Will Obama Pick Clinton for Vice President?

June 3, 2008— -- Now that it is clear Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., will secure the Democratic presidential nomination when all the votes are counted in South Dakota and Montana, based on ABC News reporting and preliminary exit polls, questions remain about whether he'll ask Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., to join him on the ticket.

ABC News' Chief Washington Correspondent George Stephanopoulos talked with "World News" anchor Charlie Gibson about the possibility of an Obama-Clinton ticket.

CHARLES GIBSON: To be clear, Barack Obama is at this moment how many delegates short?

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: Nine short.

CHARLES GIBSON: And there are 31 (delegates) to be awarded in Montana and South Dakota and we know that he'll get those nine?

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: The way proportional representation works - even if he loses both Montana and South Dakota tonight - he will pick up at least nine delegates.

CHARLES GIBSON: He will be the nominee…And yet he's not probably going to have 24 hours to savor this, and everybody's going to get right on to the question of who is going to be your vice presidential choice. Will you choose Hillary Clinton?

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: And Hillary Clinton is in play. There's just no question about it. Now that she says she's open to considering it, her supporters - a lot of her supporters want it. That puts Barack Obama in a bit of a box.

He's either got to pick her - he's certainly got to seriously consider her and he doesn't want her he's got to do it in a way that doesn't dis her or her supporters.

CHARLES GIBSON: George, is there anybody measuring whether this is a stronger ticket, whether he has a better chance to win with her on the ticket?

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: A lot of people are talking about it (and) a lot of people are thinking about it.

There is some resistant in the Obama campaign because of some bad feelings and because of trying to figure out how you fit a former first lady and a former president in the administration. But even if they're not polling it right now, every news organization in the country is. A lot of Democrats will be. A lot of supporters of Hilary Clinton will be. And we'll see the results.

CHARLES GIBSON: But the name of game is to win. The question is in the Obama campaign, do they think they have a better chance of winning with her on the ticket?

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: A lot of people inside the Obama campaign think that picking Hillary Clinton undercuts their message of change.

But they also don't deny that this could help unify the Democratic Party, and she brings a lot of support with her. Seventeen million votes (nearly) in the primary.

CHARLES GIBSON: It has been a fascinating period up to this day…

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: It's going to continue…

CHARLES GIBSON: And it's going to be fascinating going forth. George Stephanopoulos. Thank you.