What’s More Exciting Than a Veepstakes? A Surprise Veepstakes.

Over three chaotic weeks, America lived through an assassination attempt, a political convention and a dramatic exit from the presidential ticket. But even — or perhaps especially — in these wild times, the political world is clinging to what it knows: lists of names and wild speculation.

Although Vice President Kamala Harris has officially been a presidential candidate for less than four days, the parlor game over her running mate is well underway.

The contenders are still getting used to the attention.

“Are we not talking about concrete anymore, or what?” asked Gov. Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, speaking at a Monday event hosted by an asphalt manufacturer outside Pittsburgh.

The governor, whose name frequently tops the roster of potential picks, proceeded to dodge 13 minutes of shouted questions about his vice-presidential aspirations — or lack thereof.

“I’m happy to try to answer your questions — I just have to hear them one at a time,” he said to a crowd of reporters that included journalists from national TV networks, adding, “I’m not going to engage in hypotheticals.”

Efforts to select a vice-presidential nominee always incite a firestorm of unfounded predictions stoked furiously by busybodies and blowhards. There are, of course, the infamous lists — real and speculative — of prospective candidates, which fuel breathless reporting on the possibilities. Planes are tracked, schedules are scoured and even minor players suddenly transform into figures “close to the candidate.”