long time about who will share the ticket with the Illinois senator. Both before and after he established a vice presidential vetting team, more than 20 names have been put on the table including his former rivals in the party nomination race -- Hillary Clinton, John Edwards and Bill Richardson.

    His potential running mates also include some former and current senators, and governors and military generals, but no one has so far netted the clear possibility.

    U.S. political analysts and news media speculate that 46-year-old Obama would find someone with rich foreign and defense experience to offset the advantages of his Republican rival, John McCain, a Vietnam War veteran and a leading voice on national security affairs in Congress.

    Traditionally, a U.S. presidential nominee would select a running mate who can help him win battleground states, shore up his weak side, play to his strengths or at least spark voters' enthusiasm.

    However, Obama's campaign manager David Plouffe said earlier on Wednesday that Obama is likely to choose his partner based on qualifications rather than other factors.

    "I think Barack Obama will pick someone who first of all he believes is most qualified to be president and someone who will be a partner in government," he said.

    "Whether someone helps win you an election, I think, is kind of a side benefit."

    Clinton and Edwards have both publicly stated that they are not seeking the post of vice president but did not rule out the possibility of accepting such a nomination if it should come their way.

    Some others such as Delaware Senator Joe Biden and Indiana Senator Even Bayh expressed their willingness to say "yes" should they be asked.

    The McCain campaign, on the other hand, is conducting a secret vetting procedure for the Republican vice presidential candidate.