Trend Guru

The Republican presidential nominee has kept his selection a closely guarded secret, and it's anything but certain who'll he will pick. McCain is slated to announce his running mate at noon Eastern time in Dayton, Ohio, just hours after the end of the Democratic convention.

McCain, R-Ariz., hopes to turn the media focus away from Democratic rival Sen. Barack Obama and generate momentum heading into the GOP convention that starts Monday in St. Paul, Minn.  There's a chance the convention could be postponed, however, if Tropical Storm Gustav turns into a hurricane and strikes the Gulf Coast.                                                                  Earlier Friday, NBC and other media outlets reported that Pawlenty and Romney were out of the running. One news report said Palin left Alaska on an early-morning flight en route to Dayton, but other reports were contradictory. Palin, 44, is a reform-minded governor in Alaska who's challenged the party's old guard, attacked pork-barrel spending and taken a keen interest in energy and environmental issues. A former Miss Alaska runnerup, Palin hold a degree in journalism and has five children, including one with Down Syndrome.

If Palin is selected, it could indicate a strategy on McCain's part to siphon off women voters disaffected by Sen. Hillary Clinton's loss in the Democratic primaries to Obama, D-Ill.

Until McCain makes his pick, however, Romney, Pawlenty and others cannot be ruled out. Sen. Joe Biden, the Democratic vice presidential nominee, also claimed he would not be Obama's choice several days before his selection.

During the vice presidential selection process, campaigns often use feints and misdirection to stoke interest in a candidate's selection....Read the full breaking news on Market Watch